Bâkî

Bâkî was born to a poor family in Constantinople, his father being a muezzin at the Fatih Mosque.

Originally, his family apprenticed him to a harness-maker, but he would often skip work to attend classes at a nearby medrese, or Islamic school.

It was during his school years that his interest in and talent for poetry began to take shape, helped largely by the established poet Zâtî (ذاتی) (1471–1548).

After completing school, he worked for some time as a teacher, but later, as his poetic fame began to grow, he was granted a number of different positions—generally as a kadı (ﻗﺎضی), or Islamic judge—in the Ottoman bureaucracy.

Bâkî was always very close to the Ottoman palace, particularly during the reign of Süleymân I, with whom he had good relations.