The Historic Hospitals Research Project is a social history and architectural history initiative launched in 2009 by the Cultural Awareness Foundation with the support of Novartis Turkey. In Anatolia—a region with a significant medical history dating back to Antiquity—tracing the remnants of this rich past primarily involves following the traces of healthcare structures that have survived to the present day.
Asklepions, darüşşifas (Ottoman-era healing centers), medical madrasas, and modern hospitals are the physical embodiments of these historical traces. However, due to the lack of a comprehensive study on this important cultural heritage, the Foundation initiated a medical history research project focusing specifically on “modern hospitals” built starting in the 19th century.
With the support of Novartis Turkey, research conducted in 2009 culminated in the publication of an illustrated book in December of that year. Titled From Gureba Hospitals to Public Hospitals: The First Civil Hospitals, the book compiles the historical and architectural features of thirty-five buildings constructed in fourteen cities across Anatolia—most of which still function as hospitals today.