1139 Earthquake: Gyzndzha, Azerbaijan

1139. 40.3 N, 46.3 E, Gyandzha; high death toll (200,000 to 300,000). Lake Gei-Gel resulted from avalanches. (p. 72, reference #223)

1139. 40.3 N, 46.3 E; depth = 15 km; M = 6.8; I = 9...

Manuscript reports, cited in a number of publications...

indicate: "There was a catastrophic earthquake in the region of the A1garak Mountain (now Kyapas) and a powerful earthquake in Gyandzha and Akhpat. The city of Gyandzha (now Kirovobad) and the church in Akhpat were destroyed. Many people died. The earthquake was accompanied by a thick fog, which covered the mountains and fields. There were major landslides, relief changes, and earth creeps in the Mount Algarak region. A canyon was blocked off by slides, which formed a lake that exists to this day (Gei-Gel). The epicenter of this event is in the Lake Gei-Gel region. The intensity at the epicenter is 9 (landslides, earth creep, and victims), and in Akhpat is 6 (minimal estimate). (p. 516, reference #223)

September 8, 1138-August 27, 1139: During this period Ganzah was badly shaken and within its dependencies 230,000 persons perished. The town itself sunk and the place it occupied was covered with black water for a distance of ten parasanges. The town of Aleppo was shaken eight times in one night. This earthquake was felt over all the world. Egypt was also shaken during this year. (reference #1098)

1139 A.D. In Hira, especially at the Persian town Gansana, and also at Aleppo and Ambar. The town Gansana was destroyed, 100,000 persons losing their lives. Black water came out of the earth at this place. (reference #1217)

1139. Mesopotamia, Hira, Gansana?, Aleppo and Ambar or Amla?, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)

1138. Aleppo was shaken 80 times in one night, intensity X-XI. (reference #1222)

Later writers conflate this earthquake [AD 1138 Oct 11, Atharib, Syria] with the earthquakes of November 1137 in Jazira and the large event of 30 September 1139 in Ganjak. For instance, the fifteenth -century author Taghri Birdi reports a loss of 230,000 lives in the earthquake, which he claims was worst at Aleppo. In fact these losses were due to the earthquake of 20 September 1139 in Ganjak, in Georgia. (reference #9116)