Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (23 June 1901 – 24 January 1962) was a Turkish poet, novelist, literary scholar, and essayist, widely regarded as one of the most important representatives of modernism in Turkish literature. In addition to his literary and academic career, Tanpınar was also a member of the Turkish Parliament between 1944 and 1946.

Tanpınar was born in Istanbul. His father was a judge, Hüseyin Fikri Efendi, who was Georgian from Maçahel. Tanpınar's mother passed away in Mosul when he was thirteen. Due to his father's profession, he continued his education in several cities including Istanbul, Sinop, Siirt, Kirkuk, and Antalya. He initially attended veterinary college before resuming his studies at the Faculty of Literature at Istanbul University.