1491 Cyprus Earthquake

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The 1491 Cyprus earthquake occurred on 24 April 1491 and caused great damage throughout the island of Cyprus and some limited damage to the Levant.

Epicenter and geology

The precise epicenter of the earthquake is unknown. Nicholas Ambraseys wrote that the epicenter was probably located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, between the coasts of Cyprus and Syria. Paphazachos and Papaioannou, on the other hand, claim that the 1491 earthquake is only one of two earthquakes that had epicenter into the island of Cyprus, and was probably in the plain of Mesaoria. They claim that the plain can constitute a record associated with normal failures, which would have produced the earthquake.

According to the Department of Geological Studies of Cyprus, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale and an intensity of VIII to IX on the Mercalli scale.

Damage

The earthquake caused widespread damage, especially along the eastern coast of Cyprus, as well as on the Mesaoria plain, including the capital, Nicosia. In the "poorly built" city of Nicosia, chronists claim that 4,000 buildings were destroyed during the earthquake. Primary sources do not agree on the loss of life in the city, some claim no loss of life, but another source claims that 1,000 people died.

References

1491 Earthquakes
Earthquakes in Cyprus