Sometime between noon and early afternoon on 14 January 1546 CE, a destructive earthquake struck, causing death and widespread damage in Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, and many surrounding towns. Two sources briefly mention Damascus but give no details about casualties or specific destruction. An Anonymous Venetian letter, reproduced in contemporary European flysheets, described severe damage in Jerusalem: the vault of the Holy Tomb had sunk, and parts of the walls and tower of the Temple had collapsed. The letter concluded, “The same happened in Damascus.” The Anonymous Continuator of Mujir al-Din likewise recorded that the 1546 Earthquake “extended to Damascus.”