November 1667 Earthquake: Shemakha (Samaxi), Azerbaijan
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Shemakha (Samaxi), Azerbaijan in November 1667, 12 km below the surface. It killed 80,000 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- November 1667
- Place
- Shemakha (Samaxi), Azerbaijan
- Magnitude
- 6.9 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 12 km (7 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 40.600° N, 48.600° E
- Country
- Azerbaijan
The toll
- Deaths
- 80,000
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
November 1667, Shemakha, Azerbaijan, 80,000 deaths. (reference #1002)
November 1667, Caucasia, Shemaka, 80,000 persons perished, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
November 1667, at Schamaki, lasted 3 months. Buildings of all kinds were ruined. Mountains disappeared and the earth opened in many places. The roads were so much injured that the caravans were obliged to adopt new routed. 80,000 persons perished. (reference #1879)
Reference #223 lists two events on Dec 17, 1667 that are probably describing the same earthquake (Also states that “data on earthquake of 14 January 1668 pertain apparently to 1667 or 1669. During year many strong aftershocks. Data in 1667-69 are possibly inaccurate.):
41.7N, 47.3E, depth 30, magnitude 6.5, intensity 8
40.6N, 48.6E, depth 12, magnitude 6.9, intensity 9-10, 80,000 killed on Shemakha
December 17, 1667, Shemakha, 40.6 N, 48.6 E, magnitude 6.9, intensity IX-X, depth 12 km, 80,000 killed. (reference #3437)
Note: it is possible, if not likely, that the impacts for this event are combined with event in NCEI/WDS database for 1669 January 14.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1139, Gyzndzha, Azerbaijan
- January 14, 1668, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- February 13, 1902, Semacha, N Iran, Azerbaijan
- January 28, 1872, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- June 11, 1859, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- November 25, 2000, Baku, Azerbaijan
- June 4, 1999, Agdas, Ucar, Agali, Azerbaijan
- June 5, 2018, Shaki-Zaqatala, Azerbaijan
- January 1, 1671, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- September 2, 1869, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- August 9, 1828, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- February 5, 2019, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- December 18, 1880, Semacha, Somaki, Armenia, Azerbaijan
- May 11, 2017, Ardabil, Iran, Azerbaijan
- January 2, 1842, Apscheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1667The 1600sRecent earthquakes near here
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 1047.