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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 Nejjar (1973-1974)

83. 1169/1170 CE - Shâm and al-Jazira

In A.H. 565 [September 25, 1169/September 13, 1170], a very violent earthquake occurred in Shâm and al-Jazira299; it affected the greater part [of the area] of these provinces300 ; several enclosures were destroyed301 and many houses collapsed on their inhabitants in Shâm302, notably in Damascus, H'ims [Homs], H'amât [Hama] and Aleppo; the enclosure as well as most of the citadel303 of Ba'albakk [Baalbek] was destroyed; Sultan Nûr-ad-Dîn (238) the Martyr, may God rest his soul304, repaired most of what had collapsed. About this earthquake or the one that preceded it, the eminent Qadl al-Fâd'ii said
... the earthquake which struck as-Shâm was a catastrophe ...; it caused ath-Thughûr to collapse...; it affected a large part (of Shâm) such that it destroyed every place and lowered every eminence...; the fortresses became piles of ruins ...
Footnotes

299) in Shâm and al-Jazira; (G) : in Shâm and al-Madîna.

300) V.s.i. in (B).

301) V.s.i. in (A).

302) to Shâm — (B)

303) V.s.i. in (G).

304) V.s.i. in (B).

English from Sprenger (1843)

A.H. 565 An earthquake in Syria, Mesopotamia and almost all the world; it destroyed many walls and houses in Syria, more particularly at Damascus, Emessa, Apamea, Aleppo and Balbek

English from Sprenger (1843) - embedded



Semi critical edition in Arabic by Al-Saladani (1971) - embedded



An Original Manuscript - Arabic

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



























Chronology
Date Reference Corrections Notes
25 Sept. 1169 to 13 Sept. 1170 CE A.H. 565 none calculated using CHRONOS
Seismic Effects
  • An earthquake in Syria, Mesopotamia and almost all the world
  • it destroyed many walls and houses in Syria, more particularly at Damascus, Emessa, Apamea, Aleppo and Balbek
Locations
  • Syria
  • Mesopotamia
  • Damascus
  • Emessa
  • Apamea
  • Aleppo
  • Baalbek
Notes and Further Reading
References

English from Sprenger (1843) on the A.H. 551 Earthquake (1157 CE)

551. In the night of Rabi 2nd, was a great earthquake. It was preceded and followed by others. In the night of the 25 th, at Aleppo, Hamat, and many other places, there were about forty shocks. It was one of the most tremendous earthquakes. On the 29th of the same, month, an earthquake took place towards the end of the day, and continued during the night.

The jirst of Ramazan three shocks.

On the third of the same month three earthquakes ; one at noon, the others at midnight.

In the middle of Ramazan there was an earthquake at night, and an- other in the morning, and two during the following night, and another shock the subsequent day. In the night of the 23d of Ramazan and in the second of Shawal, new shocks of earthquakes were felt which were more violent than the preceding ones, there were also earthquakes on the 7th, 16th and 17th, and in the night of the 22d. 552. In the night of 19th of Safr, a great earthquake took place which was followed by another shock ; a third one took place in the night of the 20th, and the following day in Syria. In the night of the 25th Jornada 1st, four shocks. In the night of the 4th of Jornada 2d, several shocks,

particularly at Aleppo and Emessa, where they were destructive ; also in Hamat, Kafertab, and Taima. In the 4th of Rajebatday time at Damascus it was so violent, that never the like had been seen ; it caused some des- truction. In the night of Friday the 8th of Rajeb there were three earth- quakes, which were followed by other earthquakes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday night, and several shocks after that. It did great damage in Hamat, Shiraz, and Emessa. In Damascus it did not begin before Monday the 29th of Rejeb, but caused great consternation. Another earthquake took place on the 24th of Ramazan, which was terribly felt at Aleppo, and Hamat (Apamea,) where it continued for sometime with intermissions. In the night of Saturday the 10th of Shawal and in the night of the 10th of Dilkada, and on the night of the 23d and 25th of the same month, people were so frightened by earthquakes, that they took refuge in the fields. Apamea was destroyed,