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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 Ambraseys (2009)

In 425 [26 November 1033 to 15 November 1034] earthquakes proliferated in Egypt and Sham, causing much destruction, and many people died under the ruins. A third of the town of ar-Ramla was destroyed whereas its mosque was literally torn apart. The inhabitants [of Ramla] moved outside the town and stayed there for eight days; when everything had calmed down, they returned to their town. The wall of Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), a part of the Mihrab of Dawud, and another of Masjid Ibrahim, collapsed. The minaret of Ja'lan and the pinnacle of the minaret of Ghazza fell to the ground. Half of the buildings of Nablus collapsed; the village of al-Badan disappeared under the earth with its inhabitants and its livestock: the same happened to many villages in the same region. This has been mentioned by Ibn al-Jauzi.' (al-Suyuti Kashf 55/18).

English from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

In the year 425 (H. = 26 November 1033 â 15 November 1034), there were numerous earthquakes in Egypt and the Syrian territories, causing a great deal of destruction, and a large number of victims perished in the ruins. One third of Ramla was destroyed and the mosque was razed to the ground; the townspeople left the town and spent eight days outside. When everything was calm, they went back. Part of the walls of Jerusalem collapsed, part of the prayer niche (mihrab) of David fell down, as did part of the mosque of Abraham. The minaret at Ju'lan (Ascalon) collapsed, and part of that in Gaza. Half the buildings in Nablus were razed to the ground, and at the village of Badan, subsidence swallowed up the inhabitants with their herds of cows.

English from Sprenger (1843)

425. Many earthquakes took place in Egypt and Syria, by which one-third of Ramlah was destroyed. The walls of Jerusalem fell down, and many villages were swallowed up by the ground.

English from Sprenger (1843) - embedded



An Original Manuscript

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





























Chronology

Year Reference Corrections Notes
26 November 1033 to 15 November 1034 CE A.H. 425 none Calculated using CHRONOS
Seismic Effects
  • A third of the town of ar-Ramla was destroyed
  • The Mosque at Ramla was razed to the ground
  • Part of the walls of Jerusalem collapsed
  • part of the prayer niche (mihrab) of David (in Jerusalem ?) fell down
  • part of the mosque of Abraham (in Hebron) fell down
  • he minaret at Ju'lan (Ascalon) collapsed
  • the pinnacle of the minaret of Ghazza fell to the ground
  • Half of the buildings of Nablus collapsed
  • the village of al-Badan disappeared under the earth with its inhabitants and its livestock: the same happened to many villages in the same region.
Locations mentioned
  • Ramla
  • Jerusalem
  • Hebron
  • Ascalon
  • Gaza
  • Nablus
  • al-Badan1 and villages in the same region
Footnotes

1 Ambraseys (2009) speculated on the location of al-Badan

Al-Badan is perhaps the old Batanea or al-Badhaniyya district in Syria bounded by the Djabal al-Druz to the east, the Ladj a plain and the Djaydur to the north, the Djawlan to the west and the hills of al-Djumal to the south, which is to the east of the River Jordan, not so near Nablus. This may be associated with the earthquake of 1034.

Sources
Sources

Notes and Further Reading
References