A music school uniting Syrian and Turkish cultures survives the massive earthquake
A handful of students return to a school in Gaziantep, Turkey, that seeks to help revive old Syrian and Turkish music and integrate refugees.
GAZIANTEP, Turkey — When the powerful earthquake rocked her home in early February, 18-year-old Sidra Mohammed Ali woke up and thought of one thing: her music school — was it OK?
The next day, as survivors all over southern Turkey were taking stock of the destruction and checking on loved ones, Mohammed Ali rushed to the school, the Nefes Foundation for Arts and Culture, and took a deep breath of relief when she saw it was still standing, only having sustained some minor damage.
"This school is my sanctuary from the stress of life as a Syrian refugee in Turkey," she said. "I couldn't bear the
