Erzin is known as the “city that did not collapse,” as it is located near the epicenter of the earthquake on February 6, yet it has remained standing and has now become a temporary shelter for those who have lost their homes and have come from other areas. So why has this small city been able to avoid the destruction caused by a series of earthquakes?
Devastation and death surround Erzin. However, this small city in Hatay Province (Turkey) continues to function relatively normally, even though life across the region has been disrupted by the earthquake.
Erzin is only about 112 km from the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. In cities that are further from the epicenter or those nearby, such as Osmaniye—just 19 km from Erzin—buildings have crumbled into heaps of rubble, and survivors are awaiting assistance.
Erzin – the city that did not collapse after the earthquake in Turkey. (Photo: Kristina Jovanovski).
Authorities in Erzin report that there have been no fatalities, nor any buildings that collapsed due to the earthquake. A key reason is that this city has long been committed to enforcing construction regulations and national standards for earthquake resistance.
Emre Tibikoglu, a 39-year-old resident of Erzin, shared that whenever authorities discover a violation of construction regulations, they mandate demolition. “Some locals are very angry about this,” Tibikoglu said, “but the Mayor is very resolute because he knows that a major earthquake will happen one day.”
Buildings in Erzin still standing after the earthquake. (Photo: Kristina Jovanovski).
There are also no high-rise buildings in Erzin, which helps reduce the risk of collapse during earthquakes. After February 6, some buildings in Erzin did sustain damage requiring repairs, but none collapsed like in surrounding cities.
Additionally, there is another geographical factor concerning Erzin: the city is surrounded by mountains and hills, which locals believe has protected them during the earthquake.
The mountains surrounding the city are believed to be a reason why Erzin was less affected by the earthquake. (Photo: Kristina Jovanovski).
As a result, about 20,000 people from other provinces and cities have come to Erzin to stay temporarily because they have lost their homes.
Among those who were not originally residents of Erzin is Beyaz Yalcin. Yalcin, 33, considers herself lucky, as her home in Gaziantep was severely damaged, but on the day of the earthquake, she was in Erzin with her four young children to attend a relative’s wedding. Since that day, she has not returned home and does not know if her house has collapsed into the rubble like many others in Gaziantep. Her children are very frightened.
Yalcin said: “I don’t even know how long we will be here. Right now, we have almost nothing.”
