1509 Istanbul earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1509 Istanbul earthquake, referred to as "The Lesser Judgment Day" by contemporaries, was an earthquake
that occurred in the Sea of Marmara
on September 10, 1509 at about 10 p.m.. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.2 ± 0.3 on the surface wave magnitude
scale. Forty-five days of aftershocks followed the earthquake, as well as a tsunami
. Over a thousand houses and 109 mosque
s were destroyed, and an estimated 10,000 people died.
is a pull apart basin
formed at a releasing bend in the North Anatolian Fault
, a right-lateral strike-slip fault. This local zone of extension occurs where this transform boundary between the Anatolian Plate
and the Eurasian Plate
step northwards to the west of Izmit
from the Izmit Fault to the Ganos Fault. The pattern of faults within the Sea of Marmara basin is complex but near Istanbul there is a single main fault segment with a sharp bend. To the west, the fault trends west-east and is pure strike-slip in type. To the east, the fault is NW-SE trending and show evidence of both normal and strike-slip motion. Movement on this fault, which bounds the Çınarcık Basin, is the most likely cause of the 1509 event.
≥ 7) extended from Çorlu
in the west to Izmit
in the east. Galata
and Büyükçekmece
also suffered severe damage. In Istanbul many houses collapsed, chimneys fell and walls were cracked. The newly built Bayezid II Mosque was badly damaged, the main dome was destroyed and a minaret
collapsed. The Fatih Mosque
suffered damage to its four great columns and the dome was split. The former church of Hagia Sophia
survived almost unscathed although a minaret collapsed. Inside the mosque, the plaster that had been used to cover up the Byzantine
mosaic
s inside the dome fell off, revealing the Christian images.
The number of dead and injured is hard to estimate, with different sources giving widely varying accounts from 1,000 to 13,000. It's also believed that some members of the Ottoman dynasty
died in this earthquake too.Earthquake shocks continued 45 days after the big earthquake. After the earthquake people were not able to turn back their homes for 2 months.
bed has been recognised in the Çınarcık
Basin, whose deposition matches the date of the earthquake.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that occurred in the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
on September 10, 1509 at about 10 p.m.. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.2 ± 0.3 on the surface wave magnitude
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
scale. Forty-five days of aftershocks followed the earthquake, as well as a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. Over a thousand houses and 109 mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s were destroyed, and an estimated 10,000 people died.
Background
The Sea of MarmaraSea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
is a pull apart basin
Pull Apart Basin
250px|thumb|[[Cami Lake]] in [[Tierra del Fuego]] develops on a [[Patagonian Ice Sheet|glacially]] excavated pull apart basin along the [[Magallanes-Fagnano Fault]], hence its elongated form...
formed at a releasing bend in the North Anatolian Fault
North Anatolian Fault
The North Anatolian Fault is a major active right lateral-moving strike-slip fault in northern Anatolia which runs along the transform boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian Plate. The fault extends westward from a junction with the East Anatolian Fault at the Karliova Triple...
, a right-lateral strike-slip fault. This local zone of extension occurs where this transform boundary between the Anatolian Plate
Anatolian Plate
The Anatolian Plate is a continental tectonic plate consisting primarily of the country of Turkey.The easterly side is a boundary with the Arabian Plate, the East Anatolian Fault, a left lateral transform fault....
and the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
step northwards to the west of Izmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
from the Izmit Fault to the Ganos Fault. The pattern of faults within the Sea of Marmara basin is complex but near Istanbul there is a single main fault segment with a sharp bend. To the west, the fault trends west-east and is pure strike-slip in type. To the east, the fault is NW-SE trending and show evidence of both normal and strike-slip motion. Movement on this fault, which bounds the Çınarcık Basin, is the most likely cause of the 1509 event.
Damage
The area of significant damage (intensityMedvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale
The Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale, also known as the MSK or MSK-64, is a macroseismic intensity scale used to evaluate the severity of ground shaking on the basis of observed effects in an area of the earthquake occurrence....
≥ 7) extended from Çorlu
Çorlu
Çorlu is a northwestern Turkish city in inland Eastern Thrace that falls under the administration of the Province of Tekirdağ. It is a rapidly developing industrial center built on flatland located off the E80 highway between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria. As of the 2000...
in the west to Izmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
in the east. Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
and Büyükçekmece
Büyükçekmece
Büyükçekmece is a district and municipality in the suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey on the Sea of Marmara coast of the European side, west of the city. It is largely an industrial area with a population of 380,000...
also suffered severe damage. In Istanbul many houses collapsed, chimneys fell and walls were cracked. The newly built Bayezid II Mosque was badly damaged, the main dome was destroyed and a minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
collapsed. The Fatih Mosque
Fatih Mosque
The Fatih Mosque or Conqueror's Mosque in English) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was one of the largest examples of Turkish-Islamic architecture in Istanbul and represented an important stage in the development of classic Turkish...
suffered damage to its four great columns and the dome was split. The former church of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
survived almost unscathed although a minaret collapsed. Inside the mosque, the plaster that had been used to cover up the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s inside the dome fell off, revealing the Christian images.
The number of dead and injured is hard to estimate, with different sources giving widely varying accounts from 1,000 to 13,000. It's also believed that some members of the Ottoman dynasty
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
died in this earthquake too.Earthquake shocks continued 45 days after the big earthquake. After the earthquake people were not able to turn back their homes for 2 months.
Earthquake
From the area and intensity of shaking, a 70 km (43.5 mi) fault rupture has been estimated.Tsunami
A tsunami is mentioned in some source with a run-up of >6 m (19.7 ft), but discounted in others. A turbiditeTurbidite
Turbidite geological formations have their origins in turbidity current deposits, which are deposits from a form of underwater avalanche that are responsible for distributing vast amounts of clastic sediment into the deep ocean.-The ideal turbidite sequence:...
bed has been recognised in the Çınarcık
Çinarcik
Çınarcık is a town and district of Yalova Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is Murat Erdoğan .Çınarcık has a permanent population of 9,000 but its location near İstanbul has made it a popular location for summer homes...
Basin, whose deposition matches the date of the earthquake.