Daily BrewPHOTOS: Istanbul Imam opens mosque doors to stray cats
![Imam Mustafa Efe is seen with one of the stray cats he allows to stay in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qwDQQj6FDUB1mFXKVKxkLQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/_Mk8XIsjgnMSsp9YNIVvjw--~B/aD03MjA7dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://41.media.tumblr.com/3f622296f88882b701f1a090f925d434/tumblr_inline_o161csqJ4P1tln375_1280.jpg)
![A stray cat is seen lounging in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [Mohammed Matter/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/NBYXodeiwyE9hAusSFudxw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcxOA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Wpxul58mVpOESvXLWsrH8Q--~B/aD0zNTk7dz00ODA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://40.media.tumblr.com/1cf57bb9352265e8981f14b98e8c6fe2/tumblr_inline_o161axlxXK1tln375_540.jpg)
![Two members of the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque‘s congregation play with a stray cat take in by Imam Mustafa Efe. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/vkZx_FLBdWMKRu0IZkJ7.Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/kpv1q9dVn.9IIp.dKki95A--~B/aD03MjA7dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://40.media.tumblr.com/1a9812434cd014792a8915f192df2ebc/tumblr_inline_o15zk8bpan1tln375_1280.jpg)
![A stray cat is seen in front of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey [Brian Gratwicke/Flickr]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Yhf8ii9FI1UVdpcNj8Rytg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/8tP1NfA8zRKN6d2vngsGKA--~B/aD00Mjc7dz02NDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://36.media.tumblr.com/1e91e93ca38fd2897eda36e17c2de9a4/tumblr_inline_o16008z6VH1tln375_1280.jpg)
![A black cat is seen in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [Kuzeyin Huysyz Kizi/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KH0cbaNV.p4wmZUPKZnt8w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTkzOQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/4ldvTU905Gs0WPtmjyHlww--~B/aD01Mzc7dz00MDM7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://36.media.tumblr.com/beba3dbc3b8e10a9dbf979d853dd9647/tumblr_inline_o1603bc0mz1tln375_540.jpg)
![Imam Mustafa Efe is seen holding a stray cat in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/juOVdL3obY8iljF7_TEIvw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyODA-/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Kq9Hi6hVBw41C5t.Eje4EA--~B/aD05NjA7dz03MjA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://41.media.tumblr.com/f858baebf4c66f7d21c6f52b2af27691/tumblr_inline_o15zobEZJE1tln375_1280.jpg)
![A cat sits among worshipers in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [@ibrahimduzkalem/Twitter]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/J5YkUulNY0BASL8cYAggXA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyODA-/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/0YrNrTLgXYe1ZvZzcbYCxA--~B/aD04MDA7dz02MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://41.media.tumblr.com/42835d556459a75753a4aca08419d356/tumblr_inline_o1604wrFmF1tln375_1280.jpg)
![Imam Mustafa Efe is seen with a stray cat in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/wwv2aDyR5mkz.QgJkluAow--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE3MDc-/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/1bstdo7KEg8A5KiY0BlHLw--~B/aD05NjA7dz01NDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://40.media.tumblr.com/c5ee2ae2cd2ca8557b1aafaff03847fb/tumblr_inline_o15zs171xt1tln375_540.jpg)
![A stray cat is seen taking care of kittens at the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey in this image taken from video. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/oBOeUauYNEglvyXMaNspOw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUzNA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/mWQbodMSsQapCzKL9eAx6A--~B/aD0zMTA7dz01NTc7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://41.media.tumblr.com/3ab791e054a18af9f5939d7cc53a2bef/tumblr_inline_o15zu0xRSV1tln375_1280.jpg)
![Stray kittens play in the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey in this image taken from video. [Mustafa Efe/Facebook]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/owL.WoFcGdgIZf.oTpBnAg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUyMQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Wj0S2YQZ8MkHBNUMBUDWwg--~B/aD0zMDk7dz01Njk7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://36.media.tumblr.com/ebd2c9dc39874e1a56da1bb2407cb9ac/tumblr_inline_o15zydx0Oi1tln375_1280.jpg)
An Istanbul Imam has earned the adoration of cat-lovers across the world after stories of his kindness to stray cats in Turkey’s largest city spread across the Internet. Mustafa Efe, the Imam at Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque, decided to allow the felines to stay inside the building as the weather became colder. The cats can be seen sitting with worshipers during prayers, standing on the Imam’s shoulder and in one video even caring for a litter of kittens.
