Jahan, a twelve-year-old Indian boy, arrives at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul with a gift for the Sultan: a small white elephant named Chota. In this city, Jahan's life is changed by two prominent figures: the Sultan's daughter, Mihrimah, who captivates him, and the famous architect Sinan, who takes him under his wing to train him in building mosques, palaces, baths, schools, and bridges, and most importantly, in self-discovery and soul-building. A stunning novel through which Shafak takes us to the palaces and their gardens, with their animals, tamers, ministers, villains, and beautiful concubines; to this melting-pot city where religions and cultures merge, and where the colors of poverty and crime mix; and into the dark and bright depths of the soul.

• Publishing House: Dar Al-Adab
• Author: Elif Shafak
• Year of Publication: 2015
• Number of Pages: 607
• Cover Type: Paperback
• ISBN: 9789953894935