It rained on us a bit as we headed to our next stop in the center of Kayseri city: an old mental hospital. (Side note: the weather has been absolutely beautiful! a bit sunny, a bit cloudy, a bit breezy, with occasional sprinkles. MUCH better than the 90+ degree days that Wichita is seeing right now)
This grey stone building was constructed in 1206 and was used as a medical facility into the 1800s. There are three sections: training area for doctors, doctors offices, and housing for patients. The belief was that the sound of birds, music, and running water would sooth mentally ill people, so there were fountains as well as bird housing and hired musicians at the hospital. Some patients were residents (those with the worst illness), other were apparently treated regularly, but were not residents.
courtyard with fountain
Turkish bath where residents bathed
symbol of physicians
hole in the roof of each resident's cell where their doctor would counsel them. (I have to say that I'm rather skeptical that such efforts could have much effect at all. The rock cells were lined with carpets on the walls so the residents would not do themselves harm hitting their heads on the wall (!)
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