Next to the watermelons, on the roofs of cars, in the mosque – there are cats everywhere in Istanbul

If you don't like cats, you'll have little business in Istanbul. A city with more cats and where residents are more affectionate towards them is hard to find . You could even argue that Istanbul's cat population enjoys more freedom than some residents. The popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, can attest to this: he's considered President Erdogan's biggest rival and was imprisoned this spring on questionable charges. Other opposition supporters also ended up in jail this spring.

Cats have more access. They're found in the strangest places. From an art dealer's window, licking its lips among the paintings on display, to a grocer's scale, where a cat has found a comfortable sleeping spot and refuses to be chased away. The hoods and roofs of parked cars or scooter seat cushions are also popular. Cats even roam the Hagia Sophia and the famous Blue Mosque, as well as the busy Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn. Fishermen there have to keep a close eye on their catch.

Throughout the day, residents voluntarily provide cat food, other food, and water, sometimes in bowls, sometimes loose in the gutter. Butchers leave leftover meat outside their doors, and ordinary citizens also leave their food scraps for cats. Even larger stores are often welcoming to the animals.

On chilly winter evenings, the sixteen million residents don't abandon their beloved cats either. Here and there, specially designed cages can be found. Sometimes, like the city dwellers, these are stacked houses, though of course, the cats can't reach any higher than their jumping power allows. Others set up an upside-down cardboard box with a cushion underneath and a hole for an entrance.

Three years ago, Ismail (25), who runs a grocery store with his brother in the Beyoglu district of the city, saw a cat looking for a safe haven. The brothers decided to adopt her. "In Turkey, we say that God will bring you prosperity if you take a cat into your home," says Ismail, who prefers to keep his last name from the newspaper. "Cats can't speak, but they can evoke a feeling of love."

In Turkey we say that God will bring you prosperity if you take a cat into your home

The brothers named her Mirya. Shortly afterward, the cat, who was dozing in a box next to watermelons during their conversation, surprised them with the birth of four kittens. They managed to rehome three of them after a while, and they kept one for themselves. The little creature did not survive a collision with a passing car. Ismail's brother, in particular, was inconsolable afterward. "He's now considering getting a tattoo in memory of the cat he loved so much," says Ismail.

Istanbul's love of cats goes back a long way. Centuries ago, cats were considered useful for controlling rats and mice that would otherwise gain access to the city's then mostly wooden houses and warehouses. Cats were also welcome in mosques, churches, and libraries, partly to prevent the rodents from gnawing on valuable papers and books.

For Muslims, who have formed the majority in Istanbul for the past few centuries, cats also enjoy a higher status than dogs and other animals. The Prophet Muhammad is said to have even torn off a piece of clothing so as not to disturb a sleeping cat. Dogs, on the other hand, are considered unclean by many and often seen as more threatening.

Reliable figures are lacking, but experts agree that at least a few hundred thousand cats live in Istanbul, including both strays (the majority) and domestic cats. "But I think it's closer to a million," says Özgür Nevres, a 51-year-old man who cares for eighty stray cats and twenty stray dogs in the far north of the city.

"It started in 2015, when I was working at Bosphorus University, where a cat would occasionally come and feed it," he says in a café in the suburb of Bahceköy. "After that, I put the animal outside, but after a few days—it was February and cold weather—I decided to take her home." Just like with the brothers in Beyoğlu, it turned out she was pregnant. Four kittens were born, which he kept at home.

Nevres didn't stop there. He set up a shelter for stray cats and dogs in a nearby forest, where they receive food and water. He also provides vaccinations, spaying, and neutering to keep the already large population somewhat under control. And he provides veterinary care when they're sick. "The downside is that for the last ten years, I've never been able to be away for more than a few days," he smiles.

"I pay for most of it out of my own pocket," Nevres says. "Averaging about $2,000 a month. I do receive support from others through a fund I established." He also occasionally receives assistance from the city. Organizations elsewhere in the city are also active in helping cats.

Cat lovers also include the renowned Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. In true Turkish style, a sleeping cat partially blocks the ticket office to his Museum of Innocence (named after his eponymous novel about a passionate love affair in Istanbul). In that book, Pamuk, with perfect naturalness, has the protagonist's mother say, after her son's engagement falls through: "A woman who doesn't like cats will never be able to make a man happy."