Hagia Sophia’s cat
GLI The Cat
Gli, which means “union of love” according to her official page on the museum’s website, is a beautiful European shorthair cat with slightly crossed-eyes and a regal attitude. She’s been living within the millennia-old walls of Turkey’s Hagia Sophia for most of her fourteen years of life, and in the meantime, she has become a darling for all tourists that pass through the museum.
Gli died on 7 November 2020, after receiving treatment in a veterinary clinic in Levent, Istanbul, since 24 September. It was announced that she would be buried in the premises of the Hagia Sophia. The Instagram account @hagiasophiacat was dedicated to Gli and was followed by more than 118,000 people at the time of her death.
Links
Ayasofya Kedisi Gli (@hagiasophiacat) • Instagram
Lonely Planet – The beloved cat that called Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia home has died
The Art Newspaper – Gli, the cat of the Hagia Sophia, has died, aged 16
BoredPanda – There’s A Cat Permanently Living In The Hagia Sophia In Istanbul