3 religions were affected by a massive earthquake in ancient Antakya

(Antakya, Turkey) Centuries-old places of worship in Antakya, an ancient Turkish city, were destroyed in less than two minutes during recent earthquakes, leaving many residents of the city in despair.

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Antakya, the cradle of civilization, is known for its rich history and is home to three of the world’s major monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The damage was particularly severe in earthquake-prone Antakya.

One of the oldest mosques in the country, the Habib al-Najjar Mosque, built in the 7th century AD on top of a Roman-era pagan temple, has been reduced to ruins.

Now, only parts of its walls remain intact.

The synagogue a few hundred meters away was also damaged, although it managed to withstand the tremors with only minor damage. However, it remains closed and abandoned for fear of insecurity in providing services in it. The ancient Torah scroll, written on antelope paper, was taken out of the city for safekeeping in the aftermath of the earthquake, and the few remaining members of the Jewish community have it since he moved to Istanbul. Unfortunately, the earthquake also took the lives of the head of the community, Saul Senodioglu, and his wife, Fortuna.

A general view of destroyed buildings following a deadly earthquake in Antakya, Turkey, February 19, 2023 (Photo credit: REUTERS/NIR ELIAS)

“Unfortunately, our city has lost many ancient places. Unfortunately, we have great losses. I hope we will rebuild and the tourists will return.”

Diloh, a professional guide

The Greek Orthodox Church, built in ancient times and rebuilt in 1870 after it was destroyed by another earthquake, is located across from the synagogue. Workers began surveying the damage.

The history of Antioch is extensive, dating back to 300 BC. Known in Roman times and the Middle Ages as Antioch, the city had withstood many previous disastrous earthquakes. Now, it is unrecognizable to many of its residents. Turkish military vehicles are patrolling the city to keep it safe, as thousands of its residents have left.

Many holy places have historically been destroyed in recent strong earthquakes, but the Church of Saint Pierre escaped destruction, and the world’s first cave church in Hatay, Turkey, remains intact.

But it is closed to tourists now as a precaution, something Dlouh, a professional guide, says will harm the city.

He took us on a tour of parts of the affected area. He has been leading tours of Antakya for years, and told The Media Line that he knows the city like the back of his hand.

“Unfortunately, our city has lost many ancient places. Unfortunately, we have great losses. I hope we will rebuild and the tourists will return.”

Despite the destruction, the people of Antakya are determined to rebuild and preserve their ancient culture. Antakya has an ancient history, and we need to preserve it. When we want to rebuild this huge city, we also need to protect the culture,” Adam Ali, a 24-year-old kindergarten teacher and a native of the city, told The Media Line. I have a lot of friends – Christians, Jews, Alevis and Sunnis. Many of them are in cities “Others now. They tell me they don’t have anything in the city now, and they probably won’t come back. But when they build the city again, they need to preserve our culture. I ask the government not to build on the houses. I ask them to protect our culture.”

The city of about 250,000 inhabitants in south central Turkey was once the ancient city of Antioch and was a major staging post on the Silk Road.

It was also one of the first centers of Christianity and important to both Judaism and Islam.

1400 years of history are erased in devastating earthquakes

Fourteen centuries of history collapsed in powerful earthquakes, and the challenge for the authorities now is to build new homes for the victims, and to rebuild as many historical sites as possible.

“We aim to revive our ancient cities with an understanding that keeps our historical and cultural assets alive and also strengthens them in the face of disasters,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on March 3.

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