Animals evoke strong emotions from Turkish people in Istanbul. Street cats and dogs reside on the sidewalks, corners, doorsteps, and entrances of Cihangir, a neighborhood in Beyoglu. Homeowners go to pet stores just to buy cat food to leave out for the street cats. Restaurants like Miss Pizza and the Pizza Factory leave leftover slices of pizza out for the street dogs. At closing time, the butchers put leftover meaty bones out on the streets for the street cats and dogs in the evenings.
Walking a dog reveals even more about the locals. Walking an energetic Pomerranian quickly reveals the dog lovers and haters around Beyoglu. As I walk the dog on Istiklal, the main promenade from Taksim Square to Tunel in Beyoglu, we get an entire spectrum of reactions. Turkish people call out, asking for the dog’s name, breed, and age. Some look at the friendly dog and see a wild animal with giant teeth; they act afraid and back up in fear of an attack. Others are simply not used to seeing a pampered pet dog prancing along on a leash. Young women and men jump in surprise when they see the happy dog with his tongue flapping out. Young Turkish Muslim women wearing headscarves touch him, as if touching a dog for the first time. They tentatively reach out to touch him, but then shyly pull away. Secular Turkish women with long nails dig their hands into his fur, crooning “yerim!” – Turkish for “I will eat you!”
The dog is welcome inside some cafes but banned in most. For example, the waiters at 1 Kahve, a coffee café in Cihangir, allow well-behaved dogs to enter the café with their owners. However, the waiters at Cagdas Borek and Savoy Pastanesi, cafes on Siraselviler road in Cihangir, are uncomfortable even serving an outdoor table with a dog present. These waiters remind the dog owners that Turkey is a Muslim country and that dogs are not readily accepted at business establishments. The variety of responses to a dog ultimately reveal the spectrum of society.
**This article was originally published on March 10, 2015, at http://turkishvisafees.com/istanbul-dog-walking/
Walking a dog reveals even more about the locals. Walking an energetic Pomerranian quickly reveals the dog lovers and haters around Beyoglu. As I walk the dog on Istiklal, the main promenade from Taksim Square to Tunel in Beyoglu, we get an entire spectrum of reactions. Turkish people call out, asking for the dog’s name, breed, and age. Some look at the friendly dog and see a wild animal with giant teeth; they act afraid and back up in fear of an attack. Others are simply not used to seeing a pampered pet dog prancing along on a leash. Young women and men jump in surprise when they see the happy dog with his tongue flapping out. Young Turkish Muslim women wearing headscarves touch him, as if touching a dog for the first time. They tentatively reach out to touch him, but then shyly pull away. Secular Turkish women with long nails dig their hands into his fur, crooning “yerim!” – Turkish for “I will eat you!”
The dog is welcome inside some cafes but banned in most. For example, the waiters at 1 Kahve, a coffee café in Cihangir, allow well-behaved dogs to enter the café with their owners. However, the waiters at Cagdas Borek and Savoy Pastanesi, cafes on Siraselviler road in Cihangir, are uncomfortable even serving an outdoor table with a dog present. These waiters remind the dog owners that Turkey is a Muslim country and that dogs are not readily accepted at business establishments. The variety of responses to a dog ultimately reveal the spectrum of society.
**This article was originally published on March 10, 2015, at http://turkishvisafees.com/istanbul-dog-walking/