The Architect's Apprentice

A sweeping, magical novel from Elif Shafak set in 16th-century Istanbul, bursting with colour, romance and white elephantsWhen Jahan travels to 16th-century Istanbul as a stowaway carrying the gift of a white elephant for the sultan, little does he know the journey on which he is about to embark.As he settles into life in Istanbul, Jahan's fortunes are shaped by chance encounters. In the palace gardens he meets Mihrimah, the beautiful and mischievous princess, and loses his heart in an instant. Later he catches the eye of Grand Architect Sinan, who chooses Jahan as his apprentice and changes the young boy's destiny forever.Full of magic, colour and societal upheaval in the architectural renaissance of Turkey, this is the sweeping tale of plagues, wars, forbidden romance and the simple love between a boy and his elephant.

Short-listed for Ondaatje Prize 2015

“A gorgeous picture of a city teeming with secrets, intrigue and romance”

The Times
Exuberant, epic and comic, fantastical and realistic . . . like all good stories it conveys deeper meanings about human experience Financial Times
Fascinating. A vigorous evocation of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Sunday Times
Intricate, multi-layered, resplendent, vividly evoked, beautifully written Observer
Sumptuous, absorbing, moving Independent on Sunday

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books, eleven of which are novels. Her work has been translated into fifty languages. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice a TED global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to many major publications around the world and she has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better. She has judged numerous literary prizes and is chairing the Wellcome Prize 2019. Find out more about Elif Shafak on her website-

'Exuberant, epic and comic, fantastical and realistic . . . like all good stories it conveys deeper meanings about human experience' Financial Times Sixteenth century Istanbul - a city of wonder and danger When a young boy, Jahan, arrives with a gift for the Sultan - a rare white elephant called Chota - the pair are sent to the palace's prized menagerie. There they learn to guard against the scheming of animal tamers, gypsies, deceitful courtiers and the beautiful, mischievous Princess Mihrimah. Welcomed into this strange, beguiling land, Jahan and Chota travel to the furthest corners of the Sultan's kingdom - and to war. But when one day Jahan meets the royal architect, Sinan, he is given the chance to rise in court. To accept is to the enter marble halls walked by Princess Mihrimah, where the treacherous also plot - a true place of wonders and dangers . . . 'Fascinating. A vigorous evocation of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power' Sunday Times 'Intricate, multi-layered, resplendent, vividly evoked, beautifully written' Observer 'Sumptuous, absorbing, moving' Independent on Sunday

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