Hagia Sophia’s new cat missing: Official

ISTANBUL

A beloved Angora cat named “Kılıç,” who resided at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul since the opening of the marvel to Islamic worship last year, has gone missing, according to an official.

“Kılıç,” which means “Sword” in English, was brought from the capital Ankara to befriend Gli, another feline living in the historic site for the last 16 years.

But when Gli died due to her old age last year, Kılıç was left alone and had to undertake the task of welcoming visitors to the 1,500-year-old site by himself.

On Dec. 4, Ankara’s Pursaklar Mayor Ertuğrul Çetin, who gifted the award-winning cat with one blue and another green eye to Haghia Sophia officials, announced that Kılıç went missing.

“Our cute Angora cat Kılıç, who has become the center of attention by winning the love of the visitors in a short time, has disappeared. We kindly ask those who see or who have information to please contact us,” Çetin tweeted.

Gli, the predecessor of Kılıç, was born in 2004 at the site and got recognition worldwide when the ex-U.S. President Barack Obama petted her on his visit to Istanbul in 2009.

Though not as much as Gli, Kılıç also gained fame in a short time, featuring in social media posts of thousands of visitors.