Read this novel to enjoy the splendour of a bygone era and appreciate the richness and beauty of the culture of the Ottomans....
BOOK REVIEW
The Architect’s Apprentice Author Elif Shafak
Reviewed by Saliha Hussain
“Istanbul is a city of easy forgettings, things are written in water over there ... except the works of my master, which are written in stone, and the words of poets, which are written in our hearts.”
In these insane times, we all need some respite from our monotonous routines, and reading a beautiful book is the perfect way to while away our time pleasantly. For those who are familiar with the works of Elif Shafak, it will be no surprise when I say that her books are a portal to another world - a world which she carves through her words, elaborating every minute and adding exquisite details, entrapping the readers in this beautiful realm. Like many others, I came to know of Elif Shafak through her masterpiece “The Forty Rules of Love”. Many months and many novels later, I read “The Architect’s Apprentice”.
Like a lot of dreamers around the world, I am in love with Istanbul. From every street and corner of the city which has witnessed thousands of years of history to its every beautiful contrast, Istanbul is a dazzling wonder. But I can never even attempt to describe Istanbul as beautifully as Elif Shafak does.
In “the Architect’s Apprentice” we experience the story of a boy named Jahan, who eventually ends up in Istanbul with his only and dearest friend, the sultan’s elephant. It describes Istanbul during the time of three great Ottoman sultans - Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan Selim and Sultan Murad - as viewed through Jahan’s eyes. The book continues as Jahan finds his way through life, stumbles and learns lessons, makes friends and faces betrayal, experiences life, love, loss, loneliness and heartache. Jahan, who was always a curious boy, is a student of life, so fate brings him the company of the great architect Mimar Sinan. He becomes Sinan’s apprentice and embarks on a beautiful journey with this great man, during which they construct mosques, madrassas, bridges, caravanserais, aqueducts, alm houses and other buildings, etching their marks on the world through these structures for eternity.
Althougth this novel is a work of fiction, most of the characters are real people. Master Sinan did, in fact, significantly raise the standard of Ottoman architecture to its peak. Born to Christian parents in Anatolia he later converted to Islam. He was recruited to Janissary corps when he was 21 years of age. Master Sinan raised more than 365 structures throughout his life and trained hundreds of other young architects. Wonders like Suleimaniye Mosque and Selimiye Mosque can be attributed to Sinan’s genius. He had a mathematical and geometric approach to architecture which was essential for raising structures of such magnitude with massive domes and incredible acoustics. His specialty was the indivisibility of space, the halls were created in such a way that worshipers could hear the imam perfectly well no matter how near or far they stood. In the novel, Sinan once teaches Jahan that beauty is a vital element to every structure, just as important as purpose and strength. “We do not raise buildings that float in empty space. We reflect the harmony of nature and the spirit of the place,” is how it is explained in the novel. I think, if only we could revive the element of beauty in our craft, the world would become a much more bearable place. The story also touches on the lives of the Chief Royal Astronomer Takkiyuddin, Princess Mihrimah, and the Sultans. One of my favourite things about Shafak’s novels is how she portrays both negative and positive aspects of both human characters and lifeless objects. In many of her novels, Istanbul is like a lover, and like all lovers and their love stories, it has a darker side. In fact nothing in the world can be simply described as black and white. Man is neither an angel nor a demon and this world is neither heaven nor hell.
Read this novel to enjoy the splendour of a bygone era and appreciate the richness and beauty of the culture of the Ottomans.
Some of the beautiful lines from The Architect’s Apprentice:
“Sometimes for the soul to thrive the heart needs to be broken, son.”
“When you do things from your soul, you feel like river moving in you, a joy.”
“This was the thing about colossal buildings. While they did not change, the people who ordered, designed, built and eventually used them constantly did.”
“It’s odd how faces, solid and visible as they are, evaporate, while words, made of breath, stay.”
