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Tombili (Turkish for ''chubby'') (birthplace and date unknown, died August 1, 2016) was a street cat from Istanbul. He was internationally known because of a photograph that shows him reclining on the sidewalk. The city of
Tombili (a common Turkish nickname for a chubby pet) was a street cat who lived in Ziverbey in the
"BoRa KiLiC Travel In Turkey - In Memory Of Istanbul's Phenomenal Cat"
on YouTube Individual cats in Turkey 2016 animal deaths Istanbul Feral cats Cat monuments
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
honored Tombili after his death with a statue.
Life
Tombili (a common Turkish nickname for a chubby pet) was a street cat who lived in Ziverbey in the Kadıköy
Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...
district of Istanbul. Media reports state Tombili's sex as male; however, that is disputed. Tombili became popular with residents of the neighborhood for his friendliness and his way of leaning against steps. As a result of a photo of this pose, the cat became known worldwide in social network
A social network is a social structure consisting of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), networks of Dyad (sociology), dyadic ties, and other Social relation, social interactions between actors. The social network per ...
s and became an internet phenomenon
Internet phenomena are social and cultural phenomena specific to the Internet, such as Internet memes, which include popular catchphrases, images, viral videos, and jokes. When such fads and sensations occur online, they tend to grow rapidly ...
. In the district of Kadıköy, he gained cult status. In 2016, Tombili was diagnosed with kidney failure and eventually died in early August.
Monument
After his death, a petition to honor his memory received 17,000 signatures and Kadıköy Mayor Aykurt Nuhoğlu agreed to officially commemorate his life. A local sculptor, Seval Şahin, made a sculpture recreating the pose which had gained him fame, and was inaugurated for World Wildlife Day on October 4, 2016. Hundreds of people came to pay their respects, and Kadıköy deputy mayor Başar Necipoğlu spoke at the event, which was aired on Turkish TV.Theft and return
A month later, the sculpture went missing. A photo shared on social media showed the statue missing from its place, leaving behind only the sculpture's brass plaque. Kadıköy Municipality announced on November 8, 2016, that the statue had been stolen, prompting outcry and concern both in Turkey and elsewhere. "They stole the Tombili statue. They are enemies of everything beautiful. All they know is hate, tears and war," Turkish MPTuncay Özkan
Ahmet Tuncay Özkan (born 14 August 1966) is a Turkish journalist, writer and politician. He was arrested on September 27, 2008, in relation to the odatv case of the Ergenekon trials, and in August 2013 he was sentenced to aggravated life impri ...
was quoted as saying in translation. However, on November 10, 2016, the statue was safely returned.
See also
*List of individual cats
This is a list of individual cats who have achieved some degree of popularity or notability.
Before the modern era
* Nedjem or Nojem (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The cat of Puimre, second p ...
* ''Kedi'' (2016 film)
References
{{reflistExternal links
"BoRa KiLiC Travel In Turkey - In Memory Of Istanbul's Phenomenal Cat"
on YouTube Individual cats in Turkey 2016 animal deaths Istanbul Feral cats Cat monuments