If you are a cat person, Istanbul must be added to your 2023 travel list. Istanbul is often referred as Catstanbul because of its sizeable gathering of stray cats across the city.
Why Istanbul has so many cats?
Istanbul is known as the largest city in Turkey and also a cultural hub of Europe with a wonderful dome architecture of mosques, palaces and churches. The city now is estimated to be a haven for over 100 thousand four-legged residents, which can be related back to the history of Ottoman Empire. During the 15th and 16th centuries, a large number of houses in Istanbul were made of wood appearing to provide shelters for the rat population. Stray cats, since then, served as the city’s mascot protecting Istanbul from the spread of infections caused by rats and keeping the city clean as well.
“Cats rule Istanbul” (Source: The Guardian)
Another reason for Istanbul to gradually become the most cat-loving city is cats are honered as holy animals, among Muslims (over 90% of Istanbul’s population are Sunni Muslims), for their “cleanliness”. In Islam, it is believed that cats are ritual clean because of their self-grooming and their pure consumption of food which does not contain anything forbidden in halal, such as pork and reptiles. They are even allowed to enter houses and mosques alongside the prayers showing a strong admiration of Istanbulties towards cats.
The bond between Istanbulties and stray cats
Wandering around the streets of Istanbul, it is easy to find some cat food rations by the sides of houses and little shelters in the parks built up by the inhabitants making cozy sleeping areas for stray cats during the cold weather season.
Local community groups have donated 200 houses and shelters for street animals.(Source: IHA Photo)
Indeed, most locals do not see these tiny friends as strays as others might. They are viewed as pets communually owned by the country, instead. Street cats may not be accommodated indoors, but they are all well-fed and taken to the vets regularly to get vaccinated.
While in a religious perspective, there is a popular saying goes “If you’ve killed a cat, you need to build a mosques to be forgiven by God”, a new law introduced by Turkey aiming to make sure the legal framework for the prevention of animal cruelties stating that any action from torturing to killing animals without a proper cause would be punishable by jail time. These reflect how cats become an essential part of the Istanbul city culture.
Phuong Nguyen
Sources:
https://www.travelandleisure.com/animals/stray-cats-of-istanbul