  | |
| Local date | 30 December 859 – 29 January 860 |
|---|---|
| Epicenter | 36°00′N36°00′E / 36.0°N 36.0°E [1] |
| Areas affected | Abbasid Caliphate (now Turkey and Syria) |
| Max. intensity | MMI VIII (Severe) |
| Casualties | Many victims |
The 859 Syrian coast earthquake affected the Mediterranean coast of Syria in the year 859 or 860 CE (Hijri year 245). [2] It caused almost the complete destruction of Latakia and Jableh, major damage at Antioch and led to many deaths. [3]
There are various estimated dates for the earthquake, ranging from 8 April 859 to 27 March, 860, [2] although most chroniclers put it in the month of Shawwal, 30 December 859 to 29 January 860. [3]
There are several accounts of this earthquake affecting a very large area, including the cities of Acre (Akka), Adana, Antioch, Baghdad, Balisum, Buka, Harrana, Homs (Emesa), Madatinum, Maresha (Marisa), Rasulaicum, Samandağ, and Uti. Besides Syria, other reportedly affected areas were Anatolia (Asia Minor), the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and Palestine. [2] All accounts speak of great property damage and loss of life. [2] However, it is probable that the effects of several earthquakes were conflated into a narrative of a single great earthquake. [2] [4]
At Antioch, the aftershocks continued for several months. [3]
The coastal towns of Latakia and Jableh were most strongly affected, with both suffering almost complete destruction. Antioch to the north was also badly affected, with 1,500 large buildings being destroyed and somewhere between 70 and 190 of the towers on the city's walls collapsing. [3]
Part of the Jebel Aqra appears to have collapsed into the sea, [3] although the historian Al-Suyuti (16th century) reported that the earthquake shattered an entire mountain in the vicinity of Antioch. The remains of the mountain reportedly fell into the Mediterranean Sea, taking with them 1005 houses and 90 villages, [2] although the particular edition of the work in which these facts appear is described as "very confused". [3] The same account of the shattered mountain appears in the works of Al-Tabari (9th–10th century), George Elmacin (13th century), and Bar Hebraeus (13th century). [2]
Accounts of this earthquake that describe the collapse of Jebel Aqra into the sea, say that it was followed by the withdrawal of the sea from the coast and that the water returned, surging to the shores. This is likely a description of a tsunami. [2] The description of the event is similar to the description of a 551 tsunami provided by George Kedrenos (11th century). [2]
Year 859 (DCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
The 1138 Aleppo earthquake was among the deadliest earthquakes in history. Its name was taken from the city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, where the most casualties were sustained. The earthquake also caused damage and chaos to many other places in the area around Aleppo. The quake occurred on 11 October 1138 and was preceded by a smaller quake on the 10th. It is frequently listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history, following on from the Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China. However, the figure of 230,000 deaths reported by Ibn Taghribirdi in the fifteenth century is most likely based on a historical conflation of this earthquake with earthquakes in November 1137 on the Jazira plain and the large seismic event of 30 September 1139 in the Transcaucasian city of Ganja.
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 alone.
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.
After a year of foreshocks, an earthquake occurred on 12 August 1157 near the city of Hama, in west-central Syria, where the most casualties were sustained. In eastern Syria, near the Euphrates, the quake destroyed the predecessor of the citadel al-Rahba, subsequently rebuilt on the same strategic site. The earthquake also affected Christian monasteries and churches in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
The 1955 Alexandria earthquake occurred on September 12 at 06:09 UTC. The epicenter was located in the eastern Mediterranean, offshore of Alexandria, Egypt. The earthquake had a magnitude of Ms 6.3.
The 881 Acre earthquake took place in the vicinity of Acre in 881. Alexandria was reportedly affected by the same earthquake.
The 740 Constantinople earthquake took place on 26 October, 740, in the vicinity of Constantinople and the Sea of Marmara.
The 554 Anatolia earthquake took place on August 15, 554 in the southwest coasts of Anatolia. It affected the Güllük Gulf, and the island of Kos.
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 542 Sea of Marmara earthquake took place in the winter of 542 in the vicinity of the Sea of Marmara. It also affected the coasts of Thrace and the Edremit Gulf. The earthquake affected the eastern Roman empire during the reign of the emperor Justinian I.
The 92 BC Levant earthquake is mentioned in catalogues of historical earthquakes. An earthquake and a tsunami reportedly affected areas of the Levant, including the modern states of Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Syria.
The area around Constantinople was affected by a major earthquake in AD 447. It caused serious damage to the recently completed Theodosian Walls in Constantinople, destroying 57 towers and large stretches of the walls. The historical records contain no mention of casualties directly associated with this earthquake, although many thousands of people were reported to have died in the aftermath due to starvation and a "noxious smell".
The 1856 Heraklion earthquake, also known as the Crete earthquake or Rhodes earthquake, occurred on the morning of October 12 at 02:45 am local time. This extremely catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 to 8.3 at a depth of approximately 61 to 100 km. The earthquake was felt over a very wide area extending from Sicily, Italy to the Levant and North Africa. On the Greek island of Crete, the effects of the earthquake were cataclysmic, over 500 bodies were recovered in the city of Heraklion. Shockwaves from the earthquake were felt intensely, covering all of the Ottoman Empire; present-day Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East where damage and human losses were reported. In Malta, the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638—was severely damaged in the earthquake, when its upper floor collapsed. In Cairo, Egypt, the earthquake destroyed buildings, created seiches in canals, and killed several people. Off the Egyptian and Italian coasts, sailors reported feeling a seaquake.
The 1900 Venezuelan earthquake also known as the San Narciso earthquake, occurred on October 28 at between 4:30 and 4:45 am local time. This earthquake had an epicenter off Miranda State or near the Venezuelan capital Caracas, in the Cariaco Basin. It had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.6–7.7 and a surface-wave magnitude of 7.7–8.4. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity assigned VIII–X, causing landslides and liquefaction events. Many buildings were severely damaged or collapsed during the earthquake. It is thought to be the last great earthquake of the 19th century and the largest instrumentally recorded in the republic, having been felt throughout.
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 Ms 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 479 BC Potidaea tsunami is the oldest record of a paleotsunami in human history. The tsunami is believed to have been triggered by a Ms 7.0 earthquake in the north Aegean Sea. The associated tsunami may have saved the colony of Potidaea from an invasion by Persians from the Achaemenid Empire.
The Marash earthquake occurred in the area of Marash during the early morning hours of November 29, 1114. It had an estimated surface-wave magnitude between 7.4 and 7.7 and an epicenter location in modern-day Turkey. The mainshock was preceded by two destructive foreshocks in August and November that same year. At least 40,000 people were killed in the earthquake; a number contested by historians due to the small population in the area at the time. These earthquakes were associated with seismic activity on the East Anatolian Fault.
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.