Two years after the devastating earthquakes that struck Southern Türkiye and Syria, causing significant destruction and loss, we want to commemorate an important milestone. On 21st December 2024, we concluded our "Reviving Living Heritage in Antakya" project with the inauguration of the community centre in the Çekmece neighborhood. Designed by Herkes İçin Mimarlık (Architecture for All) with Deprem Dayanışması (Earthquake Solidarity), the centre will serve as a hub for activities for local residents and civil society organisations.
During the event, we also launched the report Repairing Living Heritage in Çekmece: Pathways Towards Community-Led Reconstruction. This publication stems from an intensive community-planning workshop held in June, capturing insights from Çekmece residents about their vision for the neighbourhood’s future following the 2023 earthquakes. It highlights both individual and collective efforts already underway to rebuild their living environment and suggests pathways to support a people-centred reconstruction.
The event featured a documentary that illustrates the parallel processes of community-led planning coordinated by ASF-UK and participatory architecture led by Herkes İçin Mimarlık throughout 2024.
We welcomed a significant number of participants, including local authorities. By integrating community-based planning with the design and construction of a concrete intervention to address neighbourhood needs, the Reviving Living Heritage project has demonstrated that a bottom-up approach to reconstruction is both viable and essential for preserving Antakya’s living heritage.
As we enter the third year since the earthquakes, we are collaborating with our partners to explore ways to enhance our efforts and further support community-based mobilisation in the Antakya region.
