A Chronological Survey of Human Body Illustrations inPersian Anatomical Works (with an emphasis on theMansur’s Anatomy)

Around 800 AH/1499 CE Mansūr ibn Muḥammad wrote a treatise on anatomy re-nowned as the first Persian illustrated anatomical work with full-page diagrams of the human body which were depicted in squatting position. In contrast with these “tradi-tional” illustrations, it seems that the “modern” depiction of the human body became popular right after the introduction of European medicine to Persia. Accordingly, to shed light on the way Persians passed from the traditional anatomical illustrations to modern ones, investigations are still needed to be done. In addition to explaining the features of these illustrations chronologically, this paper provides information to push forward the understanding of the interaction between advances of medical sciences and anatomi-cal illustrations until the end of Qajar dynasty. As a result, it is evident that anatomical illustrations of Mansūr’s treatise established a tradition, which continued for about half a millennium. This long-lasting tradition was due to the continuous reliance of Persian medicine on its Galenic origin, which was dominant from the 3rd century AH. It also indicates that in spite of being familiar with the modern figures of European anatomi-cal books from the 11th century AH, Persians made use of “modern” illustrations of the human body in the second half of the 13th century AH. The earliest images of modern human body appeared after the establishment of Dār al-Funūn (c. 1266 AH). Thereaf-ter, “modern” images of human body replaced “traditional” illustrations. Following this change, a wide range of modern images appeared in Persian anatomical print books.