Cosmopolitan Catstinople - Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Stacked relatively tall along the narrow street, the open air condos allow any passerby to casually peer into the personal lives of the dwellers. But don't be surprised when the only activities to be witnessed are sleeping, grooming, and licking of genitals. You see, these condos aren't for people, they are old cat carriers that have been turned into kitty condos. The condos exist to house some of the estimated 150,000 stray furballs roaming the streets, all cared for solely by the community. To deem Istanbul as a cat lovers' paradise would be an extreme understatement. Catstinople would be the more appropriate moniker for the city in my book.
We've seen nothing like it thus far. Neighbors compete for the cats' affection and title of best cat lover by upgrading their offerings to the of the whisker-clad carnivores. You think Whiskas savory Captain's Catch With Crab Sauce will them over? Puh-lease. The local butcher arrives every night to throw boxes of fat-laden scraps to dozens of felines so the manufactured cuisine won't cut it unless the cats are truly starving. Grown men take time out of their masculine conversations with male peers to coo at the kittens. A person can't walk two doors down without seeing, or nearly stepping on, a milk gallon re-purposed as a cat food bowl. If it takes a village to raise a child in the U.S., then it takes a community in Istanbul to raise a litter of Felis catus.
As Adam and I returned from our evening walk the first night we arrived, we turned the corner onto our street and to my joy, 15 cats were hanging together in the middle of the avenue. While I fed them the last of a lamb steak, another 15 creeped out of the shadows. Having the time of my life while carefully ensuring each cat received a meat morsel, I was approached by the man who lived directly above. Huseyin, an author and professor by day, admirer of cats by night, introduced himself. He loves these cats so much, he sometimes cooks them liver just to make sure they receive the proper nutrients that you won't find in that "dried cardboard ****." On non-liver nights, they receive sausage or some other delicatessen. The cats have grown accustomed to his devotion so much so that at 7 p.m. sharp, they begin to sit under his balcony and stare up at him until he comes down to feed them. He adores the cats to the point he takes the sick ones to the vet and, as often as his disposable income will permit, he has them neutered. He even yells at cars that drive too quickly down the street to slow down in fear they may hit one his own.
The reasons listed above made Huseyin and I fast friends. But he eagerly warned me not to compete with him on the cats’ affection. I told him I would only show up the next day with love, no food. For the next week, I stopped by this sweetheart of a guy's apartment to join him in the nightly feedings. Adam joined me on occasion. Huseyin gave us a lot of insight into today's happenings in this European City of Culture. We discussed the criticism of Turkey Prime Minister Erdogan's harsh policy and the catalyst of the recent riots. The effects the Syrian refugees will have on the Turkish economy came up in conversation as well. We also learned that Muslims bury the dead as soon as possible. As a Muslim, you could easily get a call that your friend has died and the funeral is in two hours.
Witnessing the integration of the Muslim and secular communities was a fascinating scene for both Adam and me. Candidly, with all the propaganda that is jammed down our throats, we truly didn't know what to expect. No city or culture is perfect (e.g. said protests). There's always more to the story than meets the eye, so please understand we don't think we know all the ins and outs of a city in which we stayed for a mere 10 days. However, for us, walking in a cosmopolitan metropolis where the majority of women are donned in burkas and head scarves while the mosques are broadcasting the Adhan (Islamic call to prayer), we couldn't help but look around and feel like what was centered in front of us was.....tolerance
My most memorable anecdote involved a Muslim woman approaching me in the shopping center because she noticed my Forever 21 plastic bag. It has been with me the whole trip and for whatever reason, I had grabbed it that day to throw groceries into. "That's my favorite store!" she exclaimed. "Where did you find the store? In this mall?" It broke my heart to tell her that the shopping center didn't have the store she loved so much. "It's not a problem. I visit Dubai twice a year. I'll just visit it when I go in January." The takeaway: don't assume women are donning moo moos under those burkas.
Masalam,
T n' A