Türkiye’s post-quake rehab efforts set Adana abuzz in winter

ADANA, Türkiye (AA) – Winters are usually dim for hotels in Adana, one of the 11 southern provinces hit by the twin earthquakes that rocked Türkiye on February 6.

However, the city center has witnessed an uneven rush at the peak of the wintry cold.

“Our business normally sees a rush during the spring, particularly April,” said one hotelier.

During spring, this province of around two million people known for its popular cuisine Adana Kebap — a dish that consists of long, hand-minced meat — witnesses a rush of people as the province hosts a gastronomy festival to showcase Turkish culinary cultures.

Oranges, turnips, and watermelons are among the menu options on the food tables in the city’s Seyhan area near the big Sabanci Mosque, which opened for prayers in 1998. This is the province’s second biggest mosque, built along the lines of the famous Selimiye Mosque in Edirne province, Türkiye’s westernmost tip of the border with Europe.

In the aftermath of the unprecedented disaster brought on by the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, Adana has turned into a center for most international arrivals including search, rescue, relief, humanitarian and media workers.

Workers at Mart Cafe, outside the airport, are attending an unusual rush since Adana Airport received direct international flights carrying search and rescue personnel for post-quake operations. Provincial airports in Kahramanmaras, Hatay and Gaziantep were temporarily closed for the first few days after the quake disaster, shifting air traffic to Adana.

Most of the international teams who visited this cafe enjoyed Turkish tea, Adana Kebap, soup, pilav and other dishes.

At Yeni Cami, or New Mosque, built in 1724, the prayer leader, or imam, is seen welcoming new non-native faces after leading congregational prayers.

“Do you need anything? Do you have a room to live in?” the imam is heard enquiring from the newcomers inside the mosque. “We love you for the kind of support you have extended to us.”