The Architect’s Apprentice

The Architect’s Apprentice is a captivating historical fiction novel by Elif Shafak, set in the 16th-century Ottoman Empire. The story follows the fictional life of Jahan, an elephant keeper who becomes an apprentice to the renowned architect Mimar Sinan.

At the tender age of 12, Jahan escapes his abusive stepfather by boat and arrives in Istanbul with a remarkable gift: a young white elephant from India, intended for the sultan. As part of a rogue captain’s scheme to pilfer from the palace, Jahan assumes the role of the elephant’s keeper. He cares for the elephant, whom he names Chota (“little”), within the palace menagerie.