Originally built as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in Constantinople in 537 CE, briefly a Catholic cathedral in the early 1200s, converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in 1453, then opened as a museum under the secular Republic of Turkey in 1935 before its present incarnation again as a mosque in 2018, the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) is rightly considered one of the greatest buildings on Earth. It was the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years. All it needed was a cat.
In 2019, The New York Times estimated that there were 125,000 cats roaming the streets of Istanbul. For the most part, the Turks do a pretty good job of looking after them. In 2004 a cross-eyed feline was born in Hagia Sophia, and in exchange for mice and bird catching duty she stayed and called it home. She was originally named Gri (Grey) but because of her personality, that was soon changed to Gli (meaning Union of Love). Over the years, she became the mascot of Hagia Sophia.
When Gli is not busy giving unlicensed tours, she’s happy to contemplate her high ceilings and her gilded staircases. Or find somewhere entirely majestic to perch, where she can people-watch. Or just nap.
Sometimes, Gli is invited to meetings, but she’s unlikely to participate.
She’s far too busy being a solitary princess in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Admiring the building’s glorious dome. Posing for the tourists. Basking in the sunlight. Contemplating the long and rich history of the building. Looking just a little bit magical. And being a perfect creature, entirely worthy of her glorious home.
tenderly.medium.com
As she grew older, Gli’s eyesight began to fail.
In 2020, Gli died at the age of 16. She is buried in a special place
in the garden of Hagia Sophia.
360 Degree Virtual Tour of Hagia Sophia Mosque Museum
(Right-click to open in a new tab)
This is an open thread — comments are only limited by your imagination!
* * *
PWBPeeps is a group that posts a daily diary and nightly open thread for animal lovers. We share photos, seek & give advice about pet health and behavior issues, support each other in times of sadness and stress, celebrate together when times are good, and on most days have an inordinate amount of fun.
You are welcome to join us!
Easy PWB Rules
- Do not “Troll” the Pootie Peeps Diaries. If you don’t like animal diaries, there’s no need to tell us about it. Just go find some other diary more to your liking.
- Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog. This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly.
- If you would like a pic from the comment threads, please ask the poster. He/she may have a copyright to those pics. Many thanks!
- There are some pics we never post in PWB diaries: snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals. These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated.