Hagia Sophia’s cat Gli has passed away

* Photos: Social media

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Being treated at a private veterinary clinic in Levent, İstanbul since September 24, Hagia Sophia's famed feline Gli has lost her life.

The passing of Gli was announced on the Instagram account opened in her name: "I came into the world at the heart of the world, Hagia Sophia. I have just bidden farewell to this life, where I met millions of people who came to the heart of the world with love and whose light of love I was a mirror to."

"Hagia Sophia's cat Gli, who was being treated at a private veterinary clinic in Levent since September 24, unfortunately passed away due to her old age," Ali Yerlikaya, the Governor of İstanbul, also said on Twitter.

"We will never forget you, Gli," said Yerlikaya, posting a photograph of the cat, saying he was "deeply saddened" by her passing.

Earlier this year, Hagia Sophia, which was originally constructed as a church, was converted from a museum into a mosque. Friday prayers on July 24 marked the first Muslim acts of worship there in 86 years. Hagia Sophia served as a church for 916 years until the takeover of Istanbul, a mosque from 1453 to 1934, and most recently as a museum for 86 years.

For the last several years, Hagia Sophia also served as a home to Gli. (TP/SD)