SUPPLY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN MEDIEVAL ANATOLIA FROM X. CENTURY TO XII. THE CENTURY

Abstract

In the Middle Ages, there were many struggles between the Saldjῡḳs and other Anatolian principalities. One side of these struggles was to have intellectual knowledge. For this reason, Anatolian lords built Dârü's-sıhha, Darü'ş-şifa and Maristans and tried to meet all kinds of needs for those working in these buildings. Especially after the establishment of the Crusader States, the trade routes moving from the Eastern Mediterranean to Anatolia led to the establishment of many caravanserais in the region. While the health buildings located around safe trade routes were conduce to in many physicians passing from the Middle East to Anatolia, the Greek-Iranian-Indian medicine synthesized here, developed within the Islamic world, was carried to Anatolia. This medical knowledge made it possible to use many plants such as oud, musk, camphor, belsam and helile in the treatment of diseases. But not all of these plants could be found in Anatolia. Plants began to be supplied to the intellectuals working in these buildings through trade routes that passed near the health buildings and reached all parts of the known World. While some of the plants were supplied via the silk road, some of them were connected to Serendib from the trade ports on the east coast of China and were brought to Anatolia via the north-west road together with the herbs on the spice route. In addition, the Andalusian road was one of the trade routes that carried plants in the Middle Ages.