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| Ada cafe cat - a rascally thing that loves cuddles |
During my last trip to Turkey back one freezing week in November 2008, I discovered two things of note: 1) this fabulous neighborhood of Cihangir in a corner of Beyoglu perched above the Bosphorus and 2) the myriad cats that lounge, decorate, entertain and pervade this corner of the magic ancient city. The chic low-key but super hip neighborhood coupled with the cats and the piles of cat biscuits that cat-loving istanbullus serve up in doorways, street corners and convenient nooks for their feline friends made a huge impression on me then. Now I am back enjoying it in the glory of late summer breezes, amazing food, the civilized blend of a east-west amenities and general yummy exoticness.
{Some may know that the past 6 months has seen me riding out the interminable, unbearable noise, heat, smells and chaos of Delhi - so Cihangir and its cats provide healing balm to my battered senses.}
If you are a cat hater then read no further.
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| Greeter of tourists |
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| Chora church museum resident will jump on you given half the opportunity - cuddly! |
Not only are there many cats but it turns out that they all want to know me, I am assailed by purred greetings, miaos, raised tails in salute when they see me coming REGARDLESS if I am holding anything edible. This is a source of extreme gratification to a TCOCL*.This especially after months of enduring streets full of battered wild dogs and cats that are unloved, run-over, kicked and generally badly treated in India.
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| Cats enhance the tourist experience |
I am daily surprised by seeing the most unlikely men stoop down to pat a cat, invite one onto his lap at a cafe or call out to one in the street. I'm not talking about sensitive intellectual types but all kinds from the crusty old fisherman to the mustachioed tough-guy.
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| Cat lodging on Buyuk Ada Island |
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| Island cat |
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| Island cat |
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| Island cat |
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| Chora Church resident |
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| Young member of the Chora church cat community |
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| Metro cat at Aksaray |
Cats are everywhere - except the mosque. Cats in the museums, cafes, shops, restaurants, parks, hanging around the waterfront,
and of course in the bazaar.
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| Luxurious lingerie store cat |
Not only are cats everywhere but also the cat theme is prevalent in shops and art around the city.
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| Cat art |
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| The Red Cat bookstore |
While I am not quite sure that the cat theme is exactly top-of-mind in the Istanbullus psyche, it nevertheless warms my heart to experience a city and its people so obviously loving towards these animals.
* TCOCL: That Crazy Old Cat Lady
yes.. I know... why fight it?
2 comments:
I just told Kiki and George that their Mom is coming back smelling like fresh cat! I'm guessing there's not a big rat problem there!! Travel safe...you guys look like you're having fun!!!
Now I know where I got my love of cats (writing this with Charlie taking up most of my lap and he would love to drape himself over my arms if I would let him).
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