Türkiye’s First Maternity Hospital Opened in 1892 Now a Museum

In 1892, Türkiye’s first maternity hospital, Demirkapı Viladethanesi, was established in Istanbul’s Gülhane Park. Medical historian Prof. Dr. Ayten Altıntaş explains that until then, Ottoman women gave birth at home with midwives, as births outside the home were culturally frowned upon. Driven by gynecologist Besim Ömer Akalın, the hospital’s establishment was approved by Sultan Abdulhamid II. Akalın personally restored a building near the medical school for the hospital. Today, after restoration, the historic two-story hospital now serves as the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology.