Starting from the ground up

The plan for rebuilding Antakya, the city worst affected by last year’s earthquakes that devastated much of southern Turkey and parts of Syria, was revealed yesterday. A consortium of international architects assembled by the Turkey Design Council, an NGO, has drawn up a master plan that will triple the city’s green spaces, provide modern housing to replace rundown neighbourhoods and recreate its rich historical fabric. The rebuilding will take decades – but the hardest part of the reconstruction is persuading residents to approve the plans.

Many property owners in Antakya have lodged legal objections against the demolition of their buildings; scores of damaged houses around the city are spray-painted with signs confirming that their case is with the courts. There are also religious and cultural considerations: Antakya, which was known as the ancient city of Antioch, is home to Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities and boasts a wealth of protected monuments on land that belongs to religious groups. Finally, there are the historic sites that have been taken under the protection of the culture ministry for restoration. All were consulted during the design process and the architects say that they have reached a consensus. But homes are an integral part of our identity and sense of security; even when they are badly damaged, it can be difficult to let them go. That is something that designers must consider as they draw up plans to reconstruct devastated cities.

About 80 per cent of Antakyans are currently living elsewhere. Many of those who remain in the city still live in container camps. Rebuilding is a matter of urgency – and the most important part of that is enabling and persuading residents to return to their homes as quickly as possible. The true success of new Antakya will not be measured by the awards or plaudits that it wins but by how many of its people choose to live there again.