AD 1407 Apr 29 Antioch
Three strong shocks were felt in Antioch, at least one of
which caused the destruction of a number of houses. Estimates of casualties vary from 7 to 100 or more. This event
was probably felt strongly in Cyprus.
Ibn Hajar places this event in Dhu’ l-Qada of a.H.
809 (9 April to 8 May 1407), and notes that ‘some say
100, others more’ perished. Al-Suyuti does not give a
specific figure. The compiler al-’Umari (died 1811) says
that Antioch was shaken three times by a ‘mighty earth
quake’, unfortunately he does not say which were foreshocks/aftershocks and which the main shock. He numbers the casualties at only seven.
A contemporary Cypriot marginal note, which is
partly illegible, records a great event that caused shaking in an undecipherable place and terrified people on 29
April a.M. 6905 or 6915. If the latter year is accepted, this
event took place on 29 April 1407, within the parameters
given by Ibn Hajar for the Antioch earthquake. The allusions to shaking and terror are common in chronographic
descriptions of earthquakes, so Darrouzes’ restoration of σεισμοσ
is more likely, particularly insofar as earthquakes
in northwest Syria are often felt in Cyprus. An unlikely
alternative year, not supported by other sources, would
be 69(0)5/1397 (Wirth 1966).
Notes
‘(a.H. 809) In Dhu ’l-Qada a great earthquake shook Antioch,
and a great number perished beneath the ruins: some say 100,
others more.’(IbnHajar,2/355).
‘In the month of Dhu ’l-Qada 809 a very violent earth
quake took place in Antioch: many people died under the ruins.’
(al-Suyuti, 114/39).
‘(a.H. 809) A mighty earthquake shook Antioch three
times and destroyed a number of houses. Seven people were killed
beneath the wreckage.’ (al-’Umari, f. 152v).
‘(April 29) On the same day a great [earthquake] happened, as a result of which (...) the (...) shook and all flesh was
terrified, in the year 6905/6915 of Christ.’(Cod. Par. Gr.1588f.
203v, in Darrouz`es 1951, 43).
References
Ambraseys, N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: a multidisciplinary study of
seismicity up to 1900. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press.
