551 Beirut earthquake

551 Beirut earthquake
Local date	9 July 551
Magnitude	7.5 Mw
Epicenter	33°54′N35°30′E / 33.9°N 35.5°E
Areas affected	Phoenice Libanensis, Byzantine Empire (now Lebanon)
Max. intensity	MMI X (Extreme)
Tsunami	Yes
Casualties	Above 30,000

Last updated January 20, 2025

The 551 Beirut earthquake occurred on 9 July with an estimated magnitude of about 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It triggered a devastating tsunami which affected the coastal towns of Byzantine Phoenicia, causing great destruction and sinking many ships. Overall large numbers of people were reported killed, with one estimate of 30,000 by the anonymous pilgrim of Piacenza for Berytus (modern Beirut) alone.^[1]

Tectonic setting

What is now Lebanon lies astride the Dead Sea Transform, which forms part of the boundary between the Arabian plate and the African plate. In Lebanon the fault zone forms a restraining bend associated with a right stepping offset of the fault trace. Transpressional deformation associated with this bend has formed a number of thrust faults, such as the recently identified Mount Lebanon thrust, which underlies the city and is interpreted to crop out at the seabed offshore.^[2]

Damage

There is little in the way of detailed descriptions of the damage caused by this earthquake in contemporary accounts. Sources refer to the coastal cities from Tyre to Tripoli being reduced to ruins with many thousands of casualties.^[1] The Anonymous pilgrim of Piacenza reported that 30,000 people died in Beirut alone.^[1] Reports of damage at Petra and other locations in the Jordan Valley associated with the 551 event have been re-analyzed, suggesting that a later earthquake was more likely to be responsible.^[3]

Accounts

John Malalas' description

The earliest^[4] account of the earthquake comes from John Malalas, who recorded in his Chronographia that in the year 551 AD, during the 14th indiction, a catastrophic earthquake struck the regions of Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Antioch, Phoenice Maritima, and Phoenice Libanensis, with Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, Tripolis, Byblos, and Botrys being most affected, alongside parts of other settlements, where many people were trapped. In Botrys, part of the mountain known as Lithoprosopon, located near the sea, broke off and fell into the water, creating a harbor large enough to accommodate very large ships. This was significant, as the city had never previously had a harbor.

In response to the disaster, the emperor provided financial assistance to all the affected provinces and undertook restoration efforts for parts of the damaged cities. During the earthquake, the sea receded by a mile, destroying numerous ships, but eventually returned to its original position.^[5]

Agathias' description

"[...] several cities both on the islands and the mainland were razed to the ground and their inhabitants wiped out. The lovely city of Berytus, the jewel of Phoenicia, was completely ruined, and its world-famous architectural treasures were reduced to a heap of rubble, practically nothing but the bare pavements of the buildings being left. Many of the local inhabitants were crushed to death under the weight of the wreckage, as were many cultivated young men of distinguished parentage who had come there to study the Law [...] At this point, then, the professors of law moved to the neighboring city of Sidon, and the schools were transferred there until Berytus was rebuilt. The restored city was very different from what it had been in the past, though it was not changed beyond recognition, since it still preserved a few traces of its former self [...]"^[6]

Characteristics

Earthquake

The earthquake was felt over a wide area from Alexandria in the southwest to Antioch in the north previously damaged by the earthquake of 526. The area of felt intensity of VIII or more extends from Tripoli in the north to Tyre in the south. Estimates for the magnitude vary from 7.2 on the surface-wave magnitude scale to a possible 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale.^[2] The rupture length is estimated to be greater than 100 kilometres (62 mi) and possibly as long as 150 kilometres (93 mi). The origin of the tsunami was thought to have been due to an underwater landslide triggered by an earthquake on the Dead Sea Transform itself.^[7] More recent analysis suggested that an offshore continuation of the Roum Fault mapped onshore may have been responsible.^[8] However, seabed surveys have discounted this possibility and the discovery of geologically recent fault scarps at seabed indicate that movement on the newly identified Mount Lebanon Thrust was the cause of the earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Quaternary uplift recorded by a series of marine-cut terraces between Tripoli and Beirut are consistent with continuing upward movement of the hanging wall of the proposed thrust. At a smaller scale, an uplifted vermetid bench, which indicates vertical movement of about 80 cm, is dated to the sixth century A.D. Continued uplift above this thrust since the late Miocene may explain the formation of the Mount Lebanon range.^[2]

Tsunami

The tsunami affected the whole of the coast from Tyre to Tripoli. Withdrawal of the sea by up to two miles was recorded in some contemporary accounts.^[1]

Future seismic hazard

The estimated return time for large earthquakes on the Mount Lebanon thrust is 1500–1750 years, although a shorter return time is also possible depending on the dating of the most recent sea-level highstand. This latter possibility would indicate that a repeat of this event may be long overdue.^[2]

Related Research Articles

Year 551 (DLI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 551 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenicia under Roman rule</span> Period in the history of Lebanon from 64 BCE to the 7th century

Phoenicia under Roman rule describes the Phoenician city states ruled by Rome from 64 BCE to the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. The area around Berytus was the only Latin speaking and Romanized part of Aramaic-speaking Phoenicia.

The 1202 Syria earthquake struck at about dawn on 20 May 1202 with an epicenter in southwestern Syria. The earthquake is estimated to have killed around 30,000 people. It was felt over an extensive area, from Sicily to Mesopotamia and Anatolia to upper Egypt, mostly affecting the Ayyubid Sultanate and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The cities of Tyre, Acre and Nablus were heavily damaged. A magnitude of M_s 7.6 has been estimated with damage up to XI on the Mercalli intensity scale.

The Galilee earthquake of 1837, often called the Safed earthquake, shook the Galilee on January 1 and is one of a number of moderate to large events that have occurred along the Dead Sea Transform fault system that marks the boundary of two tectonic plates; the African plate on the west and the Arabian plate on the east. Intensity assessments for the event were VIII (Damaging) on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale and VIII on the European Macroseismic Scale.

The 1759 Near East earthquakes shook a large portion of the Levant in October and November of that year. This geographical crossroads in the Eastern Mediterranean were at the time under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The ruins of Baalbek, a settlement in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon east of the Litani River, were badly damaged. These 1759 events, along with the earlier 1202 Syria earthquake, are likely the strongest historical earthquakes in the region.

An earthquake occurred in Antioch on 13 December 115 AD. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the surface-wave magnitude scale and an estimated maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. Antioch and surrounding areas were devastated with a great loss of life and property. It triggered a local tsunami that badly damaged the harbour at Caesarea Maritima. The Roman emperor Trajan was caught in the earthquake, as was his successor Hadrian. Although the consul Marcus Pedo Vergilianus was killed, they escaped with only slight injuries and later began a program to rebuild the city.

The 847 Damascus earthquake occurred in AD 847. Recent scholarship suggests that the earthquake was part of a multiple earthquake stretching from Damascus to the south, to Antioch in the north and to Mosul in the east. There were an estimated 20,000 casualties in Antioch according to the 13th-century historian and writer Al-Dhahabi, and 50,000 in Mosul. It is thought to be one of the most powerful earthquakes along the Dead Sea Transform.

Phoenice was a province of the Roman Empire, encompassing the historical region of Phoenicia. It was officially created in 194 AD and after c. 392, Phoenice Syria was divided into Phoenice proper or Phoenice Paralia, and Phoenice Libanensis, a division that persisted until the region was conquered by the Muslim Arabs in the 630s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1170 Syria earthquake</span> Extreme level earthquake in Syria

One of the largest earthquakes to hit Syria occurred early in the morning of 29 June 1170. It formed part of a sequence of large earthquakes that propagated southwards along the Dead Sea Transform, starting with the 1138 Aleppo earthquake, continuing with the 1157 Hama, 1170 and 1202 Syria events. The estimated magnitude is 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale, with the maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.

The 859 Syrian coast earthquake affected the Mediterranean coast of Syria in the year 859 or 860 CE. It caused almost the complete destruction of Latakia and Jableh, major damage at Antioch and led to many deaths.

The 551 Malian Gulf earthquake took place in the Spring of 551 in the vicinity of the Malian Gulf. It affected the cities of Echinus and Tarphe.

The northern part of the Ottoman Empire was struck by a major earthquake on 13 August 1822. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.0 M_s and a maximum felt intensity of IX (Destructive) on the European macroseismic scale (EMS). It may have triggered a tsunami, affecting nearby coasts. Damaging aftershocks continued for more than two years, with the most destructive being on 5 September 1822. The earthquake was felt over a large area including Rhodes, Cyprus and Gaza. The total death toll reported for this whole earthquake sequence ranges between 30,000 and 60,000, although 20,000 is regarded as a more likely number.

The 1872 Amik (Antakya) earthquake occurred on April 3 with an epicenter within the Amik Valley in the Ottoman Empire. Earthquake had an estimated magnitude of M_w  7.0–7.2 or M_s  7.2 and maximum MSK 64 rating of XI (Catastrophic). Turkey and Syria were devastated by this earthquake, and the region lost at least 1,800 residents.

This article lists historical events that occurred between 401–500 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

This article lists historical events that occurred between 301–400 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

This article lists historical events that occurred between 501–600 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

This article lists historical events that occurred between 201–300 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

This article lists historical events that occurred between 101–200 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

The 1796 Latakia earthquake struck present-day east coast of Syria on 26 April. The earthquake had an estimated surface-wave magnitude of 6.8 and maximum EMS-92 intensity of VIII–IX. Damage in Latakia was heavy and there was an estimated 1,500 people killed.

References

1 2 3 4 Sbeinati, M.R.; Darawcheh R.; Mouty M (2005). "The historical earthquakes of Syria: an analysis of large and moderate earthquakes from 1365 B.C. to 1900 A.D." Annals of Geophysics. 48 (3): 347–435. doi: 10.4401/ag-3206 .
1 2 3 4 Elias, A.; Tapponnier P.; Singh S.C.; King G.C.P.; Briais A.; Daëron M.; Carton H.; Sursock A.; Jacques E.; Jomaa R.; Klinger Y. (2007). "Active thrusting offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli earthquake". Geology. 35 (8): 755–758. Bibcode:2007Geo....35..755E. doi:10.1130/G23631A.1. S2CID 54934422.
↑ Rucker, J.D.; Niemi, T.M. (2010). "Historical earthquake catalogues and archaeological data: Achieving synthesis without circular reasoning". In Sintubin M.; Stewart I.S.; Niemi T.M.; Altunel E. (eds.). Ancient Earthquakes. Special Paper. Vol. 471. Geological Society of America. pp. 97–106. ISBN 978-0-8137-2471-3 . Retrieved 2 March 2011.
↑ Linda Jones Hall, Roman Berytus: Beirut in late antiquity (2004), p 69
↑ The chronicle of John Malalas. Byzantina Australiensia. Leiden ; Bosotn, MA: Brill. 2017. ISBN 978-0-9593636-2-3.
↑ Agathias (1975-12-31). The Histories. DE GRUYTER. doi:10.1515/9783110826944. ISBN 978-3-11-003357-1.
↑ Ambraseys, N. N.; Melville, C. P.; Adams, R.D. (1994). The seismicity of Egypt, Arabia, and the Red Sea: a historical review. Cambridge University Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-521-39120-7.
↑ Darawcheh, R.; Sbeinati M.R.; Margottini C.; Paolini S. (2000). "The 9 July 551 AD Beirut earthquake, eastern Mediterranean region". Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 4 (4): 403–414. Bibcode:2000JEaEn...4..403D. doi:10.1080/13632460009350377. S2CID 140571362.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Sbeinati-1] 1 2 3 4 Sbeinati, M.R.; Darawcheh R.; Mouty M (2005). "The historical earthquakes of Syria: an analysis of large and moderate earthquakes from 1365 B.C. to 1900 A.D." Annals of Geophysics. 48 (3): 347–435. doi: 10.4401/ag-3206 .

[Elias-2] 1 2 3 4 Elias, A.; Tapponnier P.; Singh S.C.; King G.C.P.; Briais A.; Daëron M.; Carton H.; Sursock A.; Jacques E.; Jomaa R.; Klinger Y. (2007). "Active thrusting offshore Mount Lebanon: Source of the tsunamigenic A.D. 551 Beirut-Tripoli earthquake". Geology. 35 (8): 755–758. Bibcode:2007Geo....35..755E. doi:10.1130/G23631A.1. S2CID 54934422.

[Rucker-3] Rucker, J.D.; Niemi, T.M. (2010). "Historical earthquake catalogues and archaeological data: Achieving synthesis without circular reasoning". In Sintubin M.; Stewart I.S.; Niemi T.M.; Altunel E. (eds.). Ancient Earthquakes. Special Paper. Vol. 471. Geological Society of America. pp. 97–106. ISBN 978-0-8137-2471-3 . Retrieved 2 March 2011.

[4] Linda Jones Hall, Roman Berytus: Beirut in late antiquity (2004), p 69

[5] The chronicle of John Malalas. Byzantina Australiensia. Leiden ; Bosotn, MA: Brill. 2017. ISBN 978-0-9593636-2-3.

[6] Agathias (1975-12-31). The Histories. DE GRUYTER. doi:10.1515/9783110826944. ISBN 978-3-11-003357-1.

[Ambraseys-7] Ambraseys, N. N.; Melville, C. P.; Adams, R.D. (1994). The seismicity of Egypt, Arabia, and the Red Sea: a historical review. Cambridge University Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-521-39120-7.

[Darawcheh-8] Darawcheh, R.; Sbeinati M.R.; Margottini C.; Paolini S. (2000). "The 9 July 551 AD Beirut earthquake, eastern Mediterranean region". Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 4 (4): 403–414. Bibcode:2000JEaEn...4..403D. doi:10.1080/13632460009350377. S2CID 140571362.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t e 1st-millennium earthquakes
1st-century	AD 17 Lydia Lost body hypothesis AD 62 Pompeii
2nd-century	115 Antioch 139 Mcurn 141 Lycia
3rd-century	262 Southwest Anatolia
4th-century	363 Arsakawan 363 Galilee 365 Crete
5th-century	447 Constantinople 461 Apahunik' 499 Nicopolis
6th-century	526 Antioch 528 Antioch 542 Sea of Marmara 551 Beirut 551 Malian Gulf 554 Anatolia 557 Constantinople
7th-century	602 Surb Karapet Monastery 632 Armenia 679 Tsukushi 684 Hakuhō
8th-century	735 Vayots Dzor Province 740 Constantinople 743 Caspian Gates 749 Galilee 779 Gyeongju
9th-century	801 Apennine 803 Mopsuestia 840 Erzurum 847 Damascus 856 Damghan 859 Syrian coast 863 Dvin 869 Jōgan 881 Acre 893 Ardabil (false event) 893 Dvin
10th-century	906 K'argop' 957 Caspian Sea 991 Damascus 995 Balu

v t e Earthquakes in the Levant
Classic era	115 Antioch earthquake 363 Galilee 526 Antioch earthquake 528 Antioch earthquake 551 Beirut earthquake
Middle ages	749 Galilee 847 Damascus 859 Syrian coast 1033 Jordan Valley 1068 Near East 1138 Aleppo 1157 Hama 1170 Syria 1202 Syria 1344 Syria
Ottoman era	1759 Near East 1796 Latakia 1822 Aleppo 1834 Jerusalem 1837 Galilee 1856 Heraklion 1872 Amik
Contemporary	1927 Jericho 1955 Alexandria 1956 Chim 1969 Sharm El Sheikh 1995 Gulf of Aqaba 2023 Turkey–Syria

v t e Roman archaeological sites in Lebanon
Roman Berytus (actual Beirut)	Berytus ¹ Roman Forum of Berytus Berytus Roman Baths Cisterns of Berytus Baths Berytus Cardo Decumanus Berytus Colonnaded street Byzantine mosaics Roman hippodrome of Berytus Roman Law school of Berytus
Roman Phoenicia (actual Lebanon)	Heliopolis Temple of Bacchus Temple of Jupiter (Baalbek) Temples of Mount Hermon Temples of the Beqaa Valley Aaqbe temple Afqa Ain Aata temple Ain Harcha roman temple Amioun Monastery Arca Caesarea Augusti Pagus Bakka temple Batroumine Bziza temple Canalizations of Zenobia Dakoue temple Mansourieh Roman aqueduct Hebbariye temple Iaat column Kafr Zabad temples Khirbet El-Knese roman temples Labweh Roman temple Libbaya roman temple Monastery of Qozhaya Monastery of Saint Maron Nahle roman temple Nebi Safa temple Niha Hosn Niha Qalaat Faqra Qal'at Bustra temple Castra Chbib Castra El Banat Saraain El Faouqa Schleem roman temple Colonia Aurelia Pia "Sidon" Temnin el-Foka nymphaeum Tripolis in Phoenicia Tyrus ¹ Tyre Necropolis Roman temple to Venus in Yammoune
Related	Roman Lebanon Phoenice (Roman province) Palaestina Secunda Phoenice Libanensis Stone of the Pregnant Woman Ulpianus Marcus Valerius Probus Eudokia of Heliopolis Saint Barbara of Heliopolis Coele-Syria List of Christian cathedrals in Lebanon Christianity in Lebanon Catholic Church in Lebanon Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral 2nd century in Lebanon 3rd century in Lebanon 4th century in Lebanon 5th century in Lebanon 6th century in Lebanon 551 Beirut earthquake
¹ UNESCO World Heritage Sites ² Proposed Category:Roman sites in Lebanon