Work Begins on Tombili Statue

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Following Kadıköy Municipality’s positive response to the campaign, animal-lover and sculptor Seval Şahin has begun work on a statue of Tombili, the cat known for its pose of propping itself up with its arm.

A petition started by the Anatolian Cat campaign group for the statue was signed by 16,954 people.

On its campaign website, the group said:

“With the initiative of Kadıköy Municipality, work has begun on the Tombili statue that we called for as Anatolian Cat with our ‘Make a Statue of Tombil in Ziverbey, Kadıköy’ petition.

“We met today with the animal-lover and sculptor Ms Şahin, who has volunteered to produce the statue.

“Work is progressing quickly at the moment and it is expected that the statue will be ready to erect in the last week of September.

“Once the plaster sets and the details have been completed, the statue will be cast in bronze.”

“To increase sensitivity towards street animals”

Kaan Dertürk of the local Gazete Kadıköy newspaper wrote that the Kadıköy Municipality had offered the project to Seval Şahin and that she had accepted, after which work began on the statue in the sculptor’s studio in Suadiye Tarihi Çarşı.

Şahin, who holds a master’s degree from Marmara University’s Fine Arts Faculty, explained that she had lived with her cats at home for years. “When you live with animals at home, you feel a responsibility for all the animals on the street.”

She said she had agreed to make the statue on a voluntary basis for Kadıköy Municipality. “I’m making this work to increase sensitivity towards street animals.”

“Before I started work, I went to the neighborhood where Tombili had lived, and spent time there. I chatted about Tombili with the residents. Talking with the butcher who used to feed him was especially interesting.

“After I had taken the dimensions for Tombili’s famous pose, I started fleshing it out in my studio.

“Badem, the cat in the neighboring studio, modelled for me. Like Tombili, he’s a little chubby too.

Tombili, who lived in Ziverbey, Kadıköy, died on August 1, 2016.

Following the cat’s death, a notice with a photograph and the words “You will live in our hearts” was hung on a tree at the Güleç Alley where it spent its days.

The statue bearing the unforgettable pose will be unveiled in Güleç Dead End by the end of September.

The Anatolian Cat group thanked Şahin and Kadıköy Municipality Mayor Aykurt Nuhoğlu. (AS/PS)