Book chapter title: In pursuit of human dignity: The February 6, 2023 earthquakes in Hatay Antakya and their effects on interfaith relations. Book title: Post-earthquake Antakya: Testimonies, heritage and future.

Abstract

Post-Earthquake Antakya: Testimonies, Heritage, and Future is a comprehensive compilation aimed at documenting the story of Antakya before, during, and after the devastating earthquakes of February 6 and 20, 2023. Divided into three sections—“Fear: Testimonies,” “Anxiety: Earthquake, Antakya, Society,” and “Hope: Antakyan Identity, History, and Heritage”—the book brings together 32 contributions, including personal testimonies, scholarly articles, interviews, and research from authors across diverse disciplines. This work goes beyond simply mourning and documenting the destruction. It envisions a hopeful path forward for rebuilding the city, facilitating the return of its displaced residents, creating new solidarity networks, and preserving Antakya’s rich cultural heritage, people, and collective memory. Edited by José Rafael Medeiros Coelho and Anna Maria Beylunioğlu, the book was compiled under the Nehna platform, founded in 2021 to explore, preserve, and narrate the history of the Orthodox community in Antakya and its surroundings. The book is published by İstos Publishing, a Greek-Istanbulite publishing house that has previously introduced Antakya to readers through works such as Arab-Speaking Eastern Orthodox Christians – An Ancient Community in the Shadow of Three Nationalisms (2018), compiled by Haris Rigas; Home – İskenderun Sanjak 1934 (2023), written by Talin Azar; and “If Only It Had Stayed” – A History of Antakya Through the Eyes of Local Witnesses (2024), prepared by Levent Duman and Şule Can. On the second anniversary of the earthquake, this book serves as a tribute to the resilience that the people of Antakya have always shown in the face of hardship. Continuing its tradition of recording the city’s memory, testimonies, and hopes for the future, Post-Earthquake Antakya: Testimonies, Heritage, and Future provides a powerful reflection on the past, present, and future of this historic city