Life returns to normalcy with the opening of markets and the revival of business activities in historic bazaars, including Hatay's Uzun Çarşı bazaar, following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes that struck major destruction over 11 southeastern provinces in Türkiye.
In the historic Uzun Çarşı, located in one of the most affected provinces Hatay, 600 of 2,500 markets were destroyed during the earthquakes. Yet, around 400 shops resumed business in one of the busiest locations in the city dating back to the 12th century, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported Sunday.
Traders who returned to the city continue to open their shops although debris removal in parts of the 3.5-kilometer-long (2.3-mile-long) bazaar is underway.
Fuat Gövce, the mukhtar of Habib-i Neccar district, where a part of Uzun Çarşı is located, highlighted that about 80-90% of the markets were affected by the disaster in early February.
Noting that many locals had left the city after the deadly quakes, Gövce shared the traders resumed their businesses soon after water and electricity issues were resolved in the quake-hit region.
"About 400 of our shops are currently working to facilitate the customers," he said.
Meanwhile, in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş, earthquake survivors are seeking respite from the difficult times by attending courses at public education centers.
The Göksun Public Education Center Directorate, which is open for 12 hours a day, organizes various courses for the hundreds of survivors starting from children to older adults. With the variety of activities and training courses available at different locations in the district, the center aims to support locals and ease the pain caused by the disaster.
Director of the center Bilal Akoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they visited the affected sites, and organized activities for children of different age groups.
"We quickly organized programs to cater to all groups and moved on to the application phase. We have conducted separate activities each day," Akoğlu maintained.
Emphasizing that the courses provided at the institute focus on empowering the community, Akoğlu said that children joined Zumba classes twice a week along with mind games-related activities. The center also organized interesting handicraft courses for women in the district.
'Truckload of happiness'
Similarly, in the Battalgazi district of Malatya, the Presidency's Directorate of Communications Sunday organized an event centered around facilitating the integration of children and earthquake survivors into social life while also aiding the recovery process by easing the lingering effects of the disaster.
The event was organized with the theme "A truckload of happiness is coming to the city," featuring musical activities accompanied by the playful presence of clowns.
Ayşe Polat, a mother of four children, shared that she found the event very meaningful and engaging for her kids, saying: "I brought my children here. They are having a good time and having fun. We also take them to events in our spare time. They are quite useful."