Architect aims to rebuild a church and help restore a quake-hit Turkish city’s multicultural past
Architect Buse Ceren Gul is leading the effort to restore the 166-year-old St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Antakya, which was heavily damaged in the February 2023 earthquakes. Gul believes restoring the church, a symbol of Antakya's multicultural past, will help residents reconnect with their city's history. The restoration team recently uncovered the church from up to 16 feet of earthquake rubble after extensive planning and fundraising. Antakya, one of the hardest-hit cities, saw the destruction of much of its historical center, threatening the coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities on historic Saray Avenue. Gul, who is Alevi Muslim, hopes preserving the old city's structures will reaffirm Antakya's deep-rooted identity.
29 days ago
Architect Buse Ceren Gul leads efforts to rebuild the 166-year-old Greek Orthodox St. Paul’s Church in Antakya, Turkey, heavily damaged by the 2023 earthquakes.1
Her team recently cleared rubble up to 16 feet high, recovering intact stones for reconstruction.1
Gul had pre-earthquake plans ready, supported by the World Monuments Fund.1
Antakya, ancient Antioch, features Hellenistic, Roman, and Ottoman layers, surviving multiple past earthquakes.1
St. Paul’s Church on Saray Avenue symbolizes coexistence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.1
The area hosted one of Turkey’s largest Christian communities outside Istanbul, now diminished.1
The February 6, 2023, magnitude 7.8 quake and aftershock killed over 53,000 in Turkey and 6,000 in Syria.1
Antakya’s historical center, including 293 cultural sites in Hatay province, faced severe destruction.1
Saray Avenue, a multicultural hub, became unrecognizable.1
The church foundation lost 95% of income from ruined tourist shops, halting progress without new funds.1
Turkey’s Ministry of Environment is redeveloping shops, but broader urban planning lags.1
Aid from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has dwindled.1
Only 90 of 370-400 Greek Orthodox families have returned to central Antakya; most live elsewhere.1
Residents like Evlin Hüseyinoğlu avoid rebuilding due to financial risks and no clear urban plan.1
Leaders fear permanent loss of intercultural harmony and childhood friendships across faiths.1
Restore Antakya’s churches to affirm its multicultural Christian heritage
Antakya, ancient Antioch, stands as a cradle of Christianity, where the disciples were first called "Christians" and where apostolic figures like St. Peter and St. Paul laid foundational stones of the faith. Restoring its churches is not merely an act of architectural preservation but a profound affirmation of the multicultural Christian heritage that has endured amid diverse religious landscapes. Catholic teachings, echoed by multiple popes, underscore the duty to safeguard this legacy, support beleaguered communities, and foster interreligious harmony, especially in regions like modern-day Turkey where Christians form a modest minority. This restoration aligns with the Church's mission to honor ancient traditions, aid post-disaster recovery, and witness to unity in diversity.
Antioch's significance in salvation history is unparalleled. As recounted in papal addresses to Turkish bishops, it was here that St. Peter played a pivotal role, and the community became the birthplace of the term "Christians," marking the early Church's expansion. St. Paul, hailing from nearby Tarsus, traversed these lands proclaiming the Gospel, while luminaries like St. Polycarp, St. Ignatius, and the Cappadocian Fathers—St. Gregory, St. Basil, and St. John Chrysostom—enriched its theological patrimony. St. John Chrysostom, born around 349 A.D. in Antioch (today's Antakya in southern Turkey), exemplifies this heritage; his eloquence earned him the title "golden-mouthed," and his works continue to illuminate the faith globally.
Pope John Paul II repeatedly invoked this history when addressing Turkish Church leaders and diplomats, portraying Catholics as "depositaries of the memory of a spiritual heritage that is precious to all Christians." He linked it to the apostolic era, urging fidelity amid contemporary challenges. Such restoration would revive these "noble figures" in tangible form, allowing the faithful to "live with his books, despite his absence," as Chrysostom himself advised during exile.
Turkey's Catholic presence is among the smallest visited by popes, a "little flock" coexisting peacefully with Orthodox brethren in a predominantly Muslim context. Yet, this minority bears a rich multicultural tapestry, including ancient Eastern rites that Vatican II affirmed as vital to ecclesial unity. The Decree on Ecumenism highlights how Eastern Churches, despite separation, retain true sacraments through apostolic succession, urging dialogue rooted in shared patrimony.
Recent tragedies amplify the urgency: the 2023 earthquake devastated southeastern Turkey, including Antakya, prompting Pope Leo XIV to express gratitude for international aid to Church charitable efforts during his 2025 apostolic journey. Organizations like Caritas Internationalis provided crucial support, mirroring broader solidarity seen in other disaster recoveries. Without restoration, churches risk becoming relics of a faded past, eroding the "cultural, historical, theological, liturgical and spiritual" heritage specific to Middle Eastern Catholics.
The Church views such restoration as integral to evangelization and ecumenism. In Oceania's diverse religious milieu—analogous to Turkey's—Pope John Paul II called for understanding non-Christian faiths while studying indigenous traditions to enable "fruitful dialogue." Proclamation and dialogue, he insisted, are "component elements" of the Church's mission.
For Middle Eastern laity, popes emphasize leveraging diversity for enrichment: Catholics of varied rites must cooperate, extending solidarity to Orthodox communities and engaging monotheistic faiths through shared life. Blessed John XXIII's legacy in Turkey exemplifies this, with ecumenical celebrations involving Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders honoring his interfaith friendship. Restoring Antakya's churches would thus affirm "fraternal living and solidarity," especially for minorities.
Eastern traditions remain "indispensable treasures," as Pope Francis noted to the Syro-Malabar Church, urging fidelity to sui iuris heritage amid modern rootlessness. Pope Leo XIV, invoking Nicaea's Creed during his Istanbul visit, stressed grasping faith's "essential core" amid cultural variances, positioning restoration as a "compass" for discernment.
Liturgical norms offer guidance: blessings for new or principal crosses in public or church settings emphasize communal participation, preparing the faithful actively. Applied to Antakya, this could involve processions from churches to restoration sites, invoking Christ's crucifixion to symbolize renewal.
Broader ecumenical bonds, strengthened post-Vatican II, support this: Eastern Churches' "liturgical and spiritual tradition" enhances the universal Church's splendor. Cooperation with Orthodox and others, as in British initiatives, visibly witnesses unity.
Restoring Antakya's churches powerfully affirms its multicultural Christian heritage, echoing papal calls to cherish apostolic roots, support minorities, and dialogue across divides. From St. Paul's trails to Chrysostom's voice, this act revives a "precious" legacy amid trials like earthquakes and secularism. It invites all believers to rejoice in hope, patient in tribulation, fostering unity in Christ's Church.