Gli
Gli (c.2004)[1] is a cat that became an Internet celebrity after being a attraction to tourists visiting and living in Hagiasophia Mosque. Gli was born in 2004 and raised at Hagia Sophia. After Hagia Sophia was re-opened to worship, Gli was posted on social media and became popular again.
Gli, 2019. | |
Breed | European Shorthair |
---|---|
Sex | Female |
Born | Gri c.2004 Hagia Sophia |
Nation from | |
Known for | Living in Hagia Sophia |
Residence | Hagia Sophia |
Parent(s) | Sofya |
Life
Gli was born at Hagia Sophia in 2004, and she had 2 siblings, Pati and Kızım. Gli was loved by the tourists who visited Hagia Sophia, which was a museum at the time, and she became a symbol of Hagia Sophia. Gli was first popular when Barack Obama visited Hagia Sophia in 2009, he and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stroked Gli. After it was told that Hagia Sophia was re-opening to worship, Gli was posted all over social media and became famous again. After the news of Hagia Sophia re-opening for worship, Gli's fate was on the news as well. Presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın, made a statement: "That cat has become very famous, and there are others who haven’t become that famous yet. That cat will be there, and all cats are welcome to our mosques."[2]
References
- "Hagiasophiacat". Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- Usta, Bülent; Küçükgöçmen, Ali (24 July 2020). "Gli the cat can stay even as Istanbul's Hagia Sophia changes". Retrieved 26 July 2020.
Further reading
- Geddo, Benedetta. "Did you know Istanbul's Hagia Sophia has a resident cat?". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- "Ayasofya'nın bekçisi kedi Gli" (in Turkish). NTV. July 24, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- Karaburç, Harun (2018-01-28). "Ayasofya'nın kraliçesiyim" (in Turkish). Yeni Şafak. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- "Ayasofya'nın maskotu Gli" (in Turkish). Milliyet. November 27, 2018. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
Gallery
- Gli, 2009.