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.