Istanbul is known as the "City of Cats" and sometimes referred to as "Catstanbul." Hundreds of thousands of cats have roamed the metropolis for millenniums.
It’s #Caturday and to celebrate the start of the weekend, a thread on the cats of Istanbul …
1/ The city of Istanbul is chock full of cats, with some estimates putting the number of stray felines at 125,000. The citizens of Istanbul do not see this as a problem; they welcome their feline friends with open arms #Caturday
2/ Istanbul has a long history of caring for cats, which goes all the way back to the origins of the city and is firmly rooted in their culture, Islamic beliefs and sense of practicality #Caturday
3/ In Islam, cats are considered ritually clean animals and the only animal to be permitted to enter the Great Mosque of Mecca. There are many stories in the history books referencing the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) love of cats #Caturday
4/ The rise of cats in Istanbul dates back to the people who settled in the city, the Ottomans. As a result of their long history with cats, felines have become an essential part of Turkish culture and the city of Istanbul #Caturday
5/ Cats have earned their keep as useful members of society in Istanbul. In the days of old cats kept vermin away, which meant less food lost & fewer instances of disease #Caturday
6/ Aside from cats protecting homes & food stores from pests, cats were valued by the paper-based Islamic cultures & Ottoman scholars for preying on mice that destroyed books. For that reason cats are often depicted in paintings alongside Islamic scholars & bibliophiles #Caturday
7/ The Ottomans established foundations for street animals. People called “mancacı” worked on behalf of these foundations and one of their responsibilities was to feed stray animals #Caturday
8/ İsmail Saib Sencer (1873-1940), the director of the Bayezid Library in Istanbul, fed hundreds of cats. For this reason, Bayezid Library was called “The Cat Library #Caturday
9/ Based on their practical uses, cats have an important place in Istanbul's culture. The citizens of Istanbul have created practices that allow cats to flourish. And some breeds of cats have even become synonymous with the country of Türkiye #Caturday
10/ The citizens of Istanbul have a unique, unspoken rule regarding the cats in their city: they view the cats as belonging to everyone and no one at the same time. This ensures that the cats have their independence & freedom, but also ensures that they are cared for #Caturday
11/ As a result of this unspoken rule, the cats in Istanbul are often friendly and calm, approaching strangers to be loved #Caturday
12/ The city's streets are lined with food and water bowls and small cat houses placed by residents in a communal effort to look after street cats #Caturday
13/ A cat outside The Galata Tower, or Galata Kulesi Museum. It is a tower in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Türkiye. It is named after the quarter in which it is located, Galata #Caturday
14/ In Istanbul, cats are respected and also seen as legal beings with even a legislation in place protecting them from harm, ensuring they are safe at all times #Caturday
15/ Cat in a market in Istanbul, surrounded by colourful Turkish lamps #Caturday
16/ In Islamic tradition, cats are admired for their cleanliness. They are thought to be ritually clean, and are thus allowed to enter homes and even mosques. Many cats will be found in mosques in Istanbul #Caturday
17/ Cats are no strangers to mosques in Istanbul and indeed, some found spotlight with their residence in famed mosques like Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque #Caturday
18/ Gli, the famous cat of Hagia Sophia Mosque. Gli was a beloved and world-famous Turkish shorthair cat who resided at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul & sadly died on 7 November 2020, aged 16 #Caturday
19/ Imam Hüseyin Koçak, from the mosque in Kırklareli province’s Ahmetçe village, Türkiye is renowned for the care and shelter he provides to cats in the mosque, especially during harsh winters #Caturday
20/ Imam Hüseyin Koçak and others regularly feed the cats. Cats also find a space to play inside the vast mosque, huddling with the imam and casually walking among ranks of the faithful performing prayers #Caturday
21/ Tombili (Turkish for a chubby pet) was a famous street cat from Ziverbey in the Kadikoy district. She was loved for her friendliness & iconic pose while leaning against the steps. When photos of this pose went viral, the cat became a phenomenon on social media #Caturday
22/ After her death, 17,000 people signed a petition to honor her memory, which was accepted by the mayor of Kadikoy. As a result, a local sculptor made a statue recreating her famous pose. The sculpture was inaugurated on World Wildlife Day on 4th October 2016 #Caturday
23/ This cat was rescued from under the rubble after the earthquakes in Turkey, & taken in by rescue worker Ali Çakas - who saved the cat after being under rubble for 129 hours.
24/ After the cat was saved from under the rubble in Turkey, it now refuses to leave its rescuer's side.
Did you know Mosque ceilings are designed to reflect the magnificence of the universe?
Here are spectacular details of 24 Mosque ceilings from around the world…
A thread…
1/ Jami Mosque, Andijan, Uzbekistan
The construction of the madrasah began in 1883 and lasted for 7 years. It has a gorgeous fretwork of wooden columns supporting a ceiling decorated with bright patterns made of a combination of geometrical ornaments & vegetal elements
Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. Built by the chief architect Mohammadreza Isfahani, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of Persia. Beautiful interior dome details
Ever wondered who paved the way for the age of algorithms?
It was a 9th-century Muslim genius, mathematician, geographer & astronomer, Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi - also known as the Father of Algebra
A thread on the incredible Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi…
1/ Even the term algorithm is Al-Khwarizmi translated into Latin!
The scientist and mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi lived from 780 to 850 AD in Persia and Iraq.
2/ Al-Khwarizmi's most significant contribution to mathematics was the development of algebra. His book, "Kitab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala" (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations.
Did you know that the Persian scholar of medicine, Ibn Sina (980-1037) suspected some diseases were spread by microorganisms.
To prevent human-to-human contamination, he came up with a method of isolating people for 40 days.
A thread on Ibn Sina & his impact on modern science…
1/ Ibn Sina, also known to the Latin West as Avicenna, was a Persian polymath and one of the most influential Islamic philosophers, physicians, and scientists of the medieval period. He was born in 980 CE in present-day Uzbekistan and passed away in 1037 CE in Iran.
2/ Ibn Sina's medical works had a profound impact on European medicine. His most renowned work in medicine is "The Canon of Medicine" (Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb), considered one of the most influential medical texts in history. It consists of five books & covers a range of medical topics
‘Traveling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller’
- Ibn Battuta
The most famous explorer in the Muslim World, Ibn Battuta, travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history - around 117,000 km!
A thread on the 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta…
1/ Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 CE in Tangier, Morocco. His travelogue the Rihla is his most important work. His journeys in the Rihla lasted for a period of almost thirty years, covering nearly the whole of the known Islamic world & beyond.
2/ Ibn Battuta travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, surpassing Zheng He with 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km. His total distance travelled was approximately 117,000 km (73,000 mi) (15,000 mi).
Ismail al-Jazari, a Muslim inventor from the 12th century is known as the "father of robotics" due to his groundbreaking work in the field of automata, which are self-operating machines.
A thread on Ismail al-Jazari, engineering & robotics…
1/ While robotics is considered a relatively new field of science, with the public’s consensus that it is the creation of 20th-century scientists, it would be surprising to know that the field has its roots in the medieval era nearly a millennium ago, with Ismail Al Jazari
2/ Ismail Al Jazari gained fame for his extraordinary inventions, encompassing a wide spectrum of marvels. His repertoire included robots programmed to provide guests with towels, programmable on-off switches for fountains, automated mechanical clocks & much more!
A Candle Clock from a copy of al-Jazaris treatise on automata
Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was a renowned Palestinian poet whose words have left an indelible mark on Arabic literature.
The beauty of his poetry lies in its rich language, blending personal and collective histories with poignant reflections on love, loss, and the quest for belonging. His legacy continues to inspire readers with its profound humanity and lyrical grace.
A thread on 10 beautiful quotes from Mahmoud Darwish…