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Meet the Turkish Imam who lets stray cats live in his mosque

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Meet the Turkish Imam who lets stray cats live in his mosque

Dubai - If you've ever visited the Turkish capital then you would be witness to its thousands of stray cats that roam Istanbul's streets.

By Curated by Sarakshi Rai

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Published: Tue 26 Apr 2016, 4:43 PM

Last updated: Tue 26 Apr 2016, 8:59 PM

Istanbul is famous for its hordes and hordes of cats. Don't believe us? The city is even known by some as 'Catstantinople'. Check out the countless blogs and Tumblr posts on the city's felines.
If you've ever visited the Turkish capital then you would be witness to its thousands of stray cats that roam Istanbul's streets. The four-legged animals that are loved by the citizens have one more ally who comes to their aid - an Imam based right in the heart of Turkey's bustling capital.
According to local newspaper the Daily Sabbah, Mustafa Efe, who is an Imam at the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in the historical district of Üsküdar, even lets stray cats live in the building to keep warm during the cold winter months.
On his popular Facebook account, the Imam shared a video where a mother cat is carrying her babies in her mouth into the mosque. Doesn't that make your heart melt?

He shares a deep bond with the animals and refers to them not as animals but as "guests". His social media page is filled with pictures of cats lying on the soft carpet besides praying devotees and some even more adorable photographs show them climbing his shoulders.


Even visitors to the mosque love these furry creatures.

It no wonder why cats thrive in the capital, as a popular Turkish saying goes: "If you've killed a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God."

Believe it or not: According to the Telegraph, four years ago in 2012, the ruling Justice and Development Party, co-founded by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tried to pass legislation saying it would improve sterilisation and clear the streets of stray animals, but the plan was shelved after 30,000 people took to Istanbul's streets in protest.


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