"The Architect’s Apprentice" by Elif Shafak

"The Architect’s Apprentice" by Elif Shafak

is a richly layered historical novel set in 16th-century Istanbul. It follows Jahan, a young Indian boy who arrives with a white elephant as a gift for the Sultan. Jahan becomes an apprentice to the empire’s celebrated architect, Mimar Sinan, and over decades witnesses the building of grand mosques, palaces, and aqueducts. The story blends adventure, romance, and political intrigue while exploring themes of ambition, art, friendship, and the passage of time.