He was  born and spent some time in Cairo, and also lived much of his life in Mardin (now in southeastern Turkey). His father Aḥmad, known as Ibn al-Turkmānī, was an astronomer and wrote a commentary on Kharaqī's Tabṣira fī `ilm al-hay’a ; worked under Khan Jani-Beg Mahmud (r. 1349-57)