Istanbul Street Cats Take Over Historic Mosque

Istanbul Cats Middle East.
Efe pictured at his mosque in a photograph published to his Facebook page on January 15. Mustafa Efe

An imam in Turkey's biggest city, Istanbul, has hit the headlines in the country after posting a viral video of a mother cat carrying her kittens into his mosque.

Mustafa Efe, the religious leader of the Aziz Mahmud Hudayi Mosque in the city's Uskudar district, has opened the doors to the complex for the city's stray cats so they can keep out of the cold during the winter months, calling them his "guests."

According to Turkish news site Daily Sabah, there are at least 10 cats in the mosque at a time, but their numbers vary as they move in and out of the mosque.

Accompanying the video of the cats, which he posted to his Facebook page and has now accumulated more than 150,000 views on Twitter, Efe wrote: "Our mosque's Friday guests, a surprise awaiting us at the sermon today. The kitty has found the heart of compassion and mercy…"

The cats remain present for dawn prayers, with the worshippers continue as usual, Efe told Turkey's daily newspaper Hurriyet. "Cats have been with us during prayers and sermons," he says. "They do not spoil the peace inside the mosque. Worshippers love them as well."

Sevimli Misafirlerimiz Ayaklandı...

Posted by Hafız Mustafa Efe on Monday, May 4, 2015

He adds: "Cats have always been a part of this community. This mosque has a food bank for people. A part of this food has been distributed to these cats. It is something any Muslim should do." Cats are widely considered to be clean in Islam and the Prophet Muhammad preached that cats should be considered part of Islamic family life.

In the city nicknamed by some as "Catstantinople," many have started visiting the mosque to take photographs of Efe's feline friends. Images of him with the cats have been shared widely as people not only coo over the cats, but also praise Efe for his hospitality.

Serdar ÇELEBİ kardeşimizin Objektifinden...

Posted by Mustafa Efe on Sunday, 10 January 2016

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