The Ottoman Empire’s Golden Years

From the remnants of the once-powerful Byzantine Empire rose one of the most powerful and influential empires in history. Turkoman tribal leader Osman I (Osman Ghazi) founded the Ottoman Beylik or Emirate just south of the Byzantine capital Constantinople. This small Emirate slowly grew, starting with the capture of nearby Bursa shortly after Osman I’s death. This effectively cut off Asia Minor from Byzantine control, providing Osman I’s successor the opportunity to conquer and unite the other Beyliks in Anatolia. Upon establishing control over Anatolia in the succeeding decades, they started expanding their territory beyond Asia Minor. By the mid-fourteenth century, the Ottomans annexed the Balkans. When the Ottomans finally conquered Constantinople in 1453, they ended the Byzantine Empire.

By toppling the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans emerged as the new regional power. At the peak of its power, the empire covered over five million square meters, with its territory divided into 32 provinces and numerous vassal states, including Turkey, the Balkan Peninsula, the North African coastal strip, and even portions of Saudi Arabia. Situated at the convergence of the West and the East, the Empire was in a strategic position. It was a position it held for over six centuries, making it the center for the interactions between these two cultures. With its vast influence, it played a crucial role in the regulation of trade in the Mediterranean Sea. But as history has witnessed, even the strongest fall. Cracks started to show as weak leadership and lack of vision gripped the once-mighty Empire. Its decline and fall from grace would culminate in the years leading up to the First World War.

In the wake of its fall, the Ottoman Empire left a legacy of being one of the most powerful and influential empires in history, particularly during its Golden Age. These years were at the heart of Elif Shafak’s – Turkey’s most widely read female writer – novel, The Architect’s Apprentice. Originally published in 2013, the novel transports readers to the mid-sixteenth century when the Empire was under the rule of Sultan Suleiman I, commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in Western Europe, and Suleiman the Lawgiver in his Ottoman realm. His reign was marked by prosperity across the empire, with the Ottoman capital, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), the jewel of the Empire. From the ruins of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople became the symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

“In every street through which they passed, people moved aside in fright and delight. Women drew their babies close; mendicants hid their begging bowls; old men grabbed their canes as though in defence. Christians made the cross; Muslims recited surahs to chase Sheitan away; Jews prayed benedictions; Europeans looked half amused, half awed. A big brawny Kazakh went pale, as though he had just seen a spectre. There was something so infantile in the man’s fright that Jahan could not help but chuckle. Children, only they, stared up with sparkling eyes, pointing at the white beast.”

~ Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice

The focus of the novel, however, was Jahan. When he was twelve, Jahan fled from home in the Indian province of Goa because of his abusive stepfather; his mother passed away when he was still young. He then found himself on a ship en route to Constantinople captained by Captain Gareth. Also onboard was a young white elephant, a gift to Sultan Suleiman I from the Mughal emperor. To escape the cruelties at home, Jahan found comfort in the company of animals, among them the albino elephant whom he helped be born. He named the elephant Chota (or small) and they became inseparable. When it was decided that the young elephant would be a great addition to the Ottoman sultan’s menagerie of exotic animals, Jahan stowed away on Chota’s ship. Captain Gareth, on the other hand, was a nefarious character who planned to steal from the palace. He designed a scheme wherein Jahan would be introduced as the elephant’s mahout (keeper).

However, the scheme did not go as planned. Jahan found himself under the tutelage of renowned real-life Turkish architect Mimar Sinan, the Chief Royal Architect. Jahan became one of Sinan’s four apprentices – the other three were Davud, Nikola, and Yusuf – while, at the same time, the young elephant’s mahout. As the Empire grew in power, affluence, and influence, Jahan grew as an individual. At the menagerie, Jahan grew into young adulthood. It was also there that he came to know and befriended the sultan’s daughter, Princess Mihrimah. Mihrimah’s inner sense of adventure and spontaneity led her to stealthily explore the menagerie. Jahan entertained the princess with his exotic stories about his adventures and homeland. He also forged bonds and even feuded with other members of the palace.

As Jahan was fitting into his new role, the Ottoman Empire was flourishing. Mosques, aqueducts, and other architectural and engineering feats were rising, showcasing the Ottoman’s ingenuity, power, and growing influence. These developments kept the royal architect and his apprentices occupied. The novel’s plot revolved around constructing some of Sinan’s most famous creations such as an aqueduct and the first-ever multi-domed mosques. Shafak takes the readers through the process involved – albeit ephemeral but enough to provide context – in completing these engineering marvels. Through Sinan and his fellow apprentices, Jahan learned about the art and science of building. He learns about the intricacies of design and architecture. Jahan would play a seminal role in the construction of several of the empire’s grand structures, including the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Chota also played a seminal role in completing these various engineering and architectural marvels. Jahan’s journey as an apprentice was not without its challenges. While these architectural marvels are symbols of ingenuity and innovation – the jewels of the Empire – creating them was no easy feat. Shafak underscores the other side of the opulence that the Ottoman palaces showcase. When Hagia Sophia was renovated, ordinary denizens of Istanbul had to be forcefully moved out of the compound as their hastily built houses destroyed the beauty and dignity of the mosque. When the apprentices asked if those who were ejected had places to move to, they were reassured that they did although even Sinan was unsure. They just had to rely on the Sultan’s words.

“The four borders of the Taj Mahal are designed to be identical, as if there were a mirror situated on one side, though one can never tell on which one. Stone reflected in the water. God reflected in human beings. Love reflected in heartbreak. Truth reflected in stories. We live, toil and die under the same invisible dome. Rich and poor, Mohammedan and baptized, free and slave, man and woman, Sultan and mahout, master and apprentice … I have come to believe that if there is one shape that reaches out to all of us, it is the dome. That is where all the distinctions disappear and every single sound, whether of joy or sorrow, merges into one huge silence of all-encompassing love. When I think of this world in such a way, I feel dazed and disoriented, and cannot tell any longer where the future begins and the past ends; where the West falls and the East rises.”

~ Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice

These are sacrifices for the sake of art, and to showcase the strengths of the empire. Beneath the grandeur are prices that had to be paid, a reality that persists in the contemporary. Further, danger lurked in every corner of the workplace. Nevertheless, Sinan always managed to find solutions, some even seemed eccentric and unorthodox. Just when those under him were losing faith, he found a way to make them believe in his ingenuity. However, Sinan was a cipher for most of the story but his wisdom earned his apprentices’ respect. In turn, Jahan honed his craft with unwavering dedication and loyalty to his mentor. Jahan’s close relationship with his mentor, however, was a source of jealousy from his fellow apprentices.

In a way, The Architect’s Apprentice is Jahan’s coming-of-age story. The novel charted his growth and development as a runaway child to becoming one of Master Sinan’s reliable apprentices. As the story progresses, Jahan sets out on a journey of self-discovery. His growth as an individual, from being a stowaway to one of Sinan’s dedicated and hard-working apprentices, Jahan’s remarkable growth as an individual was one of the novel’s defining facets. His story, however, was rife with moments of weakness, moments when he doubted himself, and when he was questioning why Sinan picked him. These moments humanize Jahan who made it all happen, from running away from home, he embarking on a pursuit of purpose that slowly molded him. His apprenticeship not only taught him about architecture but it also taught him patience and perseverance. He faced adversities but he was steadfast in his visions and goals.

But it was not a singular journey. Jahan’s development as an individual was riddled with an eclectic cast of characters who, in one way or another, tested his mettle and reinforced his values. He learns how to deal with heartbreaks, losses, and grief that make him experience a spectrum of emotions such as joy, sorrow, fear, and envy. He would even experience betrayal. He forged a friendship with Princess Mihrimah. It flourished and withstood the test of time despite the palpable barriers that existed between them. Together, they witnessed the changes that swept the palace and the empire. It was also the Princess that taught Jahan about love but Jahan was cognizant that it was forbidden. She was one of the heartbreaks he would experience in his lifetime.

“Go away, whispered a voice within – but where? He was too old to undertake adventures new. Go, implored the voice – but how? Much as he took umbrage at her ways, Istanbul had seized hold of his soul. Even his dreams did not happen elsewhere. Go, warned the voice – but why? The world was a boiling cauldron, the same stew of hopes and sorrows near and far.”

~ Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice

Yusuf, on the other hand, was an equally interesting character who was, at the onset, shrouded in mystery that was eventually unveiled by Jahan. Yusuf was a woman who dressed as a man. Her story underlines how women, despite their skills and intellectual prowess, are often muted by a patriarchal society. Her mask provides protection while allowing her to pursue her passion. She would have not earned the same respect from her peers if it was known she was a woman. Outside the palace, Jahan made friends with other members of the demi-monde. Among them is Balaban, the leader of the gypsies, or Romani, people. He is also a colorful criminal who seems to appear out of nowhere to bail Jahan out of trouble. Chota also provided him a sense of familiarity and comfort.

The novel is riddled with some adventures that take Jahan to various parts of the Empire and beyond. Rather than a single thread, the novel was comprised of various episodes. At one point, he and a fellow apprentice traveled to Rome. They were sent by their master to study the structure of St. Peter’s. During their journey, the apprentices attempted to see Michelangelo who recently became enormously popular. Another scene occurs on the battlefield as Chota and Jahan are both enlisted for the Sultan’s siege of a fortified Balkan town. However, the novel’s episodic structure undermines the story as, at times, it comes across as disjointed. The element of time was relative. Despite the passage of time, it felt like Jahan was still a boy stuck at the age of 12 even when he was approaching his twilight years. Time flows its natural course but its passage was rarely directly stated.

Shafak’s novel encompasses a vast territory, producing a lush tapestry. Jahan’s adventures and journey of self-discovery were propped with rich historical contexts. Jahan not only witnessed the glory years of the Ottoman Empire but also the rise and fall of different sultans. The atrocities of wars and the scars left behind by the plague provided texture to the story. Shafak also referenced the harem system and slavery. The strength of her writing, however, was in how she brought Constantinople to life with her atmospheric writing. Her vivid descriptions transported readers to the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. It is a cosmopolitan city where various religions and nationalities converge. The multiculturalism that existed during the Ottoman Empire was underlined by the construction of the Church of the Assumption in Uzundzhovo.

“Grief was an indulgence only a few could afford. Death had to stop harassing the living for the dead to be properly mourned. When the plague was gone, only then would kin and kith beat their breasts and shed their tears to their heart’s content. For now grief was pickled and preserved, kept next to the salted meats and dried peppers in the cellars, to be partaken of in better times.”

~ Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice

The streets of Constantinople and the halls of the palace were populated by vibrant characters who, in their own ways, influenced Jahan and helped in his development both as an individual and as an architect. Shafak created a vast ecosystem where real and fictional characters from various backgrounds interacted all captured through the lenses of a boy who ascended from his humble beginnings to become a reliable and dedicated apprentice. In his interactions with this eclectic cast of characters, Shafak highlighted the intricacies of human relationships. However, despite the prevalence of vibrant characters, most of them came across as merely backdrops, stepping stones integral to Jahan’s journey. On the other hand, they do not invite emotional investment and the novel’s pace does not allow them to flourish on their own.

For all its imperfections, The Architect’s Apprentice is, nevertheless, a compelling and propulsive story of a young boy who rose above his circumstances to become a capable, reliable, and loyal apprentice. Jahan’s journey and transformation, capably woven together by Shafak into a lush tapestry, was scintillating to witness. His journey of transformation spanned trials, tribulations, heartbreaks, betrayals, and tender moments with Chota and the people he cherished. These were all seminal in molding who he is. The novel navigates human relationships while underscoring the pursuit of one’s passion and the journey to self-discovery. Jahan’s story resonates with resilience, dedication, hard work, and passion. His indomitable spirit that saw him through losses and grief makes the story soar.

While the novel is a compelling coming-of-age story, The Architect’s Apprentice is also a homage to the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. It is, first and foremost, a love letter to Constantinople, the jewel of Shafak’s works. The city came alive with Shafak’s evocative writing. A portrait of the bustling and cosmopolitan metropolis was vividly painted by Shafak and captured through Jahan’s eyes. In a way, art transformed both Jahan and the city. But it was not all rosy. These transformations came with their own challenges and risks. Shafak drew on issues of politics and classes to weave a vivid portrait of the time, contrasting the opulence of the Ottoman Empire’s grandiosity with the ugly realities that undercut these displays of power and influence. The Architect’s Apprentice consolidates Shafak’s stranglehold as one of Turkey’s most accomplished writers.

“Alone in the mosque, only a dot in this vast expanse, Jahan could think only of the world as an enormous building site. While the master and the apprentices had been raising 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.”

~ Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice
Book Specs

Author: Elif Shafak
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publishing Date: 2016 (2014)
Number of Pages: 419
Genre: Historical, Bildungsroman

Synopsis

Turkey’s preeminent female writer here spins an epic tale set at the height of the Ottoman Empire and teeming with secrets, intrigue, and romance. Jajan, a twelve-year-old Indian boy, arrives in Istanbul breaking a magnificent gift for the sultan: a white elephant named Chota. Jahan becomes Chota’s trainer, and his life changes the day he encounters the sultan’s beguiling daughter, Princess Mihriman. A palace education leads him to Mimar Sinan, the empire’s chief architect, who takes Jahan under his arm as they construct (with Chota’s help) some of the most splendid buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan’s triumphant masterpieces – the Suleimaniye and Selimiye mosques – dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with rivals and enemies on all sides.

A memorable story of artistic freedom and the clash between science nd ignorance, Shafak’s novel brims with vibrant characters, compelling adventure, and the lavish backdrop of the Ottoman court, where love and loyalty are no match for raw power.

About the Author

To learn more about Elif Shafak, click here.