Discover Istanbul's street cats: their history in the city, humane care by residents and authorities, famous felines like Tombili and Gli, and the Kedi film.
If you ever find yourself in Istanbul, look beyond the grand mosques and bustling bazaars. Cats are everywhere. They sprawl on benches, warm themselves by shop windows, dart through courtyards, and even wander into cafés. In Istanbul, street cats aren’t just animals—they’re part of the city’s daily rhythm.
The city’s bond with cats goes back a long way. In earlier times, when many houses were wooden, cats earned their keep by hunting mice and rats, so people valued them. There is also a cultural layer: in Islam, cats are considered clean animals. Tradition holds that the Prophet Muhammad kept a cat and once cut a piece from his clothing rather than disturb the pet sleeping on it. That sense of respect has endured—and in Istanbul, helping a cat is still seen as a good deed.
About 150,000 street cats live in the city today. Yet they aren’t “homeless” in the usual sense. They move with confidence: people feed them, set up little shelters by doorways, and even look after their health.
The city authorities do their part as well: they install huts to keep the rain off, organize treatment, vaccinations, and sterilization. All this keeps the cats safe—and the city clean and welcoming. It’s a practical kind of care, and it shows.
Some cats became local celebrities. One of them was Tombili, whose photo—lounging on a curb as if lost in thought—went viral online. After his death, residents put up a statue in his honor, and it has since become a small city landmark.
There was also a cat named Gli. He lived in Hagia Sophia and was known to everyone who visited. Even during official visits, he would calmly stroll through the site. When he died, thousands of people wrote about it on social media, and the authorities promised to preserve his memory.
There is even a film about their lives. It is called Kedi and tells the stories of seven street cats and the people who care for them. Viewers around the world embraced it—it shows how animals become part of life in a big city.
In Istanbul, cats are more than furry passersby; they are part of the city’s culture. People here don’t just live alongside animals—they care for them, respect them, and even take pride in them. The many everyday examples of humans and cats sharing the streets give the place a special atmosphere, and that quiet pact between residents and their whiskered neighbors is part of what makes the city feel uniquely welcoming.