Amidst the years of history, culture and architecture, it is common to find in Istanbul what you least expect – Cats!
When I first landed in Istanbul, I was awed by the scenery and landscape. Two days later when I sat down to view the pictures I had taken during the sightseeing tour, I was stumped to notice that I had an unusually large number of cat pictures.
Many visitors have noted the abundance of stray cats in the old imperial capital of Istanbul. The cats amble and lounge around some mosques and have the run of a couple of universities. Online campaigns gather supplies for them, and it’s easy to spot nibbles and plastic containers of water left discreetly on sidewalks for the felines.
Not only do cats roam the streets, but also the souvenir items, decoration pieces and even the graffiti on walls and paintings are flooded with cats.
Our first encounter with a friendly feline was on the first day of our trip at the Kumkapi District.
Kumkapi is an old Ottoman Greek and Armenian fishermen’s district near the Sea of Marmara shore. It is surrounded by many seafood restaurants.
When we were enjoying dinner, a cat ran underneath the chair and for a moment no one could understand what just happened. It was later that we realized that there was a beautiful cat purring at our feet hoping someone at the table would share the exquisite seafood.
THE ROYAL CATS
The next morning, we visited the Dolmabache Palace. The palace had been home to six Sultans and all their belongings were still intact. The architecture and possessions of the Sultan’s were breath taking and the cherry on top was when we saw a cat and a duck roaming around together like friendly companions. It was one of the most admirable sights I had seen in a very long time. Two animals, so different from each other, were peacefully coexisting. It almost seemed as though they were trying to teach the human race a very important lesson.
The importance of cats in Islamic culture and society has made stray cats a common find in many Muslim countries like Turkey.
The following morning of our sightseeing tour involved a lot of walking. Our day began at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, now known as Sultanahmet Square.
Near the Obelisk of Theodosius, which is today known as Sultanahmet Meydani, we were amazed to come across a very beautiful and rare breed of cat; the Turkish Angora. The beautiful brown furry feline sat across us and we rushed to take pictures of it.
The interesting thing about the cats in Istanbul was that they were as friendly as the people we met there. It is almost as if they are immune to human interaction.
MEET JANE!
That evening we went to dine at an Indian restaurant in Sultanahmet and decided to sit outside to enjoy the fine evening and the weather. The restaurants vicinity was filled with as many cats as there were tourists. A variety of breeds and colours ran around town almost like they owned it.
Then we met Jane. Yes, Jane. He was the restaurant owner’s pet cat and by far the cutest one I had ever seen. He was unusually big for a cat’s size and
also the friendliest one that I had come across. Jane was a well-fed cat who spent most of his time at the restaurant.
Even during our tour of the Topkapi Palace and its one-of-a-kind collection of antiques, we managed to spot a few cats in the courtyards. From regular breed cats to the rare Turkish Angora and the Turkish Van, I felt as though I had seen them all. Every cat was beautiful and every cat appeared to be as rare and special as the other.
THE CAT LANGUAGE
On several occasions throughout the week, as we sat down at a fine restaurant to dine, we spent half our meal time staring out the window taking pictures of the copious number of cats outside. The interesting fact throughout Istanbul and our encounters was that the cats had their own language. It was easy to notice the communication.
The other strange thing that I observed was that the cats seemed to gather around the graveyard in Sultanahmet a lot. On an average, at least six cats sat on the window or loitered around in the courtyard of the graveyard.
CAT IMAGERY
As common as cats were on the streets of Turkey, they were equally common in the bazars. Every souvenir gift shop was flooded with Turkish jewellery, decoration and in between all that, there sat a range of feline inspired pieces. Cat shaped sculptures were a common item in the bazar.
I felt that the Turkish people loved cats like no other because every cat I had seen in that one week was well fed, looked after by someone or the other, and most importantly, was loved by the people. Cats seemed to be a part of the culture of Turkey. Every palace, every street was home to the cats and that, for me, was an unusual attraction in Istanbul. Not only was I able to enjoy the culture and heritage, but I was also able to enjoy my love for animals.
Alongside the beautiful Turkish Angora, Turkey is also home to another rare breed of cats; the Turkish Van, nicknamed the swimming cat. The Turkish Van is a longhaired breed of domestic feline that is descended from the landrace of Van cats found near Lake Van in modern Turkey. The breed is rare, and is distinguished by the van colour pattern, where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the piebald white spotting gene. A Van may have blue or amber eyes, or one eye of each colour. The Turkish Van is also called the swimming cat because it is known to have an unusual love for water.
TRAVEL TIPS
• The currency of Turkey is the New Turkish Lira.
• It is generally a safe place but it’s advisable to take care of your handbag in crowded areas.
• July till August is very busy and hot. Winters are typically rainy or snowy.
• Turkish is the official language.
• It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes, as the adventures would include steep hills and uneven streets.
Photographs: Sanober Irshad
Printed in Petigree Magazine Aug / Sep 2013 issue