- Jul 31, 2023
I was once told by an expat friend living abroad that you can tell a lot about a culture by the way they treat God's creation. She said, “Watch the way they treat animals. That is the way they will treat one another.” I had never thought about that before, but since that day, I have definitely taken note as I travel the globe. And I have seen both ends of the spectrum.
Istanbul is one of the largest and most amazing cities in the world. It’s an incredible tapestry of "East meets West” and "Old meets New”. The Turkish people are generally very kind and nurturing, and extremely hospitable. Notably, everywhere you go in Istanbul, you will see stray cats and dogs coming & going, or perhaps just lying around like they own the place. Most of these dogs are tagged on the ear- showing that they have their shots and have been neutered.- They release these furry friends again onto the streets where the community at large takes on the responsibility to care for them. On the sidewalks or window sills, outside of all variety of businesses and homes, people leave bowls of food, water, and milk for the strays.
This culture of hospitality, for both man and beast, is one of the things that gives my heart all “the feels” when I'm in Turkey. If you are an animal lover, you must visit Istanbul!
