Cats in Istanbul

For centuries, despite the changes in the world, stray cats have roamed the city of Istanbul. They are wild, but they do not behave like wild animals. Instead, they live peacefully with the people of Istanbul. They are also the only animals allowed to enter the Grand Mosque of Mecca - the holiest place for Muslims.

To see, even though the Byzantine and Ottoman empires have collapsed one after another, cats still stroll through the Grand Bazaar and the famous Hagia Sophia mosque every day, as if to prove the immutability and irreplaceable status of a "folk icon".

ANECDOTES ABOUT CATS

There are several stories in the Muslim Quran that involve the Prophet Muhammad and cats. One story tells of a cat curled up on Muhammad's robe to take a nap, so he cut off the sleeve of his coat so as not to disturb it. In another story, Abu Hurayrah's pet cat saved Muhammad from a deadly snake attack. Muhammad blessed the cat in gratitude and gave cats the ability to always land on their feet. Cats are considered guardians in the Muslim world: they protected libraries from destruction by rats and may have helped protect city dwellers from rat-borne diseases.

Looking through the history books of Islam, many authors mention the Prophet's love for cats and no matter how many variations appear, Muhammad's affection for cats remains consistent.

In Cairo in the 1830s, every afternoon, a large number of cats would gather in the garden of the Supreme Court and be fed by people carrying baskets full of food. This tradition dates back to the 13th-century Mamluk sultan al-Zahir Baybars, who gifted Cairo’s cats a garden where they could find everything they needed. Over time, the place changed and was rebuilt several times; however, the law required that whoever took over the building continue to honor the sultan’s wishes to care for the cats.

cats in istanbul

There is a famous saying in Türkiye: "If you kill a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God." Walking around the streets of Istanbul, one can see many containers placed next to buildings, along with small portions of food brought by the people in the city. When we feel sorry for the stray cats that are not adopted by anyone, it turns out that they are taken care of by all the people here. Even the World Basketball Championship has a cat as its mascot, which is the image of the long-haired Bascat cat with blue and green eyes famous in Turkey. In the winter of 2016, a famous Muslim leader in Turkey provided shelter for stray cats in Istanbul. And it should be noted that this city is home to more than 30,000 stray cats.

In Istanbul's narrow alleyways, cats perch on rooftops and windowsills, crouch in doorways and rest in nearly every corner. Whether lounging in the sunlight, grooming themselves or wandering into shops in search of food, cats have become an integral part of daily life in Europe's largest city.

They are so ubiquitous that no one seems surprised to see a cat crossing the halls of high-rise office buildings or entering churches. Shopkeepers and locals know the names of their neighbors’ cats and even talk to them as if they were friends.

Many interesting stories about cats in Istanbul have been shared by travel lovers, the most famous of which is that a travel blogger secretly fed his unfinished chicken wing to a stray cat. When the restaurant owner saw that, he walked over with a happy smile and gave the cat a whole chicken leg without hesitation. Turks have a heart for cats, this is the truth!

The Turkish government even passed a law to punish those who mistreat, torture, or leave animals without food or water. In addition, a 2017 documentary called “Kedi” was released to show a day in the life of Istanbul’s stray cats. While the film is adorable, it also has a rather grim prognosis, warning that Istanbul’s modernization is pushing both the city’s cats and its people away. To date, the film has grossed over $2.7 million in the United States, making it the third highest-grossing foreign-language documentary of all time.

The Cats of Istanbul Facebook page has nearly 85,000 followers. When Barack Obama visited Türkiye in 2009, he was photographed with a famous cat named Gli, who has lived in Hagia Sophia for over 14 years. The Kadiköy district even erected a bronze statue of Instagram star Tombili the cat.

Some cat lovers buy tiny houses to keep their furry friends warm on cold nights, using every source of food to provide for their cats during the winter months. Some even bring their cats home on the coldest nights.

“Money is no object for some people when it comes to cats,” said Ozan, a pet store employee.

"They adopt cats with broken legs, blind cats or those with stomach problems and bring them to the clinic. Once they are healed, people release them back onto the streets."

It can be said that in a country with frequent religious and ethnic conflicts like Türkiye, love for cats seems to be the thing that heals conflicts and brings people closer together.

Nga Nguyen