Breed history
Turkish Angora originates from Ankara, the current capital of Turkey, which was once called Angora. The breed is ancient since we can go back to the time of ancient Egypt. The Turks highly valued long hair and white fur. It officially landed in Europe in the 17th century. We owe its appearance to a Frenchman, Nicolas de Peiresc, and an Italian, Pietro Della Valle. He was part of the court of Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and even Louis XVI. Its long hair attracts curiosity since, until then, Europeans were mainly oriented toward short-haired cats. Painters are also inspired by this breed, which is very slender and pleasing to the eye.
However, the Turkish Angora almost disappeared. The breeding of the Persian has overshadowed him. Fortunately, American and European breeders are uniting to give it a second life. He thus returned in force after the Second World War. His breed was recognized in 1973, and the International Feline Federation did the same in 1988. In France, he is one of the 15 favorite cats of the French. It is often put forward at cat shows.
