Animals

Monument to the cat Tombili in Istanbul

In Istanbul, there is a monument to the cat Tombili, who became famous for his ability to sit in an unusual position.
In Istanbul, there is a monument to the cat Tombili, who became famous for his ability to sit in an unusual position.

In Istanbul, at one time, a monument to a cat named Tombili was erected – right on the steps of the sidewalk on one of the streets. Once this cat became the star of the Internet – thanks to a photo where she lies in an unusual position, leaning on a step. The picture became the reason for the appearance of numerous memes..

Recreating the meme in reality - a cup of tea was placed near the famous sculpture, and a rosary was hung on its paw
Recreating the meme in reality – a cup of tea was placed near the famous sculpture, and a rosary was hung on its paw.

History of the Monument to the cat Tombili

It all started with the site 9GAG, one of the world’s “forges” of memes. As for this particular photo, it was the relaxed pose of the cat that became the reason for the jokes – they immediately began to beat this topic by painting on various objects to the picture.

The main hit for the Turks themselves was the theme with a cup of tea in front of a cat and a rosary on its paw – apparently, this image evoked the most associations with real characters.

It was this meme that was taken as the basis for the Tombili monument when the famous cat died in early August 2016. In connection with the installation of the monument, a special petition was even created, which collected 17 thousand signatures.

The original photo and the very main meme with Tombili
The original photo and the very main meme with Tombili.

The authorities of the municipality of Kadikoy – local residents began to consider Tombili a symbol of their area – decided to install a small sculpture in memory of the local favorite. It was made by the local sculptor Seval Shahin.

It is clear that the cat was a local attraction even without Internet memes – in Turkey, cats and dogs are generally loved, and there are a lot of them on the streets. They say that the name “Tombili” in Turkey is usually given to “tombily” animals. Specifically, this Tombili also had a kind character, and was, apparently, a person loved.

When Tombili died, a notice appeared near the place where she was usually seen with the same photo and the message that she was no longer in the world.

Tombili's death announcement with a famous photo and a couple of memes with the same photo
Tombili’s death announcement with a famous photo and a couple of memes with the same photo.

One way or another, the news that the famous Turkish cat is no more spread all over the Internet, and the erected monument became a local landmark. Particularly famous were the photos where a cup of tea stands near a bronze cat, and a rosary hangs on its paw – exactly like in the picture that made it famous.

The disappearance of the sculpture

Unfortunately, as is often the case, someone stole a small sculpture just a few months after installation.

This caused real unrest in Turkey, even politicians got involved, saying that those who did this are the enemies of all that is beautiful. The resonance was such that the thieves, apparently, were ashamed – at least two days later the cat returned to its place.

However, now, apparently, the famous sculpture on Güleç Çk Street is no longer there – a few years ago, that part of it that became known from photographs, first with the cat itself, and then with its monument, was heavily rebuilt.