Istanbul’s phenomenal cat Tombili dies

ISTANBUL

Tombili, an Istanbul cat who became a social media phenomenon for a photo of him casually posing on a sidewalk in the city’s Ziverbey neighborhood, died on Aug.1. 

Tombili, whose fame spread worldwide after his iconic picture appeared on comic site 9GAG, died after a month-long illness.

His death was announced by a notice hung on a tree in the neighborhood’s Güleç Street. 

“You will live in our hearts,” the notice read.



Tombili was known for his cool and carefree behavior towards those who wanted to love and play with him, according to locals. 

He also showed the world how to be a Turkish cat, as the picture grew from 9GAG and spread across the Internet. 

After Tombili’s photo become popular, Internet users used it to create various memes, even putting a rakı glass or a teacup in front of him.