Nabihah Shukri

19th-century Syrian physician and educator who founded the Middle East's first women's medical school

Medical Pioneering

Nabihah Shukri (1828-1898) broke cultural barriers as Syria's first female physician and founder of the Beirut Women's Medical College in 1867. Born to a Damascene merchant family, she studied medicine in secret through correspondence courses with Parisian universities. Her 1852 "Kitab al-Tibb" became the first Arabic-language medical textbook written by a woman.

Educational Innovation

Shukri's medical school trained over 300 female doctors by 1880, providing产科和妇科 services previously unavailable to Muslim women. She developed novel teaching methods using anatomical models and pioneered the use of anesthesia in Middle Eastern hospitals. Her 1875 "Manual of Women's Health" became a standard medical reference across the Ottoman Empire.

Social Reforms

She established free clinics for poor women and campaigned against harmful practices like female genital mutilation. Her 1883 "Fatwa Against Child Marriage" influenced Ottoman legal reforms. Shukri also founded the Women's Medical Association, which still operates as Lebanon's largest women's health organization.

Legacy

Modern historians credit her with creating the Middle East's first gender-inclusive medical system. The WHO recognizes her as a pioneer in public health education. Her故居 in Beirut now houses the Nabihah Shukri Medical Museum, displaying her original anatomical models. A Google Doodle honored her 190th birthday in 2018, and her work is featured in the University of Lebanon's medical history curriculum.