Beloved neighborhood cat honored with statue in his likeness
Beloved neighborhood cat and social media sensation, Tombili, has been forever immortalized by the adoring residents of Istanbul's Ziverbey neighborhood.
Made famous by a popularly meme'd photo portraying his signature lounging pose, Tombili passed away this past August. The city decided to honor their feline star by erecting a statue in his likeness.
Tombili was a local celebrity in Istanbul. His neighbors loved seeing his plump stature sprawled across stairs and sidewalks around the city. He was known for his carefree behavior toward people trying to play with him, and continual willingness to take pictures with his many adoring fans.
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After passing away from an unknown illness in August, a makeshift memorial was placed at his favorite public lounging spot with a note (as translated on Reddit):
"You will live in our hearts. mascot of our street, beloved TOMBILI (means fat but in a cute way) lost his struggle for life after a month and closed his eyes to life on first of August."
Tombili's many fans quickly decided the flyer wasn't enough, and a petition was launched, calling on the city to create a statue so that the many smiles he brought could be preserved forever.
With over 17,000 supporters, the plan was approved, and the statue was erected.
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The statue, officially unveiled on World Animal day, is already relieving some of the loss felt by Tombili's many friends - even the feline ones.
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