Turkey’s Love Story with Animals

By Eva Sheahan

The city of Istanbul is ruled by animals. Istanbul is frequently called a cat paradise. Cats are everywhere and love attention—the locals often joke that the cats are quite spoiled. The kitties will stroll inside restaurants to curl up on the laps of people drinking tea. They roam across ancient ruins with no care in the world for the well-preserved architecture. But the cats aren’t treated as strays; they’re Istanbul’s pets, which everyone helps take care of. Everyone takes turns feeding them and there are little cat apartments built across the city.

For birds, it’s the same. Everyone feeds the birds, meaning the pigeons and seagulls are large and plump. Unlike the seagulls in Canada, Istanbul seagulls are polite. They patiently wait for you to offer them food and only eat it once you give the okay. Strolling through the streets, I’ve frequently seen mosques for birds built off the side of large mosques. On every public fountain, there are mini baths for the birds. 

These values of cherishing animals aren’t new for Turkey, but rather these practices were institutionally instilled throughout the country during the time of the Ottoman Empire (1299-1922). The Ottoman Empire was founded in 1299 but didn’t seize Constantinople/Istanbul until 1453. The Ottoman Empire saw themselves as protectors of Sunni Islam—in the early sixteenth century, the Ottomans, under Sultan Selim I, took over the Muslim holy city of Mecca (Inanc). In doing so, he unified the Islamic holy lands and began the Ottoman Caliphate of Islam. 

Both The Holy Quran and the Hadith encourage compassion and well-treatment of animals. Prophet Muhammad himself deeply loved cats and often emphasized that hurting animals was as bad as hurting humans. Animals were to be treated the same as humans (Suliman). 

Due to these values, citizens of the Ottoman Empire were very aware of their animal population which led to animal-centric architecture that continues to thrive in Istanbul today. The esteemed Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, had a lasting impact on Turkish architecture, as he designed over 250 public buildings such as schools and mosques (Encyclopeadia Britannica). Sinan’s talent was indisputable, leaving him the most memorable Ottoman architect today. Sinan’s mosques almost always included the aforementioned bird palaces—an architectural choice that was popularized during the sixteenth century. Bird palaces were intricate and aesthetic structures built off of mosques, libraries, and schools to provide shelter for birds. I was introduced to bird palaces through the Yeni Valide Mosque in Uskudar, which was designed by Sinan’s apprentice, Da’ud Aga (“Yeni Valide Camii or Yeni Camii”). The bird palaces serve as a reminder of how the people of Istanbul have valued animals for hundreds of years.

Birds weren’t the only animals with a strong presence in mosques and libraries. Istanbul has often been endearingly called Castanbul due to the strong presence of cats in the city. Their status as clean and respectable animals meant that beginning during Ottoman times, cats were frequently invited into religious spaces. They were often seen as feline protectors of Islam. Cats also held a strong presence in libraries to protect the books from rodents. As an animal, cats seem to command a certain respect, almost as though they’re smarter and more independent than other animals. The people of Istanbul acknowledged and adhered to this respect— it was even common for Ottoman sultans to have cats as pets (FarisAbadi). 

It’s normal in Istanbul— and broader Turkey— in general, to see animals coexisting with humans, sharing the urban spaces. 

The waqf system was an important part of the economic order of the Ottoman Empire, especially during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Waqf is a religious endowment that serves a charitable purpose. For example, non-transferable buildings and land are used to provide education and food to the people (Ç elik). However, many, especially women, began to establish waqfs that looked out for the animals of the city, as well as the people. Often waqfs that ensured food for the poor homeless orphans were simultaneously dedicated to feeding stray cats and birds (Kızıltoprak). 

It’s interesting that Turkey’s architecture and urban history demonstrate how they’ve taken care of their animals for hundreds of years. Their structures and buildings are telling a story. By looking into Turkey’s historical relationship with animals, it’s obvious that animals and humans aren’t completely separate beings. Rather, there’s something beautiful about sharing life and relying on one another. The way we treat animals doesn’t diminish our humanity but enhances it by reflecting our compassion and care for all living things.

Works Cited

Çelik, Jennifer. "Waqf: The Backbone of Ottoman Beneficence." Daily Sabah, 9 June 2015, www.dailysabah.com/feature/2015/06/09/waqf-the-backbone-of-ottoman-beneficence.

FarisAbadi, Bahareh. "The Cats of Istanbul: Companions of the Ottoman Empire through History." Raseef22, 7 Sept. 2024, raseef22.net/english/article/1098318-the-cats-of-istanbul-companions-of-the-ottoman-empire-through-history.

Inanc, Yusuf Selman. "Ali Haydar Pasha: The Last Ottoman Emir of Mecca." Middle East Eye, 26 Dec. 2022, www.middleeasteye.net/discover/turkey-ottoman-empire-ali-haydar-pasha-last-emir-mecca.

Kızıltoprak, Süleyman. "Women and Waqf: Zeynep Hanım Waqf in the Context of Sustainability and Professional Management." Sustainability Practices: Cases from Businesses and Charities, edited by Mehmet Bulut, Cem Korkut, and Musab Talha Akpınar, Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), 2023, pp. 361–377. www.tuba.gov.tr/files/yayinlar/bilim-ve-dusun/TUBA-978-625-8352-51-1_ch17.pdf.

"Sinan." Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Sinan. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Suliman, Lutfiyah. "Animal Rights in Islam." EcoMENA, 22 Oct. 2020, www.ecomena.org/islam-animal/.

"Yeni Valide Camii or Yeni Camii (The New Queen Mother's Mosque)." Frommer's, www.frommers.com/destinations/istanbul/attractions/yeni-valide-camii-or-yeni-camii-the-new-queen-mothers-mosque/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.