--- product_id: 29101453 title: "The Architect's Apprentice: A Novel" price: "S/.133" currency: PEN in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pe/products/29101453-the-architects-apprentice-a-novel store_origin: PE region: Peru --- # The Architect's Apprentice: A Novel **Price:** S/.133 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Architect's Apprentice: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** S/.133 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pe](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/29101453-the-architects-apprentice-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire, from the acclaimed author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick) Chosen for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s “Reading Room” Book Club In this novel, Turkey’s preeminent female writer spins an epic tale spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire. In 1540, twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan’s menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan’s beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire’s chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota’s help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan’s triumphant masterpieces—the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques—dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among Sinan’s four apprentices. A memorable story of artistic freedom, creativity, and the clash between science and fundamentalism, Shafak’s intricate novel brims with vibrant characters, intriguing adventure, and the lavish backdrop of the Ottoman court, where love and loyalty are no match for raw power. Review: Engrossing, Enthralling - One of the great pleasures of reading is the ability to be taken away to different places and times. The Architect’s Apprentice does a splendid job in both respects, following the life of a boy/young man who finds himself, along with a white elephant, in the court of Suleiman the Magnificent. The book follows him as he grows, becomes the mahout of the elephant and apprentice to the royal architect, Sinan. Along the way he meets the Sultan’s only daughter, becomes involved in court intrigues, and much more. Ms. Shafak brilliantly creates a world so different from ours (and so similar in some ways as well), and I find it hard to believe that anyone could read this book and not be thoroughly engrossed and enthralled. I admit that it’s sort of a fairy tale, but it’s nonetheless fascinating. I’ll also point out that I started to read this book 10 years ago, when it was first published, and couldn’t get into it. It’s a lesson for avid readers - if at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up. I recently had a similar experience with Demon Copperhead, and I’d like to think I’ve learned my lesson. Review: An Ode to architects and Istanbul - The Architect’s Apprentice, Elif Shafak, 2014 During the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire reached the apex of its territorial and cultural expansion across the Mediterranean and European continent. Istanbul was the site of an architectural renaissance where, during that period, multiple dozens of mosques, palaces, schools, aqueducts, bridges were constructed. The artistic genius behind this plethora of building can be almost totally ascribed to the 50 year career of Mimar Sinan as royal architect to three Sultans including Suleyman the Magnificent. It is into this time and place that Elif Shafak sets her historical novel. The story is related through a 12-year-old Indian boy, Jahan, who comes to the Sultan’s palace as a mahout or animal handler accompanying a baby white elephant, Chota, given as a gift to the Sultan from the Mogul emperor in Agra India. With his unusual white elephant, Jahan attracts attention from very elite personages within the royal place including Suleyman’s daughter, the royal princess, Mihrimah, for whom Jahan immediately develops a romantic fascination. As Chota matures, the Sultan decides to use the elephant instead of a horse in royal parades and events. Jahan and his elephant also come to the attention of Sinan, the royal architect, for carrying heavy loads in his construction projects. Sinan sees a potential intelligence in Jahan and decides to send him to school to train as an architectural apprentice. As we follow Jahan’s career as he becomes one of four apprentices, he works with Sinan on projects such as the magnificent Mosque of Suleimaniye and in the process much is revealed as to the workings of the royal palace and its inner intrigues. As any architect knows public works projects are intensely political and in this regard the politics of the Sultan’s court were especially treacherous. Jahan comes to this realization early in his residence in the royal menagerie within the palace. When he first arrives the transition of power from the former Sultan to Suleyman had just occurred. Noticing disquiet among animals in the menagerie he decides to investigate what was causing the disturbance, enters surreptitiously into the palace and comes across the multiple murders of Suleymans brothers, executed to abrogate any of their claims to the throne. Jahan learns personally that being on the wrong side of an argument with the Grand Vizier about a project, in this case an aqueduct, can land you in the royal dungeon. The portrait the book paints of Sinan rings true in this regard because we see him as not only an architectural genius but also as a consummate politician who deftly navigates the treacherous palace political waters and survives three Sultans and 50 years in his royal position. As Jahan relates: “Jahan understood his master’s secret resided not in his toughness, for he was not tough, nor in his indestructibility, for he was not indestructible, but in his ability to adapt to change and calamity, and to rebuild himself again and again, out of the ruins.…. Sinan was made of flowing water, when anything blocked his course, he would flow under, around, above it, however he could; he found his way through the cracks and kept flowing forward.” Great advice not only for an architect but maybe also for a politician and for that matter anybody else. During the construction of the mosque of Suleymaniye, this dialogue occurs between Sinan and Jahan: “The mosque is wearing us out, Jahan said. Sinan grew pensive. You’ve noticed it… Think of a baby in the womb. She lives off her mother and tires her. While we deliver a building, we are like the mother. Once the baby is born, we shall be the happiest souls…. We forget how it felt the last time. Again like a mother. Sinan paused unsure what to say the next thing. But some births are harder than others. Master: Are you telling me what we create can kill us? What we create can weaken us, rarely does it kill us.” This book is in a sense an ode to architects as Shafak describes Jahan’ reaction at the completion of the mosque of: “Now as he stood admiring the dome, they had built on four giant piers, seeing it for the thousandth time but also seeing it anew, he felt the same thing. The dome had blended with the firmament above. He fell to his knees, without a care as to who might be watching him. He lay down on the carpet, eyes closed, arms and legs open wide, once again the boy under the birch trees. Alone in the mosque, only a dot in this vast expanse, Jahan could only think of the world as an enormous building site. While the master and the apprentices had been raising this this mosque, the universe had been constructing their fate. Never before had he thought of God as an architect. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and people of myriad faiths and creeds lived under the same invisible dome. For the eye that could see, architecture was everywhere.” Good historical fiction delivers us to a place and time we will never visit, allows us to vicariously experience through its characters a life we can never live. Like the novels of Robert Harris, this book accomplishes this magic. Istanbul is and has been a nexus point between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean for almost two millennium, a connection between east and west and there resides much of the mystery and fascination of the city for it really is a melting point of empires, religions, races and cultures. In a sense this book is an ode to the city of Istanbul with all it’s cultural and artistic diversity told in beautiful prose. Descriptive at times but salted with intrigue and plot surprises. I came across Shafak’s writing in her latest book, “The Island Of Missing Trees”, was really impressed, decided to read one of her earlier works. Didn’t disappoint. JACK ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #133,612 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #247 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #4,055 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 4,824 Reviews | ## Images ![The Architect's Apprentice: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81kHs54WT5L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Engrossing, Enthralling *by R***M on October 16, 2024* One of the great pleasures of reading is the ability to be taken away to different places and times. The Architect’s Apprentice does a splendid job in both respects, following the life of a boy/young man who finds himself, along with a white elephant, in the court of Suleiman the Magnificent. The book follows him as he grows, becomes the mahout of the elephant and apprentice to the royal architect, Sinan. Along the way he meets the Sultan’s only daughter, becomes involved in court intrigues, and much more. Ms. Shafak brilliantly creates a world so different from ours (and so similar in some ways as well), and I find it hard to believe that anyone could read this book and not be thoroughly engrossed and enthralled. I admit that it’s sort of a fairy tale, but it’s nonetheless fascinating. I’ll also point out that I started to read this book 10 years ago, when it was first published, and couldn’t get into it. It’s a lesson for avid readers - if at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up. I recently had a similar experience with Demon Copperhead, and I’d like to think I’ve learned my lesson. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Ode to architects and Istanbul *by J***S on December 21, 2021* The Architect’s Apprentice, Elif Shafak, 2014 During the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire reached the apex of its territorial and cultural expansion across the Mediterranean and European continent. Istanbul was the site of an architectural renaissance where, during that period, multiple dozens of mosques, palaces, schools, aqueducts, bridges were constructed. The artistic genius behind this plethora of building can be almost totally ascribed to the 50 year career of Mimar Sinan as royal architect to three Sultans including Suleyman the Magnificent. It is into this time and place that Elif Shafak sets her historical novel. The story is related through a 12-year-old Indian boy, Jahan, who comes to the Sultan’s palace as a mahout or animal handler accompanying a baby white elephant, Chota, given as a gift to the Sultan from the Mogul emperor in Agra India. With his unusual white elephant, Jahan attracts attention from very elite personages within the royal place including Suleyman’s daughter, the royal princess, Mihrimah, for whom Jahan immediately develops a romantic fascination. As Chota matures, the Sultan decides to use the elephant instead of a horse in royal parades and events. Jahan and his elephant also come to the attention of Sinan, the royal architect, for carrying heavy loads in his construction projects. Sinan sees a potential intelligence in Jahan and decides to send him to school to train as an architectural apprentice. As we follow Jahan’s career as he becomes one of four apprentices, he works with Sinan on projects such as the magnificent Mosque of Suleimaniye and in the process much is revealed as to the workings of the royal palace and its inner intrigues. As any architect knows public works projects are intensely political and in this regard the politics of the Sultan’s court were especially treacherous. Jahan comes to this realization early in his residence in the royal menagerie within the palace. When he first arrives the transition of power from the former Sultan to Suleyman had just occurred. Noticing disquiet among animals in the menagerie he decides to investigate what was causing the disturbance, enters surreptitiously into the palace and comes across the multiple murders of Suleymans brothers, executed to abrogate any of their claims to the throne. Jahan learns personally that being on the wrong side of an argument with the Grand Vizier about a project, in this case an aqueduct, can land you in the royal dungeon. The portrait the book paints of Sinan rings true in this regard because we see him as not only an architectural genius but also as a consummate politician who deftly navigates the treacherous palace political waters and survives three Sultans and 50 years in his royal position. As Jahan relates: “Jahan understood his master’s secret resided not in his toughness, for he was not tough, nor in his indestructibility, for he was not indestructible, but in his ability to adapt to change and calamity, and to rebuild himself again and again, out of the ruins.…. Sinan was made of flowing water, when anything blocked his course, he would flow under, around, above it, however he could; he found his way through the cracks and kept flowing forward.” Great advice not only for an architect but maybe also for a politician and for that matter anybody else. During the construction of the mosque of Suleymaniye, this dialogue occurs between Sinan and Jahan: “The mosque is wearing us out, Jahan said. Sinan grew pensive. You’ve noticed it… Think of a baby in the womb. She lives off her mother and tires her. While we deliver a building, we are like the mother. Once the baby is born, we shall be the happiest souls…. We forget how it felt the last time. Again like a mother. Sinan paused unsure what to say the next thing. But some births are harder than others. Master: Are you telling me what we create can kill us? What we create can weaken us, rarely does it kill us.” This book is in a sense an ode to architects as Shafak describes Jahan’ reaction at the completion of the mosque of: “Now as he stood admiring the dome, they had built on four giant piers, seeing it for the thousandth time but also seeing it anew, he felt the same thing. The dome had blended with the firmament above. He fell to his knees, without a care as to who might be watching him. He lay down on the carpet, eyes closed, arms and legs open wide, once again the boy under the birch trees. Alone in the mosque, only a dot in this vast expanse, Jahan could only think of the world as an enormous building site. While the master and the apprentices had been raising this this mosque, the universe had been constructing their fate. Never before had he thought of God as an architect. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and people of myriad faiths and creeds lived under the same invisible dome. For the eye that could see, architecture was everywhere.” Good historical fiction delivers us to a place and time we will never visit, allows us to vicariously experience through its characters a life we can never live. Like the novels of Robert Harris, this book accomplishes this magic. Istanbul is and has been a nexus point between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean for almost two millennium, a connection between east and west and there resides much of the mystery and fascination of the city for it really is a melting point of empires, religions, races and cultures. In a sense this book is an ode to the city of Istanbul with all it’s cultural and artistic diversity told in beautiful prose. Descriptive at times but salted with intrigue and plot surprises. I came across Shafak’s writing in her latest book, “The Island Of Missing Trees”, was really impressed, decided to read one of her earlier works. Didn’t disappoint. JACK ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's like you are actually there *by D***. on November 18, 2023* Elif Shafak is one of the best authors of the 21st century. And, one of her best skills is character development. She does a fantastic job of writing many different types of characters: from sultans to gypsies, from sea captains to architects, even an elephant. But, in this book the most important character was the Ottoman Empire of the 16th Century itself. Reading this book is like really being there on many levels: physically, intellectually, spiritually. The only unrealistic thing was that the title character, Jahan, was unbelievably lucky. But, we can allow the author literary license on this point. It was needed so that the Jahan would be at least a witness, if not a participant, in most of the significant events that occurred during that time. This is one of the best books of historical fiction I have ever read. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Architect's Apprentice: A Novel - The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi - The Bastard of Istanbul --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pe/products/29101453-the-architects-apprentice-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/29101453-the-architects-apprentice-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Peru* *Store origin: PE* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*