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From neighborhood shops and historic bazaars to ferry piers and mosque courtyards, Istanbul's street cats have become familiar figures in everyday life, sharing public spaces with residents and visitors across the city.
Unlike street animals that may remain largely unnoticed in many cities, Istanbul's cats have long been taken in as part of neighborhood culture, with residents feeding them, giving them names and arranging treatment when they become ill.
On International Cat Day, marked on Aug. 8 through an initiative launched by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002, Anadolu Agency photographers followed the cats that have come to stand out as one of Istanbul's most recognizable urban symbols.
At Dilmen Bookstore in Beyazit Sahaflar Carsisi, Istanbul's historic second-hand booksellers' market, Naciye, Gumus, Sakir and Sado live among shelves of old books and are often greeted by visitors before they start browsing.
Nearby, Nar has settled into a small shop producing ceramics decorated with Istanbul motifs, becoming one of the neighborhood's familiar residents through its close bond with the shop owner.
In Uskudar, cats regularly settle around the stall of visually impaired street vendor Mesut Sever, keeping him company as he works throughout the day.
In Balat's historic streets, a cat named Girgir spends its days outside a candle-scented shop, where it regularly meets tourists passing through the neighborhood.
At Carsi Metro Station in Umraniye, one cat uses the station elevator to make its way up to street level, reflecting how closely Istanbul's animals move through spaces designed for everyday urban life.
Across Istanbul, cats can be found outside shops, around ferry piers and fishing shelters, inside historic mosque courtyards and among the carpet stores and bookshops that make up some of the city's best-known public spaces.
In neighborhoods across Istanbul, street cats often settle into familiar corners and build lasting routines around the people who look after them, turning shopfronts, markets and public spaces into shared parts of everyday city life.
As cats wander through Kuzguncuk's colorful streets against views of Istanbul, they continue to hold a visible place not only in the city's neighborhoods but also in its cultural memory.
Inside the Grand Bazaar, Karaoglan lives in the carpet shop of Necip Acikgoz, who has worked as a carpet dealer there for more than 60 years, and regularly meets customers at the entrance before staying around the store throughout the day.
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