Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
One cat named Gli who is the occupant of the historic building Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, Turkey, was reported dead at the age of 16.
The cat was reportedly buried in the courtyard of the mosque.
The governor of Istanbul, Ali Yerlikaya, announced via his personal Twitter account that Gli had been sick since last September.
“Hagia Sophia’s cat, Gli, who is being treated at a private veterinary clinic [distrik] Levent [Istanbul] since September 24, unfortunately died of old age, “Ali said on Twitter, quoted from Middle East Monitor, Tuesday (10/11).
“We’ll never forget you, Gli,” he added.
The female cat stole the world’s attention in early July this year. During the summer, the Hagia Sophia was restored in preparation for a mosque.
For decades the Hagia Sophia has functioned as a museum. However, this year the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decided to return the building to a mosque.
After the Hagia Sophia was re-established as a mosque, the Turkish government assured the public that the Hagia Sophia would remain the home of Gli.
Gli, which means “union of love” in Turkish, is popular with tourists and visitors alike. Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, met the cat during a visit to Turkey in 2009.
Because of his fame, Gli was created an Instagram account by a local tour guide. Gli’s Instagram account already has 120,000 followers.
Istanbul is known as a “cat friendly city”. The city is home to about 125,000 stray cats.
Everything is cared for by the government and society.
Apart from Gli there is another famous cat in Istanbul. He is given the name Ombili who is often seen leaning on the steps of the road in the surrounding environment. After his death in 2016, the figure of Omnili was immortalized with a bronze statue.
(ndn / ayp)
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