Mehmed Şevkî Efendi

[1] Born in Kastamonu, a town near the Black Sea, in 1829, Mehmed Shevki Efendi was the son of Ahmad Agha from Tajc.

[3] He received his earliest formal training from his uncle, Mehmed Hulûsi Efendi (d. 1894) and obtained a Diploma at the age of fourteen.

Later, his uncle wanted him to study with a more experienced master and sought to apprentice him to Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi.

By remaining with his uncle, rather than joining a different school, Mehmed Şevkî had the freedom to develop his own style.

Şevkî Efendi was the last in a long line of calligraphers, beginning with Seyh Hamdullah in the 15th century, who refined and improved the sülüs and naskh scripts.