Istanbul’s affection for stray cats, which can be found all over the city, has earned it the nickname “City of Cats.” A long-term illness claimed the life of a cat named Tombili, which means “chubby” in Turkish, back in 2016. The residents of Istanbul’s Ziverbey neighbourhood adored this cat due to its amiable nature.
An image of Tombili looking out into the street while reclining on a sidewalk’s steps gained quick popularity. Additionally, this undated image started becoming a meme on the internet. Tombili passed away on August 1, 2016, following a protracted illness.
A Change.org campaign calling for the construction of a memorial sculpture honouring Tombili garnered over 17,000 signatures shortly after it died. After agreeing to this request, the municipality unveiled a statue of Tombili in the same famous pose. The statue was positioned on the pavement’s edge at its preferred resting place. On October 4, which is also observed as World Animal Day, the statue was officially unveiled.
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The bronze sculpture was created by artist Seval Şahin voluntarily. A month after its unveiling, this statue was stolen, but in response to widespread protest, it was returned, anonymously, to its original location.
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