Zuhal Nimetoğlu was born in Şanlıurfa in 1956. She started studying illumination at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical History and Deontology Department Prof. Süheyl Üniver Workshop in early 1990s. Nimetoğlu took miniature classes from Orhan Dağlı, and illumination courses from Serap Bostancı and Mamure Öz. She gave classes at various institutions voluntarily. Beshira Buhari is the student Nimetoğlu trained.