Sabiha Çimen was born in Istanbul, Turkey. A self-taught photographer, she holds an undergraduate degree in international trade and finance and a master’s degree in cultural studies from Istanbul Bilgi University.

Sabiha works on long-term photography projects centered on portraiture and still life, deeply rooted in Islamic culture. Her first and most recent project, Hafiz, explores the daily lives of young girls in Quran schools across Turkey. Her work has been supported by Lightwork, World Press Photo, the Eugene Smith Foundation, and the Aperture-Paris Photo First Photo Book Prize. A member of the Magnum Photo Agency, Sabiha divides her time between Istanbul and New York, often developing self-reflective projects close to home in Istanbul.