We know that people in Turkey love cats, and take care of the numerous strays as well as their own pets. This is not a new phenomena. A palace built more than 500 years ago had cat doors to allow free access for wandering felines.
Topkapı Palace in Istanbul was built beginning in 1459, as a headquarters and residence for the Ottoman sultans. In the mid-19th century, another palace was built for the sultan, and Topkapı Palace was made into a museum in 1924.
The palace was outfitted with a series of cat doors, which allowed resident pets to pass through the palace unobstructed, even though passage for humans was severely restricted according to one's role. As the palace has been undergoing a restoration project, it was announced that the cat door in the external entrance to the Karaağalar Quarters, where those who worked in palace security lived, has been restored, allowing cats to once again enter the palace on their own accord and wander unrestricted as they always have. It was one of the final projects of the restoration, and now human visitors will be allowed back into the museum as well. The cats took full advantage of the access, as their ancestors did. Many of the cats are known to the palace, as you will see in an article about their return. -via Metafilter