Avicenna

The Islamic scholar who wrote one of the most INFLUENTIAL BOOKS in the history of medicine

Avicenna’s encyclopedia explains how to recognize and treat illnesses.

Gifted student

Born in about 980 ce in present-day Uzbekistan, Avicenna completed his studies in MEDICINE by the age of 16. He cured the sultan of Bukhara of a mysterious illness that baffled royal doctors. As a reward, he was granted access to the sultan’s extensive library of rare manuscripts so that he could continue his research. Avicenna was an influential scholar, addressing questions about the relationship between religion and science.

Medical writings

Avicenna wrote NUMEROUS BOOKS during his lifetime. His five-volume encyclopedia, The Canon of Medicine, was a collection of all the medical knowledge known at that time, and became the standard medical textbook in both Europe and Asia.

Avicenna’s writings laid the foundations of modern medical science. It was the basis of medical teaching in Europe up until the 17th century. How he changed… the wor ld