Damn Right 😂 #archaeohistories

Flying Cat at Ephesus : Cats have been beloved companions of humans for thousands of years, and ancient city of Ephesus in modern-day Türkiye was no exception. Cats of Ephesus were well-known and highly respected throughout ancient world, and they played an important role in daily life of the city. Stray cats seem to have established their own kingdom in Ancient City of Ephesus. Cats of Ephesus, which have always been guardians of  Ephesus, which is visited by millions of tourists, attracting as much attention as ancient structures. Cats were revered in ancient world for their ability to protect homes and crops from pests and they were often associated with goddess Artemis. Cats of Ephesus were especially prized, and they were given special treatment by city’s residents. They were often depicted in art and literature, and they played a prominent role in city’s religious rituals. One of most famous stories about cats of Ephesus involves a group of cats who lived in temple of Artemis. According to legend, cats were sacred to goddess and were treated with great care by the temple priests. When Persians invaded city in 5th Century BC, cats were said to have helped defend temple from invaders. Story goes that Persians were so terrified of cats that they fled temple, allowing priests to drive them out of city. An Ephesian cat group is stationed at lower entrance gate and another one is at upper gate. Cats of Ephesus  take turns showing themselves to tourists as they pass through turnstile. All they want is love and petting, if possible, from chin and cheeks. Staff of Ancient City of Ephesus  treats them with love, they always have fresh food and water, and they even go through health checks from time to time. Food and water needs of cats are met by officials and animal lovers in the ancient city. Some staff voluntarily leave food for them. Volunteers of some animal care foundations also bring food, especially during wintertime. Noticing cats, tourists also give them food too. While visiting ancient city, it is often possible to see cat food among ancient artifacts. There is a group of posers around  Celsus Library and Hadrian’s Temple. They lie on stones and columns like a sphinx and change pose as you press shutter button just like a supermodel. Mothers and kittens act like they are responsible for security of ancient city while following security guards who give them food and show love. Turkish cats are different from any stray cat; they are well fed and friendly but independent. They belong to everyone and yet to no one; people of Ephesus took great care to protect and care for their beloved cats and they played a vital role in city’s daily life and culture. Some people say that cats where necessary to rid city dwellers of rat plagues and others attribute cat population to Muslim beliefs in importance of tolerance of all creatures and to Islamic tales that tell of Prophet Muhammad’s love of cats. There is even a popular saying in Turkey:  “If you’ve killed a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God.” Today, cats of Ephesus are remembered as a symbol of city’s rich history and cultural heritage. Despite passage of time, their legacy lives on and they continue to be source of fascination and inspiration for cat lovers around the world. Cats roaming freely among nearly 3000 year-old artifacts rest in shade of those historical ruins in summer and are protected from cold in houses built for them in winter. It is not known when cats came to Ancient City of Ephesus, but it is good that they did. They don’t harm anyone and indeed they spread happiness. Cats of Ephesus, which attracted great attention, appeared in book called “Cats of Ephesus”. This book was printed in Turkish, German and English. Cats of Ephesus book was written by Austrian scientist Sabine Ladstätter. She is head of Ephesus  excavations, as well as winner of best scientist award in Austria in 2011. 📷© John McGean #archaeohistories