Hagia Sophia has been through many changes in its history. It was built as a traditional church, then it became a mosque, and a museum. This beautiful structure in Istanbul, Turkey is home to different cultures, traditions, and many historical pieces. It is also home to a lovable cat named Gli, who has made her way to the hearts of many locals and tourists.

Gli is a short haired tabby cat with green crossed eyes living around the spaces of Hagia Sophia. She became a star when her pictures were seen on the headlines of newspapers when the presidents of Turkey and U.S, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Barack Obama petted her. An Instagram account was made for her by a tourist guide named Umut Bahceci. The account is a proof of how charming she is as it now has more than 80,000 followers and 600 posts as of July 2020. Tourists like to take photos with Gli and even tag her account on their posts. Umut Bahceci shared that many foreigners send messages that they want to visit Hagia Sophia to meet Gli and the cats in the area.

Earlier in the month of July, the prime minister of Turkey signed an order that will turn Hagia Sophia back into a mosque after a very long time. It is a moment worth celebrating for people who were hoping to pray inside the historical building. But it also made people think if Gli should stay or move out. It quickly became a hot topic in social media. Luckily for her and the rest of her cat companions, the spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said the animals can remain in the Hagia Sophia. This good news would surely make her fans happy!