Sembra certo che il gatto domestico che noi conosciamo attualmente derivi dal gatto selvatico africano (felis silvestris lybica e felis silvestris ocreata). Alcuni ipotizzano addirittura che il micio domestico sia imparentato anche con il gatto della giungla (felis chaus), un micione di maggiori dimensioni. I gatti imbalsamati del periodo egizio sembrano dare appoggio a queste ipotesi, anche se l’esiguo numero di felis chaus rinvenuti fa pensare piu’che altro a preziosi animali sacrificali, che non a felini domestici.
Quanto detto sopra vale per tutti i mici domestici, ma e’ ora lecito chiedersi da dove venga il gene che determina il pelo lungo cosi’ nell’angora come in molte altre razze. Alcuni pensano che questo gene arrivi dal contributo del gatto selvatico europeo e caucasico (felis silvestris silvestris), altri sembrano attibuire questa caratteristica ad una mutazione spontanea, altri ancora vogliono vedere nel pelo lungo l’eredita’ del Manul (felis manul), un affascinante, pelosissimo e robusto felino asiatico di cui ancora si sa ben poco.

Sembra abbastanza sicuro che l’Angora abbia avuto origine nel sud della Russia e da lì si sia spostato (o sia stato spostato) in Asia minore. Non e’ escluso che gli stessi Vichinghi nel corso del decimo secolo abbiano avuto una parte in queste migrazioni, portando con loro questi bei mici sulle loro navi come rimedio contro l’indesiderata presenza dei topi. A supportare l’ipotesi dell’origine russa dell’Angora alcune fonti riportano che nel secolo XIII nella citta’ di Arbedil in Russia, si svolgesse una volta l’anno tutti una fiera in cui i migliori gatti a pelo lungo venivano riuniti e valutati… purtroppo, pero’,non si hanno notizie piu’ precise su questo evento.
Qualunque sia l’origine di questo magnifico gatto, esso fu considerato una razza separata in Turchia sin dal 1400 e fu così amato che molte varieta’ di colore furono battezzate: il red tabby venne chiamato sarmen, il silver tabby teku, il bianco ad occhi impari van kedi, il bianco ad occhi blu ankara kedi e quelli con marcatura van ebbero il nome kinali kedi.
Il successo e la diffusione dell’angora hanno probabilmente un debito nei confronti della religione musulmana, essa infatti prevede che un buon musulmano debba rispettare, nutrire e prendersi cura delle creature dei Allah, senza però accoglierle nella sua casa… Il naturale fascino dell’angora e la religione garantirono a questo gatto un posto particolare nelle attenzioni di tutti coloro che potevano permettersi ampi spazi dove allevare e ospitare queste splendide creature… cosi’ questi mici divennero i pregiati compagni di ricchi mercanti e sultani. L’Angora fu considerato un animale cosi’ prezioso da non poter neppure essere oggetto di compravendita, poteva essere solo regalato, e riceverne uno era un immenso onore.

I primi Angora Turco arrivarano in Europa agli inizi del ‘600 come preziosi regali alle famiglie reali francesi e inglesi da parte dei sultani turchi. Poco dopo il naturalista e viaggiatore italiano Pietro della Valle si innamoro’ i questi gatti in Turchia (come testimoniato dalle infervorate descrizioni contenute nelle sue lettere ai famigliari) e ne importò in Italia alcune coppie di questi gatti nel 1621, con l’intento di iniziare un allevamento. Purtroppo di questi gatti si sono perse completamente le tracce, tanto da far pensare che l’allevamento del Della Valle non sia mai decollato,
Il primo allevamento di Angora di cui si ha notizia certa e’ la magione di Belgentier presso Tolosa, dove visse Nicolas Fabri signore di Peiresc, contemporaneo del Della Valle. Il Peiresc sostenne di essere il primo importatore di gatti d’Angora, ma e’ molto probabile che egli avesse appreso l’esistenza di questa razza dal Della Valle. Dalla magione del Peiresc alla corte francese il passo fu breve, i cuccioli del de Peiresc vennero introdotti prima presso il Cardinal Richelieu, e da qui a corte.
Il 1700 fu il periodo di grande splendore dell’Angora Turco: nominato nei libri di Francois-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif e di Francois-Louis LeClerk conte di Buffon, coccolato alla corte di Luigi XV e di Luigi XVI, dipinto, scolpito e vezzeggiato. Esso si guadagno’ persino un nome scientifico proprio: felis catus angoriensis. L’Angora divenne uno status symbol, grazie alla sua grazia e al suo carettere, e l’aristocrazia fu disposta a pagare cifre astronomiche pur di poter vantare un simile gioiello nei suoi atelier.
La storia dell’Angora e del Persiano a partire dal settescento e per de secoli sono inscindibilmente legate: lo stesso conte di Buffon, in uno dei suoi libri, afferma che l’unica differenza tra le razze fosse nel colore, il persiano era esclusivamente grigio-azzurro, colore che mancava nell’ampio spettro dei colori propri dell’angora. A conferma di ciò, un secolo dopo (1856), Monsieur Lottin de la Val scrive infatti che i gatti d’angora erano diffusi in tutto il Medio Oriente dall’Azerbaigian a Bagdad, anche se gli esemplari migliori sembravano trovarsi nei dintorni del lago Van. Il de la Val narra inoltre di aver visto svariati esemplari presso i personaggi piu’ in vista di quelle regioni: l’arcivescovo di della Turchia ne possedeva tre di vari colori, cosi’ come il principe di Hekiars.
Nel corso del 1800 erano noti molti tipi di gatti a pelo lungo tutti russi o mediorientali: il gatto di Crimea, del Himalaya, della Persia, di Tobolsk etc. Tra tutti il piu’ pregiato risultava essere l’Angora, anche se non ci possibile rintracciare le differenze tra queste razze. Persino una Enciclopedia degli animali riporta l’esistenza di gatti d’Angora esclusivamente blue in Russia, attribuendo l’esclusivita’ del colore blue alla presunta maggior resistenza di questa varieta alle privazioni e agli stenti del viaggio di importazione e del clima russo.

La prima esposizione felina, al Crystal Palace (1871) di Londra segnò ancora un successo degli Angora e dei Persiani, allora identificati come la stessa razza. La stessa regina Vittoria vi acquistò due preziosi esemplari blue. L’Angora divenne ancora una volta l’animale preferito della nobilta’ e l’eco della sua fama raggiunse l’America. Cosi’ i primi esemplari varcarono l’oceano e vennero importati, pagati a peso d’oro, in America. E’ possibile ritrovare i nomi di questi gatti negli annali delle esposiioni feline: Napoleone il grande, nato a Fontainbleau nel 1888; Selim, un gattone smoke e bianco; Zuleika una dolcissima gattina bianca importata da Smirne; Ganhou, un micione rosso di nove anni valutato $4000!
Harrison Weir, lo stesso organizzatore della mostra al Crystal Palace, descrive anni dopo le bellezze degli Angora, e i suoi colori (il bianco, lo smoke, il blue e il rosso). Il Weir lancia anche la moda dell’Angora bianco (che ancora resiste), definendo la varieta’ bianca a occhi blu, la piu’ preziosa e pregiata, che non mostrava alcun segno di sordita’. Pochissimo dopo la British Society determina che tutti i mici a pelo lungo debbano essere chiamati Persiani e stabilisce per essi uno standard (1887) che predilige quei gatti più massicci e tondeggianti che porteranno alla creazione del Persiano moderno. E’ la fine dell’Angora Turco nei paesi anglosassoni.
Agli inizi del 1900 l’Angora rischiava l’estinzione persino nella sua patria di origine, tant’è che il governo Turco nel 1917 cominciò un programma di allevamento dei soli esemplari bianchi negli zoo di Istanbul (ora chiuso) ed Ankara. Gli zoo tennero (e quello d’Ankara lo fa ancora) i registri di tutti i gatti nati. Nel 1930 la razza fu dichiarata patrimonio nazionale e vennero messe in atto delle restrizioni all’importazione.
L’Angora Turco sopravvisse in Germania, dove nasce la prima associazione per la protezione e l’allevamento dell’Angora (1. Deutscher Angorakatzen-Shultz-and Zuchtverein), che da inizio alle esposizioni ed ai registri d’origine tedeschi (1922). Purtroppo neppure questo ceppo non è arrivato a noi, presumibilmente per via della seconda guerra mondiale. Entro gli anni ‘50 non ci fu più traccia nel mondo occidentale dell’Angora.

It is almost sure that the domestic cat, as we know it nowadays, was originated from the african wildcat (felis silvestris lybica and felis silvestris ocreata). Some says that the jungle cat (felis chaus), a bigger feline, also had some influence. Some egiptian mummified cats might be a proof to this thesis, but such a very little number make us think that chaus were precious sacrifical animals rather then pets.
This applies to all domestic cats, but what can we tell about longhaired ones? Where does it come the longhair gene? Some people think that this gene derivates from an hybridation with european and caucasian wildcats (felis silvestris silvestris), others think at it as a spontaneous mutation, some others want to believe that it is a Manul (felis manul, a fascinating, extra-furried, strong asiatic feline, of wich very little is known) heredity.

It is almost sure tha the Turkish Angora breed was originated in south Russia and than had moved, or was moved, in Turkey. It is also possible that Vikings during the X century had part in these migration bringigs cats on their ship as mice hounters. As a proof of the russian origin of the angora breed it is reported that in the XIII century there were annual longhair cat shows. Unfortunatly no more information have arrived at our days.
Independently from its origin this breed was considerated a special breed in Turkey since 1400 and was so appreciated that many color variety were given a name: the red tabby was called sarmen, the silver tabby teku, the odd eyed white van kedi, the blue eyed white ankara kedi and the van marked kinali kedi.
The breed success is prbably also due to mueslin religion. It is in fact written that a goos mueslin should respect, nurrish and look after Allah’s creatures, but animals cannot be kept in people house. The natural charm of these cats and religion have granted to these feline a special place in all rich people’s hearts. And these cats soon became the precious pets of merchants and sultans. The Turkish Angora was so precious in Turkish world that it was impossible to sell or buy it, such a valuable animal could only be given as a present and it was a present to be honoured for.

The very first Turkish Angora arrived in Europe during the XVII century as sultans precious present to the french and english royal families. Few years later the italian naturalist and traveller Pietro della Valle in Turkey fall in love with these cats (as we can still read in his enthusiastic letter to his family) and brought to Italy some couple in 1621. His idea was to start breeding this breed but we completly lost every bit of information about these cats.
The first cattery know in Italy is that of Belgentier, near Toulouse, where lived Nicholas Fabri de Pieresc, a della Valle contemporaneous. De Peiresc was used to say he was the first turkish Angora importer, but it is possible that he learned about the breed from the della Valle himself. It took a very little time to bring the cats from the beautiful house of Peiresc to the french royal court, Peiresc’s kittens were first introduced to Richelieu and than to the court.
The XVIII was the best period for the Turkish Angora: the breed was cited in Francois-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif’s and Francois-Louis LeClerk’s books, he was petted and spoiled at court. It still earned a own scientific name: felis catus angoriensis. This cat became a status symbol, thanks to its grace and his temperament, and aristocracy was paying astronomical sums in norder to show such a rare gem in their ateliers.
The Turkish Angora’s and the Persian’s hystory are linked for two century (from XVIII century to XX century): Count Buffon, himself, in one of his books wrote that the only difference between the two breed was to be found in color. The Tukish Angora was known in many colors, while the persian was exclusively grey-blue, a color missing to his cousins coat. One century after, Mr Lottin de la Val confirmed this fact writing that Turkish Angora cats were common in all the middle-est from Azerbaigian to Bagdad, but the best cats were to be found in the lake Van zone. Mr de la Val told that he had found many of these cats in the most reputated houses: The Turkey Arcibishop owned three colored Angora, as prince Hekiars.
During the XIX century many kind of longhaired cats were known. They all come from Russia or Middle-est: Crimea’s cat, Hymalaian cat, Persian cat, Tobolsk’s cat etc. Between all of them the Turkish Angora was the most appreciated, even it is impossible to know how the differred form each other. An Animal Ecycolpedia of the period tells that in Russia it was possible to found only blue Angora, and suggesting the theory that this variety was more strong and was the only to survive privations of the travel and the russian climate.

The first feline expo (1871) at the Crystal Palace in London scored another triumph for the Angora and Persian breed, that were still the same breed. Queen Victoria buyed there a couple of brecious blue longhair. The angora become, once again, the breed preferred by aristocracy and rumors of its beauty arrived in America. Some cats were buyed at astornomical prices and imported to America. We still know some on their names: Napoleon the great, born in Fontainblue in 1888; Selim a black smoke and white male; Zuleika, a sweet white girl born in Smirne; Ganou a red male worthing 4000$!
Harrison Weir, who was the promoter of the Crystal palace show, described, some years after, the beauty of the breed and its colours (white, smoke, red and blue). Weir started the trend of white angoras, defining the white blue eyed variety (that was not showing any synthoms of deafness) the most precious and appreciated. This trend is still going on nowadays. Very few later the British Society decided that all longhair cats were to be called persians and defined a standard versus the most heavy, round and dollish type (1887). These are the first steps to the modern persian and the end of the angora within the british coutries.
In the beginning of XX century the breed was going extincted even in its origins country. The Turkish Governement begun a protection program, reserved to white angoras in both Istanbul zoo (now closed) and Ankara zoo. The zoos kept, and the Ankara zoo is still keeping, a register of all born cats. In 1930 the breed was declared nation treasure and resctriction to imports were set.

It is almost sure that the domestic cat, as we know it nowadays, was originated from the african wildcat (felis silvestris lybica and felis silvestris ocreata). Some says that the jungle cat (felis chaus), a bigger feline, also had some influence. Some egiptian mummified cats might be a proof to this thesis, but such a very little number make us think that chaus were precious sacrifical animals rather then pets.
This applies to all domestic cats, but what can we tell about longhaired ones? Where does it come the longhair gene? Some people think that this gene derivates from an hybridation with european and caucasian wildcats (felis silvestris silvestris), others think at it as a spontaneous mutation, some others want to believe that it is a Manul (felis manul, a fascinating, extra-furried, strong asiatic feline, of wich very little is known) heredity.

It is almost sure tha the Turkish Angora breed was originated in south Russia and than had moved, or was moved, in Turkey. It is also possible that Vikings during the X century had part in these migration bringigs cats on their ship as mice hounters. As a proof of the russian origin of the angora breed it is reported that in the XIII century there were annual longhair cat shows. Unfortunatly no more information have arrived at our days.
Independently from its origin this breed was considerated a special breed in Turkey since 1400 and was so appreciated that many color variety were given a name: the red tabby was called sarmen, the silver tabby teku, the odd eyed white van kedi, the blue eyed white ankara kedi and the van marked kinali kedi.
The breed success is prbably also due to mueslin religion. It is in fact written that a goos mueslin should respect, nurrish and look after Allah’s creatures, but animals cannot be kept in people house. The natural charm of these cats and religion have granted to these feline a special place in all rich people’s hearts. And these cats soon became the precious pets of merchants and sultans. The Turkish Angora was so precious in Turkish world that it was impossible to sell or buy it, such a valuable animal could only be given as a present and it was a present to be honoured for.

The very first Turkish Angora arrived in Europe during the XVII century as sultans precious present to the french and english royal families. Few years later the italian naturalist and traveller Pietro della Valle in Turkey fall in love with these cats (as we can still read in his enthusiastic letter to his family) and brought to Italy some couple in 1621. His idea was to start breeding this breed but we completly lost every bit of information about these cats.
The first cattery know in Italy is that of Belgentier, near Toulouse, where lived Nicholas Fabri de Pieresc, a della Valle contemporaneous. De Peiresc was used to say he was the first turkish Angora importer, but it is possible that he learned about the breed from the della Valle himself. It took a very little time to bring the cats from the beautiful house of Peiresc to the french royal court, Peiresc’s kittens were first introduced to Richelieu and than to the court.
The XVIII was the best period for the Turkish Angora: the breed was cited in Francois-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif’s and Francois-Louis LeClerk’s books, he was petted and spoiled at court. It still earned a own scientific name: felis catus angoriensis. This cat became a status symbol, thanks to its grace and his temperament, and aristocracy was paying astronomical sums in norder to show such a rare gem in their ateliers.
The Turkish Angora’s and the Persian’s hystory are linked for two century (from XVIII century to XX century): Count Buffon, himself, in one of his books wrote that the only difference between the two breed was to be found in color. The Tukish Angora was known in many colors, while the persian was exclusively grey-blue, a color missing to his cousins coat. One century after, Mr Lottin de la Val confirmed this fact writing that Turkish Angora cats were common in all the middle-est from Azerbaigian to Bagdad, but the best cats were to be found in the lake Van zone. Mr de la Val told that he had found many of these cats in the most reputated houses: The Turkey Arcibishop owned three colored Angora, as prince Hekiars.
During the XIX century many kind of longhaired cats were known. They all come from Russia or Middle-est: Crimea’s cat, Hymalaian cat, Persian cat, Tobolsk’s cat etc. Between all of them the Turkish Angora was the most appreciated, even it is impossible to know how the differred form each other. An Animal Ecycolpedia of the period tells that in Russia it was possible to found only blue Angora, and suggesting the theory that this variety was more strong and was the only to survive privations of the travel and the russian climate.

The first feline expo (1871) at the Crystal Palace in London scored another triumph for the Angora and Persian breed, that were still the same breed. Queen Victoria buyed there a couple of brecious blue longhair. The angora become, once again, the breed preferred by aristocracy and rumors of its beauty arrived in America. Some cats were buyed at astornomical prices and imported to America. We still know some on their names: Napoleon the great, born in Fontainblue in 1888; Selim a black smoke and white male; Zuleika, a sweet white girl born in Smirne; Ganou a red male worthing 4000$!
Harrison Weir, who was the promoter of the Crystal palace show, described, some years after, the beauty of the breed and its colours (white, smoke, red and blue). Weir started the trend of white angoras, defining the white blue eyed variety (that was not showing any synthoms of deafness) the most precious and appreciated. This trend is still going on nowadays. Very few later the British Society decided that all longhair cats were to be called persians and defined a standard versus the most heavy, round and dollish type (1887). These are the first steps to the modern persian and the end of the angora within the british coutries.
In the beginning of XX century the breed was going extincted even in its origins country. The Turkish Governement begun a protection program, reserved to white angoras in both Istanbul zoo (now closed) and Ankara zoo. The zoos kept, and the Ankara zoo is still keeping, a register of all born cats. In 1930 the breed was declared nation treasure and resctriction to imports were set.
The Turkish Angora was still surviving in Germany, where was founded the first club for breed and protect the breed (1. Deutscher Angorakatzen-Shultz-and Zuchtverein) that started German shows and stud books (1922). Unfortunatly neither these line has arrived to us, probably due to the II World War. Before 1950 there was not a single angora left in Europe or America.