Hatay, 6 March 2023– ‘‘We were so happy!” Fifty-three-year-old Necat has been living in Antakya, Hatay, all her life. She knew the city like the back of her hand – an old city centre with narrow streets, bustling markets, and charming old buildings, the river bringing much-needed breeze from the invisible but nearby sea in summer.

She remembers how people from all faiths and cultures lived together harmoniously, and sighs, “but my beauty, my beloved Hatay, is gone now.”

Today she lives in a tent one hundred metres from her heavily damaged house that is now unsuitable to live in and too dangerous to enter.

At 4:17 am on 6 February 2023, a devastating earthquake rocked the city to its core. Now the ancient city lies in ruins.

Necat, like thousands of other people in Antakya, was sleeping in her apartment when the first quake hit. She could feel the building shake and hear it creak and moan. The sound was deafening as the walls shook and objects fell to the floor. One-minute tremors seemed to go on forever, but she managed to get out safely, leaving all her belongings and treasured memories behind.