Coordinates: 32°17′N, 48°31′E The Academy of Gundishapur (in Persian: دانشگاه گنديشاپور, Dânešgâh Gondišâpur) was a renowned academy of learning in the city of Gundeshapur during late antiquity, the intellectual center of the Sassanid empire. It offered training in medicine, philosophy, theology and science. The faculty were versed not only in the Zoroastrian and Persian traditions, but in Greek and Indian learning as well. According to The Cambridge History of Iran, it was the most important medical center of the ancient world (defined as Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East) during the 6th and 7th centuries. ^[1] Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Farsi redirects here. ... Gundeshapur (in Persian گندیشاپور, Pahlavi Gund-Ä« Shāh PÅ«r, Gondeshapur, Jondishapoor, Jondishapur, and Jondishapour, Gundishapur, Gondêšâpur, Jund-e Shapur, Jundê-Shâpûr, etc. ... Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty (Persian: []) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian Empire (226–651). ...

History

The MOST ANCIENT UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD:

"The Academy of Gundishapur (Jundishahpoor) was founded by Sassanids during the reign of Shapur I (Shahpoor the First) of Iran, ca. 2200 years ago, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassanid_Empire It is located in the present-day province (Sathrap) of Khuzestan, in the southwest of Iran, not so far from the Karun river. It was built in a city named Gondishapur, one of the most significant Iranian cities of that time. Gundishapur University and Academy were important centers of science, philosophy and medicine in the ancient world." (also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Gundishapur )

It is believed that Gundishapur was the greatest university and academy the world had yet seen. Even better than Plato's Academy or Aristotle's Lyceum. Most of Greek scholar's studied at Gundishapur. Almost all the sources that Iranian scientists after islam (e.g. Avecinna and Khwarizmi) used were provided by ancient Iranian scientists in Gundishapur university. It was the heart of science and philosophy of its time. There, Zoroastrian philosophy, Greek knowledge, Babylonian astronomy as well as other scientific disciplines were mixed to create a great University. Zoroastrians have always been described by Historians as wise people who love science.

Soon after the founding of the modern school of Jondishapur, Dr. Tal'at Basāri was appointed vice chancellor of the university, the first woman to reach such a post in any university in Iran.

Under the Pahlavi dynasty, the heritage of Gondeshapur was memorialized by the founding of the Jondishapour University and its twin institution Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences, near the city of Ahvaz in 1959. [1] [2] The Pahlavi dynasty (in Persian: دودمان پهلوی) of Iran began with the crowning of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 and ended with the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and the subsequent collapse of the ancient tradition of Iranian monarchy. ... The city of Ahvaz or Ahwaz[1] (Persian: ahvāz or Arabic: ‎), is the capital of the Iranian province of Khūzestān. ...

The latter-day Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences was founded and named after its Sassanid predecessor, by its founder and first Chancellor, Dr. Mohammad Kar, Father of Cyrus Kar, in Ahvaz in 1959. Cyrus Kar (Persian: , born March 18, 1961 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian-born American film director, part-time professor at the University of Phoenix, and now-vindicated alleged terrorist who was captured by United States forces in Iraq on May 17, 2005. ...

Jondishapur University was renamed to Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in 1981 in honor of Mostafa Chamran. It has been renamed again as Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences recently, websites: http://ajums.ac.ir/en/default.aspx http://ajums.ac.ir Based on the fact that Jundishapur University was founded by the Iranian King Shapur I more than 2200 years ago, it is the most ancient University in the history of mankind. Soon after the founding of Jondishapur University, Dr. Talat Basāri was appointed vice chancellor of the university, the first woman to reach such a post in any university in Iran. ... Mostafa Chamran Savei (1932 – 21 June 1981) was an Iranian defense minister and member of parliament, as well as commander of paramilitary volunteers in Iran-Iraq war. ... Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), is a medical school in Khuzestan Province of Iran. ...

The first woman ever to be appointed as vice-chancellor in a university in Iran, Dr. Tal'at Basāri, was appointed at this university in the mid 1960s, and starting 1968, plans for the modern campus were designed by famed architect Kamran Diba [3]. Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, by Kamran Diba. ...

Ancient Gondeshapur is also slated for an archaeological investigation. Experts from the Archaeological Research Center of Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago plan to start excavations in early 2006 [4]. Iran Cultural Heritage Organization (سازمان میراث فرهنگی) is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

1. ^ Vol 4, p396. ISBN 0-521-20093-8
2. ^ University of Tehran Overview/Historical Events
3. ^ Hill, Donald. Islamic Science and Engineering. 1993. Edinburgh Univ. Press. ISBN 0-7486-0455-3, p.4
4. ^ Cambridge University Press, p. 173
5. ^ Princeton University Press, 2000

Sources

• The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol 4, ISBN 0-521-20093-8
• Dols, Michael W. "The origins of the Islamic hospital: myth and reality": 1987, 61: 367-90; review by: 1987, 61: 661-62
• Elgood, Cyril. A medical history of Persia, Cambridge University Press, 1951.
• Frye, Richard Nelson. The Golden Age of Persia, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1993.
• Hau, Friedrun R. "Gondeschapur: eine Medizinschule aus dem 6. Jahrhundert n. Chr.," Gesnerus, XXXVI (1979), 98-115.
• Piyrnia, Mansoureh. Salar Zanana Iran. 1995. Maryland: Mehran Iran Publishing.
• Hill, Donald. Islamic Science and Engineering. 1993. Edinburgh Univ. Press. ISBN 0-7486-0455-3

Richard Nelson Frye (c. ...

External links

• Medicine in ancient Iran
• Jondishapur according to Ahvaz University
• Gundishapur according to jazirehdanesh(In Persian)

See also

• Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (Jondishapur University before 1981)
• Higher education in Iran
• Nizamiyyah
• School of Nisibis
• List of universities in Iran
• Darolfonoon
• List of Iranian scientists from the pre-modern era.
• Modern Iranian scientists and engineers
• List of Iranian Research Centers
• National Library of Iran
• Science in Iran