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At Sirkeci Marmaray Station in Istanbul, a cat known as “Sirkecili” has become part of the daily rhythm, curling up inside the open instrument case of street musicians and seeming to sway with the music. The scene, which unfolds at a station that sees thousands of passengers throughout the day, warms passersby as they pause, smile, and briefly join the moment.
Istanbul is widely associated with its cats, which residents often encounter in mosque courtyards or on ferry decks.
This familiar coexistence now plays out at Sirkeci, where musicians perform and “Sirkecili” settles into an instrument bag, sometimes dozing off to guitar and accordion melodies, sometimes watching the performance, and sometimes resting a paw over the tips that land in the case.
Street musician Ara Hamparyan, who has played the accordion at the station for about four years, said two cats regularly keep them company. He noted that the cat sleeps when they arrive, then lifts its head to listen and “loves the music.”
In his words, “We open our bags, and it immediately goes inside. It really likes my bag; it has left its scent; it comes to sniff and then lies right in.” He added that citizens and foreign tourists show strong interest, occasionally offering food or stopping to gently pet the animals.
The musicians named the cat “Sirkecili” after the station. Hamparyan explained that while the cat usually sleeps, it keeps one ear on the music and can respond with a light swipe when petted too much.
According to him, onlookers sometimes hand coins to “Sirkecili,” and the group jokingly calls the cat their “guard,” as the money is, in a sense, entrusted to it. He mentioned a second cat that often appears alongside “Sirkecili,” though it was likely napping outside on the day in question.
Guitarist Ender Kivanc and Hamparyan’s son Manuk, who also plays accordion, join the performances, and the musicians say they create better art with the cats nearby.
Commuters, for their part, describe the sight of the dozing or listening animals as unexpectedly uplifting, a small pocket of calm that helps them carry on with the day.
3 min read
