March 22, 1879 Earthquake: Bozqush, Ardabil, Gamrud, Tark, Manan, Iran

March 22, 1879, 04 local time, 37.8 N, 47.9 E, magnitude 6.7, Buzqush-Garmrud. Preceded by a foreshock at dawn a few minutes earlier, an earthquake devastated the southwest part of the district of Ardabil and the region of Garmrud, which had suffered the same fate in 1844. Between Saqqizchi and Munaq on the southeast slopes of Kuh-i Buzqush and along the Garm-rud, all villages were totally destroyed, in most cases leaving no survivors. In the region of Tark, Dizaj and Yangijeh rockfalls and landslides added to the destruction, killing hundreds of people. In all, more than twenty villages were totally destroyed, fifty-four suffered heavy damage, and at least 2000 people and 4000 animals were killed. In Tark the Tash-masjid of Khwajeh Ka'us Tarki, which was ruined in 1844 and rebuilt, was damaged and its

minarets fell down. In Miyaneh and Ardabil several

houses collapsed killing a few people and in Linkuran

the shock caused some damage. The shock was felt as far

as Tehran, Shusha and Alexandropol, and it was followed

by a succession of damaging aftershocks that continued

for two weeks, the sequence ending eight months later.

No ground deformations of tectonic origin attributable

to this earthquake or features in the alluvium produced

by geologically late movements along the Gamrud were found. It is uncertain whether an exposure and a very short segment of a Quaternary fault found north of Sariqamish was associated with this earthquake or with an earlier event.

(reference #1117)

1879 March 22. At 12:35 A.M. on the 22nd inst. earthquake traversed Northern Persia, taking a direction from Tabriz to Zanjan and Mianeh, and shocks continued with more or less severity until Sunday, the 23rd. Several strongly built houses were thrown down at Mianeh, and in others large rents were made in the walls. The most serious damage, however, appears to have been occasioned in two villages off the road, about four farsanchs (4 x 5 Km.) from Mianeh, named respectively Tark and Manan. These were totally destroyed, and of the 500 inhabitants in the one case and 600 inhabitants in the other, only a few are reported to have been saved. It lasted 12 S. was felt at Tauris (Tabriz) and east as far as Zenjan; no damage was caused in Tauris, but in the vicinity of Mianeh, where the shocks continued with more or less vigor up to April 2, great damage and loss of life have occurred. An official report from Mianeh by the Persian Telegraph Authorities gives the damage, east of the present town, as follows; 21 villages totally destroyed, 54 greatly damaged, 922 persons killed as well as 2,660 sheep, 1,125 oxen, 124 horses and 55 camels. The center of disturbance was the mountain of Bozqoush. (reference #1217)

1879, SE Bozqus, 2000+ casualties. (reference #3937)

March 22, 1879, 01:00 UTC, Ardabil, 39.2 N, 47.6 E, magnitude 6.5, intensity IX. (reference #223)

March 13-April 2, 1879, Persia, Tabriz to Mianch, Xendjan, Maran, Tark, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts.

(reference #1055)