AS THEY left Antakya, Turkey’s earthquake-shattered home of ancient civilisations, anguished residents scribbled farewell messages on the ruins: “We’ll come back” and “Don’t lose hope”.

Last month’s deadly 7.8-magnitude quake and its aftershocks came down hard on Antakya – a fabled city near Syria once known as Antioch – and ravaged centuries of treasured history.

Now, its residents fear the city to which they eventually return will lack the vibrance and tradition of cultural acceptance that distinguished it from the rest of Turkey – until disaster struck on Feb 6, claiming more than 50,000 lives.