Journal for the History of Science

Journal for the History of Science

Visual Analysis of the Horse’s Bodily Structure in Islamic Veterinary Manuscripts (from the Early Centuries to the 11th Century AH)

Document Type : Research/Original/Reqular Article

Authors
Rana Mohammadzadeh 1
AliReza Taheri 2
Sara Shahlaei 1
1 PhD student in Comparative History and Analysis of Islamic Art, Faculty of Theoretical Sciences and Advanced Studies in Art, University of Art, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Comparative History and Analysis of Islamic Art, Faculty of Theoretical Sciences and Advanced Studies of Art, University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jihs.2026.415223.371911
Abstract
Scientific illustration in Islamic manuscripts was not merely a decorative method for embellishing texts; rather, it played a fundamental role in the efficient transmission of knowledge, the clarification of technical concepts, and practical instruction. Among the various subjects illustrated in these works, the anatomy of animals—particularly the horse—occupies a significant position. The present study aims to analyze the methods of anatomical representation of the horse in Islamic veterinary manuscripts (4th to 7th centuries AH) by examining the relationship between these illustrations and the accompanying scientific content. The core question addressed is: How was the anatomy of the horse represented in Islamic veterinary manuscripts, and what were the structural characteristics of these depictions?



This research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, based on a visual and content-based reading of the illustrations and their corresponding texts. The findings indicate that the depiction of the horse in works centered on Baytara (veterinary medicine) is neither purely artistic nor strictly scientific in the modern sense; rather, it is the product of a convergence between empirical knowledge and established traditions of visual representation. In these manuscripts, illustrations functioned as educational and practical tools for understanding animal physiology and treating diseases through the omission of non-essential details, visual simplification, the use of textual annotation, and an emphasis on profile and occasionally dorsal views. Consequently, the anatomical representation of the horse in these texts can be categorized as a form of functional and cognitive representation, wherein the image serves to facilitate the transmission of veterinary knowledge. This study demonstrates that Islamic veterinary manuscripts possess a distinct visual tradition in which the image functions not as a decorative element, but as a crucial complement to the text and a mechanism for the scientific understanding of animal anatomy.
Keywords
Veterinary knowledge
Bayṭarah (veterinary medicine)
Islamic veterinary manuscripts
visual representation
anatomical depiction of the horse
Subjects
احمدی‌دارانی، علی‌اکبر (۱۳۷۹). فواید ادبی کتاب تاریخ دامپزشکی و پزشکی، نشریه نشر دانش، (۹۷)، ۵۶ – ۶۰.
آقابابایی‌خوزانی، زهرا (1392). بررسی ترجمه­های حیات الحیوان و کتب بیطاری در ایران از آغاز تا روزگار قاجار، متن­شناسی ادب فارسی، (۲)، 120-97. 
دادرس، آتنا (۱۴۰۰)‌. مطالعه تطبیقی تصویرسازی جانوران در نسخه‌های متعدد الحشائش دیسکوریدوس، پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد رشته تصویرسازی، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر اصفهان. 
ریشار، فرانسیس (۱۳۷۹). فرسنامه‌ای فارسی مورخ ۵۵۵ قمری (نسخه خطی کتابخانه ملی پاریس)،  ترجمه هوشنگ اعلم،  نامه بهارستان، (۲)، ۷۱–۷۴.
رنان، کالین ا. (۱۳۹۲). تاریخ علم کمبریج. ترجمه حسن افشار، تهران: نشرمرکز.
زاهدی‌انارکی، فاطمه (۱۳۹۲). بررسی تصاویر علمی کتاب الحشایش مکتب بغداد دوره عباسی، پایان‌نامه کارشناسی‌ارشد، رشته تصویرسازی، دانشکده هنرهای‌تجسمی، دانشگاه هنرتهران.
سلطانی‌گرد فرامرزی، علی (۱۳۶۶). تاریخ علوم در اسلام دو فرس نامه منثور و منظوم در شناخت نژاد و پرورش و بیماری‌ها و درمان اسب. تهران: موسسه مطالعات اسلامی دانشگاه مک گیل شعبه تهران و انتشارات دانشگاه تهران.
عبداللهی، منیژه (۱۳۸۱). فرهنگ نامه جانوران در ادب فارسی. تهران: انتشارات پژوهنده.
کامرانی، بهنام (۱۳۸۸). نقش گیاهان و جانوران در کتاب های علمی ایران. پایان نامه مقطع دکتری، دانشکده هنرهای کاربردی، دانشگاه هنر تهران.
محرری، امید (۱۳86). سیر بیطاری دام­پزشکی اسب در تاریخ سرزمین­های اسلامی، فصلنامه­ تخصصی فقه و تاریخ تمدن، ۴ (۱۴)، 186-163.
مهری، فاطمه (۱۳۸۸). کتاب الحیوان جانور شناسی در تمدن اسلامی، نشریه معارف، (۶۷)، ۴۴ – ۶۳.
نورپور، علی (۱۳۹۴). بررسی تصویرسازی‌های کتب علمی جانورشناسی دوره اسلامی در ایران، پایان‌نامه کارشناسی‌ارشد، رشته تصویرسازی، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر تهران.
 
Ahmadi-Darani, A. A. (2000). Literary benefits of the book "History of Veterinary and Medicine. Nashr-e Danesh, (97), 56–60. (in Persian)
Aghababaei-Khoozani, Z. (2013). A study of the translations of Hayat al-Hayawan and veterinary books in Iran from the beginning to the Qajar era. Textual Criticism of Persian Literature, (2), 97–120. (in Persian)
Aghabeiglooei, Z., Rezaei Orimi, J., Koohi, K. M., & Sharifabadi-Amrollahi, M. (2024). Al-Razi’s Contributions to Veterinary Medicine; Toxicology Subspecialty. Research on History of Medicine, 13 (1), 71–78.
Dadras, A. (2021). A comparative study of animal illustrations in multiple manuscripts of Dioscorides De Materia Medica (Al-Hasha’ish) [Master’s Thesis in Illustration]. Faculty of Visual Arts, Isfahan University of Art. (in Persian)
Ronan, C. A. (2013). The Cambridge Illustrated History of the World's Science. Translated by Hassan Afshar. Tehran: Nashr-e-Markaz. (in Persian)
Zahedi-Anaraki, F. (2013). A study of scientific illustrations in the Baghdad School's De Materia Medica during the Abbasid period [Master’s Thesis in Illustration]. Faculty of Visual Arts, Tehran University of Art. (in Persian)
Safari, M. (2019). English Vocabulary for Equine Veterans: How Different from GSL and AWL Words. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8 (2), 51-65.
Soltani Gord-Faramarzi, A. (1987). History of Sciences in Islam: Two prose and verse Faras-Namahs on the identification of breeds, breeding, diseases, and treatment of horses. Tehran: McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies (Tehran Branch) & University of Tehran Press. (in Persian)
Abdollahi, M. (2002). The Encyclopedia of Animals in Persian Literature. Tehran: Pazhouhandeh Publications. (in Persian)
Kamrani, B. (2009). The role of flora and fauna in Iranian scientific books [Doctoral Dissertation]. Faculty of Applied Arts, Tehran University of Art. (in Persian)
Mohareri, O. (2007). The evolution of equine veterinary medicine in the history of Islamic lands. Journal of Fiqh and the History of Civilization, 4 (14), 163–186. (in Persian)
Mehri, F. (2009). Kitab al-Hayawan: Zoology in Islamic civilization. Ma'aref Journal, (67), 44–63. (in Persian)
 
پیوست‌ها: لینک مستقیم تصاویر
URL 1: https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_10668/?sp=1&st=grid -2025.
Journal for the History of Science
Volume 24, Issue 2
October 2026
Pages 35-58