Turkish legends and special features... 

By the example of the prophet Mohammed, the white Angoras were esteemed in the osmanic world and are honored as National cat since then .

A legend tells, that Mohammed's favorite cat Muezza is fast asleep on a coatcorner of the prophet, as he is called away.
As he doesn't want to disturb the rest of his favorite animal, he cuts up the coatcorner and quietly leaves the room , tenderly looking back.

Another legend tells that Wishcats are supposed to exist. If someone has a strong wish, he should put such a cat on his lap and whisper his wish into the cat's ear. Then he should give her plenty of tidbits, and if the kitty likes it, his wish will come true. But this only happens, if it is really a whishcat. No one knows that for sure, because it brings bad luck, if someone speaks out, that the cat made his wish come true.

By Turkish people's superstition Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, shall be reborn one day in shape of a white Turkish Angora with one blue and one golden eye.
That's the reason, why cats with odd eyes are especially revered in Turkey. They are called Van Kedisi.

The white blue eyed Turkish Angora is just as popular. In the vernacular she is called Ankara Kedisi. She is often printed for marketing purposes, for example on stamps.
White Angoras never run around in the streets being homeless! But with the color white the interest of Turkish people for their cats mostly ends .
Some colored varieties still have own names, a silver tabby is a Teku, the red tabby a Sarman and a cat with van-pattern is a Kinali Kedisi.
This relative of the Turkish Angora is known here as Turkish Van .

The Islam and the cat:
A devout Moslem should respect and maintain Allah's creatures. He should feed them, but should not accommodate them in the living space. For that reason, Turkish traders, especially carpet dealers kept white Turkish Angoras in their shops and yards. They contributed a lot to the preservation and reproduction of these cats.
These relatively rich people could afford such a hobby, without contradicting their confession rules and without existential problems.
That's why this cat became something like a status symbol. In the past it was not possible to buy a white Angora! You got them as a present and that was a great honor!

Nowadays the procurement in Turkey is not a problem. For enough cash you will find someone who will find you such a cat.
The Turkish Government tries to protect its National cat from this selling of by an embargo on exports. Even a Turk needs an export license, to bring his own white cat out of country.
At the customs clearance one can get serious problems with such a purchase at the latest!

February 1998