The role of rituals and cultural heritage in post-disaster social resilience: the case of Antakya

Overview

This study is based on the role of rituals and cultural practices which shaped the recovery process after the earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye. We observed that those who had to leave Hatay after the earthquake tried to continue the rituals in their hometowns or only came to Hatay during ritual times and participated in this ceremony. At this point, we investigated the role of rituals and cultural heritage values in social resilience and repair through the eyes of both those who stayed and those who left, by conducting field research as two faculty members at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University. In this context, the study was conducted using participant observation and in-depth interview techniques. We observed that some changes were made in rituals (due to lack of capacity such as space and physical conditions), but the continuation of these rituals and cultural heritage values in some way makes those who stayed and those who left feel ‘hope’ and ‘the possibility of re-existence’ and the socially restorative role of this feeling is among the most important results we have reached. In the process of adaptation to the ‘new order’ and recovery after disasters, the participants emphasised that only economic development or construction activities are not sufficient, but the unifying role of shared cultural values and rituals around social/cultural belonging needs to be understood. Cultural norms and ritualised practices have been found to revitalise social life, strengthen social cohesion, cultural identity and psychological well-being, and play a helpful role in increasing the resilience of disaster-affected communities in coping with natural disasters.