May 1598 Earthquake: Amasya, Corum, Turkey

Ref #1404:

According to Ambraseys and Finkel (1995): “This was apparently a major earthquake in central northern Anatolia”, but the data at our disposal is insufficient to assess its size. In a contemporary letter from Venice we read that . . . ‘in 1598 there was such an earthquake in the Black Sea that Amasya together with other towns was thrown to the ground in two towns alone 60000 men perished in the ruins of their houses; also the sea was driven back drowning a few thousand people in towns and villages”. In another, it is reported that Amasya was “cleaved engulfing many villages”. A further account places this event in the region of Amasya and adds that such an earthquake had not happened for many years and that the sea advanced for a mile inland on the coast of the Black Sea, drowning many people. Contemporary Armenian sources confirm the occurrence of this earthquake. One contemporary mentions it after referring to an eclipse of the sun in May 1047 a.Arm. (May 1598). However, the modem standard work on the dating of eclipses notes eclipses of the sun on only 7 March and 3 1 August in 1598. In some catalogues, this earthquake was called the Amasya and Corum Earthquake (Calvi, 1941; Pinar and Lahn, 1952; Ergin et al., 1967; Soysal et al., 1981). Calvi (1941) mentioned that the earthquake lasted four months. According to Ergin et al. (1967), the intensity of the earthquake on the MS Scale was 10 = VIII. The tsunami created by the earthquake in the gulf between Sinop and Samsun showed a wave height of approximately 1 m (Nikonov, 1997).

Ref #4213:

1598 May, 40.4 N 35.4 E. In 1598 a major earthquake occurred in central northern Anatolia [Ambraseys and Finkel, 1995]. In some catalogues, this earthquake was referred to as Amasya and Corum earthquake [Altınok and Ersoy, 2000]. The sea advanced for a mile inland on the coast of the Black Sea, drowning many people.

Ref #9391:

Several documentary sources have indicated that in May 1598 a major earthquake caused destruction in Amasya and Corum in central northern Anatolia. In some of the sources the descriptions may imply the occurrence of a strong tsunami on the Turkish Black Sea coast

Ref #9116:

1598 May. This was apparently a destructive earthquake in central Anatolia, affecting the regions of Amasya and Corum, but the data available are insufficient for one to assess fully its effects [...] A contemporary letter from Venice mentions that ‘ in 1598 there was such an earthquake in the Black Sea that Amasya together with other towns was thrown to the ground; in two towns alone 60000 men perished in the ruins of their houses; also the sea was driven back ( sic. ) drowning a few thousand people in towns and villages ’ (Nicola 1599 sub ann. ) [...] contemporary Armenian sources confirm the occurrence of this earthquake, which caused great damage in Corum also and was followed by aftershocks for four months [...]