In Turkey’s Gaziantep, weddings are dispelling some post-earthquake sadness
Al Jazeera
In the lively wedding district, celebrations are cautiously starting up again as couples start their futures together.
Gaziantep, Turkey – Gazi Muhtar Pasa Boulevard in downtown Gaziantep, an elegant district of bridal shops and venues in a city known as a wedding destination, is much livelier than a year ago, the sidewalks clear of debris and shattered window glass.
Businesses have been open since the early morning and, despite a drizzle, the street bustles with life and brides-to-be seeking their dream wedding dress – like Aysenur from Pazarcik, who is window-shopping dreamily.
Primary school teacher Diana Hajj Assad, 37, remembers when she, too, was excitedly browsing shop windows in January 2023, not knowing that her big day, scheduled for February, would be called off by a natural disaster.
On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria at 4:17am, killing more than 50,000 people, displacing millions and causing an estimated $34bn in damage.
In Gaziantep, just 68km (42 miles) from the epicentre, it shattered homes and buildings as well as the dreams of many couples who were about to start their futures together.
