March 8, 1715 Earthquake: Mahmatan, Van, Turkey
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Mahmatan, Van, Turkey on March 8, 1715.
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
- March 8, 1715
- Place
- Mahmatan, Van, Turkey
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 38.700° N, 43.900° E
- Country
- Turkey
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 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.
March 8, 1715, 06 [local time], Southeast Van, 38.4 N, 43.9 E, magnitude 6.6. A severe earthquake occurred at dawn in the region of Mahmatan, southeast of Van. It destroyed many villages in the Mehmedik plain, killing a considerable number of people. At Hoshap the walls of the fort were ruined and at Satmanis the fort towers collapsed. The earthquake caused the collapse of the dome of the church of St Bartholomeus at Deir and the ruin of the fort at Sarai. In Van only one house was ruined and a few people perished. (reference #1117)
March 8, 1715, morning, 06:00 [local time], Van, 38.7 N, 43.5 E, or 38.4 N, 43.9 E, intensity IX,, magnitude 6.6. (reference #3437)
1715. 38.7 N, 43.5 E, an earthquake caused damage in Van, Ercis and neighborhood. (reference #1217)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 24, 893, Ardabil, Dvin, Iran, Armenia
- 1444, Nemrut Mtns, Turkey
- 851, Dvin, Armenia
- January 858, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- June 4, 1679, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- November 24, 1976, Muradiye, Turkey
- April 28, 1903, Malazgirt, Turkey
- April 27, 1931, Zangezur, Nakhitchevan, Armenia
- May 6, 1930, Salmas, Iran
- March 31, 1648, Van, Turkey
- 854, Tovin, Armenia
- July 2, 1840, Maku, Mt Ararat, Aguri, Aralikh, Iran, Turkey
- April 18, 1843, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- January 5, 1896, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- October 23, 2011, Ercis, Van, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1715The 1700sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
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 1192.