WATCH | 900 YEARS AGO, DAMASCUS TREATED MENTAL ILLNESS BETTER THAN WE DO

Wed 08 July 2026:

In this episode of The Thinking Muslim, we sit inside the historic Al-Nuri Bimaristan in Damascus with Dr. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre to explore one of the most remarkable institutions in Islamic civilisation.

The bimaristan was not simply a hospital. It was a place of healing that understood the human being in their entirety, body, mind, and soul. At a time when much of the world had yet to develop humane approaches to mental healthcare, Islamic civilisation had already built institutions rooted in dignity, compassion, and holistic care.

Together, we explore what made the bimaristan unique, from its patient-centred design and therapeutic environment to the waqf systems that sustained it for generations. We also reflect on what Syria has lost through war, what traditional Islamic approaches to healing can still offer today, and whether these institutions can once again play a role in rebuilding a wounded society.

As Syria looks toward recovery, this conversation asks an urgent question: can true reconstruction happen without healing the people themselves?

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https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

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Here is Dr Francesca’s profile if you wish to find out more about her:

Dr. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre is a neuroscientist, Islamic psychology practitioner, and author. She’s appeared on our channel before, discussing mental health and Islamic thought — but her connection to Syria runs deeper than that. Through conversion, years of study, and a family she acquired here, Syria sits at the very heart of her Islamic psychology practice. In this episode, she explains how the very place we’re recording in today was once the crown and glory of Muslim mental health.