Photos: Istanbul’s humble alley cats own the ancient city

In Istanbul's cats are just as much home as the city’s 15 million human residents in the Turkish capital’s narrow backstreets, where they can be seen perched on rooftops and window sills, crouching on doorsteps and lazily resting on nearly every corner.

Updated on: Feb 11, 2018 5:22 PM IST

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A cat peeks from behind a tree in Istanbul, Turkey. Whether lounging in sunlight, grooming themselves or scampering into shops in search of food, cats have become an inseparable part of neighbourhood life in Europe’s biggest city. So much so that the some have gone far enough to deem the city ‘Catstantinople’. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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A cat sits in a shelter made from a cut out water bottle. In the hip district of Cihangir, where the streets are lined with such little cat shelters, it is not uncommon for felines to take the last available seats in crowded bars, leaving adoring customers to stand by, petting them, as they awake from yet another nap. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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Nor is it unusual to see cats hopping into the laps of restaurant patrons, hoping for a comfortable spot to rest - and a chance to nab a scrap of food. Feline guests are so ubiquitous that no one bats an eye at a cat padding across the lobby of a high-rise office building, or when one curls up to sleep on a nearby barstool. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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Shop owners and locals often know their neighbourhood cats by name and will tell tales about them, as if chatting about a friend. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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A cat sits on the lap of a street singer. “Money is not an issue to some people when it comes to cats,” said Ozan, a pet shop employee. “They take in cats with broken legs, blind ones or ones with stomach problems and bring them to the clinic. When they see that they are healed, they let them live on the street again.” (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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A cat eats next to a cat shelter in Istanbul. Some cat-loving Istanbulites buy little feline houses to keep their furry neighbours warm on cold nights, taking advantage of the discount on cat supplies at pet stores during the winter months. Some even bring cats home on the coldest nights. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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Necati, who makes his living collecting paper for recycling, steams chicken every morning that he hangs from the side of his cart. As he wends his way through Istanbul, he feeds strays. (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)

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A cat with heterochromia seen just after being fed by a local resident in Istanbul. Cats are sacred, Necati said, narrating the story of a cat who protected the Prophet Muhammad from a deadly snake while he was praying. “One should love cats, not people,” he said. “People are ungrateful.” (Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS)