Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is a feline paradise not unlike Istanbul. There are stray cats everywhere, a cuddly symbol of the city. In the heart of its old town stands the grand Chain Building, part of which pays subtle homage to the local cat population.
Easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, the so-called Cat’s House of Icherisheher is a work of art consisting of two faux windows and sandstone sculptures: one with a pair of children, a boy and a girl, looking up with a kitten, and another with a trio of cats. The names of this installation vary, but typically referred to as either the “Monument to Lovers and Cats” or Pişiklər və Uşaqlar (“Cats and Children”).
Some locals and tour guides claim that there is a sad legend behind this artwork, a story about a strict judge who once lived at the house with his two children and cats. According to it, one day, a cat fell out of the window, and the judge punished his children by pushing them out of the window. For his cruelty, the judge was then cursed for eternity.
The artwork, however, is simply a monument to Baku and its beloved cats. It was created by sculptor Tarverdi Guliyev in 1994, commissioned by Eldar Mikayilzade, a renowned carpet artist whose designs have also been featured on Azerbaijani manat banknotes.