February 28, 1855 Earthquake: Tayabas, Bursa, Turkey

Preceded by a violent foreshock 15 minutes earlier, another destructive earthquake m the Hudavendigar district almost totally destroyed Bursa and the villages from Yenesehir to Celtikci. In Bursa (pop. 35,000) many public buildings, mosques, churches, about 3300 houses and shops, and many silk filatures collapsed, with the loss of about 220 lives. Few of the 125 minarets in the city collapsed and many large buildings and wooden houses survived the shocks almost intact but the ensuing fire completed the destruction. The worst hit area in Bursa was the Castle quarter. A much larger number of people, in excess of 2000, were killed around Lake Apolyont and to the north as far as Mudanya. In places the ground was rent, springs of water dried up and rockfalls added to the destruction. Damage extended to Edirne, Balikesir and Istanbul where some old buildings and walls partly collapsed. In Gelibolu, Balikesir and Kutahya minarets and pigeon towers were damaged and free-standing walls collapsed. The shock was felt as far as Athens, Rhodes and Yozgat. (reference #14000)