Turks look to history and foresee rebirth of ancient Antakya from earthquake ruins

Remnants of ancient Abrahamic history were destroyed when an earthquake flattened much of Antakya in southern Türkiye last month, but many hope the city can rise from the rubble as it has done over centuries of disasters and conquests. Established by the Seleucid Empire in 300 BC, Antakya, formerly Antioch, has been home to Jews, Christians and Muslims and destroyed or heavily damaged several times as it changed hands between Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Ottomans. On the opposite bank of the Orontes River, in the old town once popular with tourists, mosques and churches lie ruined. Rescue efforts in the area, populated with businesses rather than homes, were sparse, while security forces kept guard against looters at every corner. 'The rubble in this area is not only made up of concrete piles, rocks and roof tiles - the culture of Hatay lies underneath,' he said. The entrance to the courtyard of the church, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1872, can now only be accessed from a side street by climbing over a mound of debris. The bell tower lies on its side, with clothes placed on top for earthquake victims to take. From the courtyard, the entrance to the church is barely recognisable, the door hidden behind rubble and a cross lying on its side amid the debris. The Habib-i Najjar Mosque, said to be the first mosque in the Anatolia peninsula, dates back to the Roman Empire, when it is believed there was a pagan temple in its place. A church built in its place was turned into a mosque and then back to a church, a pattern repeating itself several times. It was last rebuilt by the Ottoman Empire in the 1800s after an earthquake. The Ulu Camii (Grand Mosque), dating back to the 18th century, collapsed, while the minaret of the Sarimiye Mosque, built in the 16th century, has toppled. Other historical buildings, including the governor's office, were also destroyed. Among the victims of the Feb. 6 earthquake were Şaul Cenudioğlu, leader of the Jewish community in Antakya, and his wife, Tuna Cenudioğlu. Antakya has been home to Jews for more than 2,300 years but the community had shrunk to fewer than 20 in recent years. The rabbi said he came to Antakya after the earthquakes to check on the Jewish community and take them to Istanbul. 'We were taking the Torahs and the last Jews out of the city. The Torahs will go back, the synagogue will be reopened. Once again there will be Jewish life in Antakya,' he said. 'These structures rise from their ashes,' she said. 'These rocks should not be thrown away. The ones that can be re-used need to be re-used.' The structures that were still partly standing, such as the Habib-i Najjar Mosque, needed to be strengthened, Aydemir said, adding that every collapsed structure had to be examined individually to learn from the past and apply the lessons to the future. 'The last earthquake was bigger than expected. But it brought with it important data that could inform us about structures' weaknesses and reasons for their collapse,' she said.