▁" Ş ek er " ▁meant ▁" s ug ar " ▁in ▁Turkish , ▁which ▁he ▁earned ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁very ▁easy - going ▁nature . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Ü sk üd ar , ▁Ist an bul ▁he ▁entered ▁medical ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁then ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁military ▁a cademy . ▁ ▁Here , ▁he ▁showed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁painting , ▁his ▁medical ▁and ▁military ▁experience ▁having ▁ar oused ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁an atom y ▁and ▁perspective . ▁Sultan ▁Abd ü laz iz ▁liked ▁his ▁work ▁and ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁Paris ▁immediately ▁after ▁Sü le yman ▁Se yy id , ▁to ▁study ▁under ▁Gust ave ▁Bou lang er ▁and ▁Jean - L éon ▁G ér ôme . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁seven ▁years ▁of ▁study ▁in ▁France , ▁and ▁had ▁an ▁exhibition ▁of ▁his ▁oil ▁paint ings ▁in ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Ist an bul ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁with ▁a ▁military ▁rank ▁of ▁Captain . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁he ▁organized ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁painting ▁exhib its ▁in ▁Ist an bul . ▁" Ş ek er " ▁Ah med ▁P asha ▁advanced ▁rapidly ▁in ▁military ▁rank . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Major , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁Colonel , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁Brig ad ier ▁General , ▁and , ▁finally