Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi (
Arabic: حسام الدين الجراحي; died 1202 CE)[1][2] was an
emir and the personal
physician of
Saladin, who founded the
Ayyubid dynasty and rose to become a prominent
Muslim leader during the
Crusades. Due to his extensive work in medicine, Hussam received the title of jarrah (جراح), meaning "surgeon" in the Arabic language.[3][4]
Although his exact date of birth is unknown, Hussam was primarily active during the 12th century; he established a
Sufi-focused zawiya known as the Zawiya Jarrahiyya in
Jerusalem.[5] Hussam was buried on the grounds of the school, which is today located in the
East Jerusalem neighbourhood of
Sheikh Jarrah, for which he serves as the namesake.[6] In 1202, a
tomb was built on his burial site and subsequently became a destination for Muslim
mystics and visitors.[7]
See also
Sheikh Jarrah, the Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem named after Hussam
^Kark, R. and Shimon Landman, The establishment of Muslim neighbourhoods outside the Old City during the late Ottoman period, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, vol 112, 1980, pp 113–135.