Street cats that greet shopkeepers opening their businesses in the morning, welcome passengers at ferry piers, rest in mosque courtyards and occupy the same corners of historic bazaars for years remain among Istanbul’s most familiar symbols.
While stray animals are an often unseen part of urban life in many cities around the world, cats in Istanbul have for centuries been regarded as symbols of neighborhood culture, solidarity and coexistence.
Given names by local residents, fed and taken for treatment when they fall ill, the cats have secured a distinctive place not only on the city’s streets but also in Istanbul’s cultural memory.
As part of International Cat Day, celebrated on Aug. 8 since 2002 on the initiative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Anadolu Agency photographed street cats that have become symbols of Istanbul.
Adopted almost as neighborhood residents, the cats share daily life with people in front of shops, at ferry piers and fishermen’s shelters, in the courtyards of historic mosques, among the shelves of secondhand bookshops, inside carpet stores in the Grand Bazaar and in public squares.
In the historic streets of Balat, a cat named “Gırgır” greets tourists every day at the entrance of a candle-scented shop.
Another Balat resident, “Nar,” has made a small shop producing ceramics decorated with Istanbul motifs its home. Thanks to its bond with the shop owner, Nar has become one of the neighborhood’s best-known residents and a favorite among visitors.
At Dilmen Bookstore in the Beyazıt Sahaflar Bazaar, regular feline residents include “Naciye,” “Gümüş,” “Şakir” and “Sado.” Having lived among historic books for years, the cats are considered an integral part of the shop. Many visitors greet them before browsing the bookshelves.
“Karaoğlan,” who lives in the shop of Necip Açıkgöz, a carpet dealer in the Grand Bazaar for more than 60 years, is also among the bazaar’s best-known cats. Greeting customers at the door, Karaoğlan spends the entire day inside the shop.
On Heybeliada, a white cat that waits with passengers at an Adabüs bus stop has accompanied the daily routine of island residents for years.
In Ümraniye, a cat that takes an elevator at Çarşı Metro Station to reach street level offers another example of how closely cats and people coexist in Istanbul.
In Üsküdar, the stall of Mesut Sever, a visually impaired street vendor, is also a regular stop for cats. The animals spend the day accompanying Sever and resting around his stall.
Meanwhile, cats wandering through the colorful streets of Kuzguncuk and gazing out over Istanbul continue to leave their mark not only on the city’s streets but also on its collective memory.
