Clearing up the Description of Earthquakes by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

كتاب كشف الصلصلة عن وصف الزلزلة by عبد الرحمن بن كمال الدين أبي بكر بن محمد سابق الدين خضر الخضيري الأسيوطي

Aliases

Aliases	Arabic
Al-Suyuti
As-Suyuti
Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti
Abu 'l-Fadl 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad Djalal al_Din al-Khudayri

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts

English from Ambraseys (2009)

• from Ambraseys (2009)

‘. . . in the year 434 [21 August 1042 to 9 August 1043], . . . an earthquake occurred at Tadmur and at Ba’albek: most of the population of Tadmur died under the ruins.’ (al-Suyuti Kashf 56/18).

English from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

• from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

“The earth shook at Palmyra [Tudmur] and Baʿalbek. Most of the inhabitants of Palmyra died in the ruins.”

English from Sbeinati et al. (2005)

• from Sbeinati et al. (2005)

In the year 434 A.H. (1042 August 21–1043 August 8), an earthquake occurred in Palmyra and Baalbek. Most people in Palmyra were killed under the debris.

English from Sprenger (1843)

• from Sprenger (1843:744)

434. At Tebris, the fortress and the town were nearly destroyed by an earthquake, and about 40,000 persons perished. Many also perished at Tadmor and Balbek by the same cause.

English from Sprenger (1843) - embedded

• see halfway page 744 starting with 434. At Tebris, the fortress and the town were nearly
• from Sprenger (1843:744)
• from archive.org

An Original Manuscript

• The Noor book courtesy of Najib Abou Karaki (personal correspondence, 2022)

Chronology

Year	Reference	Corrections	Notes
21 August 1042 to 9 August 1043 CE	A.H. 434	none	Calculated using CHRONOS

Seismic Effects

• At Tebris, the fortress and the town were nearly destroyed by an earthquake
• an earthquake occurred in Palmyra and Baalbek
• Most people in Palmyra were killed under the debris

Locations mentioned

• Tabriz
• Tadmur (aka Palmyra)
• Baalbek

Sources

Sources

Notes and Further Reading

References