Tombili

Tombili was a chubby brown-and-white street cat who lived in the Ziverbey neighbourhood of Kadıköy, Istanbul, and became a beloved local fixture for her uncannily relaxed posture. A single photograph of her — reclining against the base of a step with one elbow propped on the kerb, gazing down the street like a contented philosopher surveying her domain — went viral in 2016 and became a global meme. The image captured something irresistible: a street cat utterly at peace with the world. When Tombili died in August 2016, the residents of her neighbourhood were so moved that they petitioned for a permanent memorial. A local sculptor, Seval Şahin, created a life-sized bronze statue depicting Tombili in her famous lounging pose, and it was unveiled on 4 October 2016 — World Animal Day — on the very spot where she used to recline. When the statue was briefly stolen shortly after installation, public outcry was so intense that it was swiftly returned and reinstalled. Tombili's statue remains a popular Istanbul landmark, and her relaxed pose has come to symbolise the city's famously affectionate relationship with its enormous population of beloved street cats.