Following the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes in Hatay, numerous elements ranging from the city’s places to its cuisine and artisans have been digitally documented through the work of academics from five different universities.
A project titled “Memory of Antakya: Preserving and Sharing Antakya’s Urban Collective Memory Through Digitalization” was launched in Hatay, which experienced the most destruction in the Kahramanmaraş-centered quakes.
The project, prepared under the leadership of Associate Professor Alim Koray Cengiz from the Anthropology Department of Hatay Mustafa Kemal University (HMKÜ), was deemed eligible for support under TÜBİTAK’s 1001-ÇABA program.
As part of the project, cultural elements of Hatay affected by the earthquakes were classified under four main categories: ”places and locations,” ”foods and flavors,” ”cultural diversity” and ”crafts and professions.”
In addition to field research and archival studies, interviews were conducted with individuals who directly witnessed the region’s social values as well as with artisans.
The work carried out under the project has been transferred to a digital platform through the website www.bellekantakya.com.
The “places and locations” section, which includes information about the city’s climate, geographical features and ecological diversity, provides details on 20 different sites, including Habib-i Neccar and Ulu mosques, as well as Hatay’s churches, shrines, important streets and historic houses.
The “foods and flavors” section highlights Antakya’s culinary culture, featuring many local dishes such as kunefe and kaytaz böreği, both of which hold geographical indication status from the European Union, along with classics like hummus and aşure.
Among the items digitized are significant local crafts and professions, from shoemaking to kilim weaving and from saddlery to glassmaking.
The website also includes information on Antakya’s culture and various faiths under the “cultural diversity” section.
As part of the work, a 17-minute documentary titled “Sounds of Yesterday: The Memory of Antakya” was also produced, focusing not only on a single city but on the story of coexistence and the harmony of differences.
Associate Professor Alim Koray Cengiz from HMKÜ’s Anthropology Department told state-run Anadolu Agency that they first began the project with focus group interviews and then conducted video recordings based on the categories and themes they identified.
He said they interviewed around 200 people and collected 180 video recordings as part of the project.
