1679 Armenia earthquake

Last updated
1679 Armenia earthquake
Relief Map of Armenia.png
Bullseye1.png
Local dateJune 4, 1679 (1679-06-04) [1]
Magnitude6.4 Ms [2]
Epicenter 40°12′N44°42′E / 40.2°N 44.7°E / 40.2; 44.7 Coordinates: 40°12′N44°42′E / 40.2°N 44.7°E / 40.2; 44.7 [2]
Areas affected Yerevan Province, Safavid Iran
Max. intensity IX (Violent) - X (Extreme) [2]
Casualties7,600 [2]

The 1679 Armenia earthquake (also called Yerevan earthquake or Garni earthquake) took place on June 4 in the Yerevan region of Armenia, then part of the Safavid Iran. [1]

Contents

Numerous buildings were destroyed as a result of the earthquake. In Yerevan most notable structures were damaged. The Yerevan Fortress was destroyed, so were the following churches: Poghos-Petros, Katoghike, Zoravor and the Gethsemane Chapel. [1]

Furthermore, the nearby Kanaker village was destroyed. The classical Hellenistic Temple of Garni also collapsed. [3] Among many churches and monasteries that were reduced to ruins were Havuts Tar, Saint Sargis Monastery of Ushi, Hovhannavank, Geghard, and Khor Virap. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Kotayk Province Province of Armenia

Kotayk, is a province (marz) of Armenia. It is located at the central part of the country. Its capital is Hrazdan and the largest city is Abovyan. It is named after the Kotayk canton of the historic Ayrarat province of Ancient Armenia.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Cultural heritage monument of Armenia

Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. According to most scholars it was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia, and is often considered the oldest cathedral in the world.

Garni Place in Kotayk, Armenia

Garni, is a major village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is known for the nearby classical temple. As of the 2011 census, the population of the village is 6,910.

Saint Hripsime Church

Saint Hripsime Church is a seventh century Armenian Apostolic church in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. It is one of the oldest surviving churches in the country. The church was erected by Catholicos Komitas to replace the original mausoleum built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsime to whom the church is dedicated. The current structure was completed in 618 AD. It is known for its fine Armenian-style architecture of the classical period, which has influenced many other Armenian churches since. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other nearby churches, including Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, in 2000.

Armenian architecture

Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monuments were created in the regions of historical Armenia, the Armenian Highlands. The greatest achievement of Armenian architecture is generally agreed to be its medieval churches and seventh century churches, though there are different opinions precisely in which respects.

The Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquakes occurred in Dashte Bayaz, Kakhk and Ferdows, Iran in late August and early September 1968. The mainshock measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. Damage was heavy in the affected areas with thousands of lives lost in the first event and many hundreds more in the second strong event.

Mets Parni Place in Lori Province, Armenia

Mets Parni is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia, 33 km north-west of the regional capital Vanadzor. The village is located on the right bank of the river Pambak, 1680 meters above sea level.

The 1930 Salmas earthquake occurred on May 7 at 01:34:26 IRST in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The earthquake, which was among Iran's largest, measured 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). A damaging foreshock occurred fifteen hours prior to the main event and served as a warning to the people that felt it strongly. Reports from seismologists and seismological organizations indicate that up to 3,000 fatalities may have occurred in northwest Iran and southeast Turkey.

Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran Armenian churches

The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, located in the West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces in Iran, is an ensemble of three Armenian churches that were established during the period between the 7th and 14th centuries A.D. The edifices—the St. Thaddeus Monastery, the Saint Stepanos Monastery, and the Chapel of Dzordzor—have undergone many renovations. These sites were inscribed as cultural heritages in the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee on 8 July 2008 under the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The three churches lie in a total area of 129 hectares and were inscribed under UNESCO criteria (ii), (iii), and (vi) for their outstanding value in showcasing Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, for being a major centre for diffusion of Armenian culture in the region, and for being a place of pilgrimage of the apostle St. Thaddeus, a key figure in Armenian religious traditions. They represent the last vestiges of old Armenian culture in its southeastern periphery. The ensemble is in a good state of preservation.

Zoravor Surp Astvatsatsin Church

Zoravor Surp Astvatsatsin Church is the oldest surviving church in Yerevan. It was previously known as Surp Astvatsatsin. However, the name Zoravor was added because the church was home to the 13th century bible of Zoravor.

Saint Sarkis Cathedral, Yerevan

Saint Sarkis Cathedral is an Armenian cathedral in Yerevan, Armenia. It is the seat of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It was built in 1842, on the left bank of the Hrazdan River in Yerevan's Kentron District.

Havuts Tar

Havuts Tar is an 11th to 13th century walled monastery, situated upon a promontory along the Azat River Valley across from the villages of Goght and Garni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is easily reached via the Khosrov State Reserve, located across the Garni Gorge. The Havuts Tar Trail leads directly from the east side (left) of the reserve entrance to the monastic complex. An alternate route/shortcut to the monastery can be found at the end of the main road along the Azat River and just past the fish hatchery ponds.

Temple of Garni Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia

The Temple of Garni is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Built in the Ionic order, it is located in the village of Garni, in central Armenia. It is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia.

Erivan Fortress

Erivan Fortress was a 16th-century fortress in Yerevan.

The Red Bridge is a ruined 17th-century bridge on the Hrazdan River, in Yerevan, Armenia.

Aghjots Vank

Aghjots Vank ; also known as the Saint Stephen Monastery of Goght, is a 13th-century monastery situated along a tributary of the Azat River Valley within the Khosrov State Reserve located half a mile walk from the hamlet of Mets Gilanlar, and near the villages of Goght and Garni in the Ararat Province of Armenia. Not far from this location and also within the reserve is the fortress of Kakavaberd and the monastic complex of Havuts Tar.

Khosrov Forest State Reserve

Khosrov Forest State Reserve, is a nature reserve in Ararat Province of Armenia. The reserve is one of the oldest protected areas in the world having a history of about 1700 years. It was founded in the 4th century (334–338) by the order of Khosrov Kotak, King of Armenia who gave it his name. It was founded to improve the natural climatic conditions of adjacent territories of Artashat – the capital city of Armenia of the given period and the newly established city of Dvin to ensure conservation and enrichment of flora and fauna species; serve as a ground for royal hunting, military exercises and entertainments.

Armenian eternity sign Ancient Armenian national symbol and a symbol of the national identity of the Armenian people

The Armenian eternity sign or Arevakhach is an ancient Armenian national symbol and a symbol of the national identity of the Armenian people. It is one of the most common symbols in Armenian architecture, carved on khachkars and on walls of churches.

Araratian Pontifical Diocese

Araratian Pontifical Diocese is the largest diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world, covering the city of Yerevan and the Ararat Province within Armenia.

Saint Thomas Monastery of Agulis

Saint Thomas Monastery of Agulis was an Armenian Apostolic monastery, located in the Yuxarı Əylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was historically built in the Goghtn district of the historical Armenian province of Vaspurakan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hakobyan, Tadevos (1979). Երևանի պատմությունը (1500–1800 ԹԹ.) [History of Yerevan (1500–1800)] (in Armenian). Yerevan State University Press. p. 328.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Utsu, T. R. (2002), "A List of Deadly Earthquakes in the World: 1500–2000", International Handbook of Earthquake & Engineering Seismology, Part A, Volume 81A (First ed.), Academic Press, p. 69, ISBN   978-0124406520
  3. 1 2 Hasrat'yan, Mourad (1995). "The medieval earthquakes of the Armenian Plateau and the historic towns of Ayrarat and Shirak (Dvin, Ani, Erevan)". Annali di Geofisica. Italian National Institute of Geophysics. 38 (5–6): 721.

Further reading