AD 1705 Nov 23 Yabrud
The period 1684-1705 was marked by seismic activity in
Damascus and Syria. At 22 h on 23 November 1705 a
strong shock was felt in Damascus, causing the roofs to
clatter, and waking and frightening the inhabitants. Several
hours later a shock or series of shocks, reportedly
lasting 8-12 minutes, affected the area. Houses and walls
collapsed, and some people were killed, both in Damascus
and in the surrounding villages.
The top of the eastern minaret of the Umayyad
mosque was split in two, and stones fell from the western
minaret. In Salihiyah the upper part of the Murshidiyah
minaret fell, as did part of the Afram mosque, and some
of the buildings on Mt Qasyun in the al-Datum grotto.
There is also some evidence, in need of authentication,
that the shock was felt in Baalbeck (Mariette 1901, i. 3).
These appear to be the far-field effects of a damaging
earthquake in Yabrud and Qastel, some 40-50 km
north-northeast of Damascus. The Qastal fortress and
its villages were apparently destroyed, together with the
Yabrud church and monastery, during public festivities.
Very mild aftershocks were felt in Damascus until
17 December 1705.
This seismic activity is reported by al-Nablusi,
who witnessed its effects in Damascus. He places the first
event at 10 pm on the night of Tuesday 7 Sha'ban a.H.
1117 (23-24 November 1705). He reports the main shock
as lasting 2 or 3 degrees (darajas, 1 daraja = about 4 minutes),
but this can be variable and is prone to exaggeration
(AMA, xvii).
Notes
`Earthquakes occurred in various years after that [1684-1705 in
Damascus and Syria, we know that, but they were not written
down.
Until this year, 1117, I had never seen the like of the succession
of earthquakes which occurred day and night. They began
on the night of Tuesday 7 Sha'ban: we were in our house which
we had built on Mount Qasyun and the Salihiyah. The first earthquake
occurred at ten at night and woke us up. We got out of
bed and prayed. We were told that when the people of Damascus
saw the roofs sway and heard the clatter, they thought that thieves
were running on the roofs...
After 11 hours of the night had passed, a stronger earthquake
occurred, driving us out into the yard where we heard the
people of Damascus crying out and shouting. This second earthquake
lasted for two or three degrees. Two or three degrees later a
lighter quake occurred. Things continued like this until Ramadan
began, a light earthquake continuing every day and night, some
people feeling them and some not. The second above-mentioned
earthquake caused some houses to fall, destroyed walls and shook
roofs and buildings in Damascus and its surrounding villages to
such an extent that many people were killed in the debris. The
top of the eastern minaret of the Umayyad Mosque was split and
two stones fell from the top of the western minaret, but caused
no damage. The upper portion of the Murshidiyah minaret fell in
Salihiyah, as did the minaret of the Afram mosque and part of the
buildings in Magharat al-Damm up on Mt Qasyun.
We heard that the Qastal fortress and its villages were
destroyed, and also a monastery in Yabrud, and many houses in
the villages. Then it happened that a feast was held and the people
were participating in festivities, displays, and various kinds of
entertainments. Light earthquakes occurred which some felt and
feared but others did not notice . . (al-Nablusi, in Hafiz 1982).
References
Ambraseys, N. N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: a multidisciplinary study of seismicity up to 1900.
