Melodies in the hospital courtyard: A comparative history of Ottoman music therapy in the early modern period (c. 1400–1800)

Abstract

The use of music in psychotherapeutic treatment is typically thought of as a recent practice whose roots are incorrectly attributed to ancient Greek and European medicine. The present article provides an overview of Ottoman music therapy (OMT) for the mentally ill, which was examined in relation to pre-modern European medical understanding and also modern music therapy. We argue that the systematic and pragmatic use of music for the medical treatment of the mentally ill in Ottoman hospitals provided a state-of-the-art model whose relevance is still palpable today. Moreover, OMT offers an example of the exceptional contributions advanced by the Islamic civilization in regards to music therapy. In the Muslim world, music was prescribed and used for medicinal, psychiatric purposes centuries before it gained traction in the Western medical field. Appreciation of the Ottoman model — advanced even by modern standards — is essential not only in accurately understanding the historical origins of music therapy but also to enhance its current-day practice. We also discuss the likelihood of knowledge transmission between Ottoman and European medical traditions and the possibility that OMT might have influenced the use of music therapy for psychiatric disorders in European medical institutions centuries later.