July 10, 1894 Earthquake: Turkey

1894 July 10, 12h33m, 40.6N, 28.7E. At Istanbul a catholic church partly collapsed, the cupola of a mosque at Galata fissured, Pera, S. Stefano, gulf of Izmit, largest destructions in the islands of Khhlki and Burgas Ada (Antigoni) (MJD, CAM), tsunami at Istanbul (ANS), changes in the efficiency and temperature of springs (DJ). Some weak houses collapsed at Istanbul, the roof of the Bazaar fell down, no damage, to the mosques, cracks on the shore, some damage in the Princes islands (Kizil Adalar), mainly in Heybeliada, felt at Izmit, Bursa, Bandirma, Tekirdag, epic. in the Marmara Sea (PL). (reference #1099)

1894 July 10, 18h33m, 41N, 29E. The violent shock hit Istanbul. It caused the destruction of many buildings, mainly in the market of the city where hundreds of inhabitants were killed. The place which suffered most was Ag. Stefanos where the sea withdrew 100m from the sea side. When it carne back dropped on the land all boats which sailed in Prighiponnese. In Antigone all houses were damaged and in Chalke, the School of Theology collapsed. In Prighiponese, the ground was fissured parallel to the coast in several places with widths 5 cm. A weaker shock occurred 7 min after the first and the earthquakes continued for several weeks. This shock caused damage in Aghia Sofia which was repaired after an order of Sultan Abtoul Hamit E' and some damage occurred in Heybelliada. It was felt in Izmit, Erusa, Raedestos and up to Smyrne (Antoniades, 1907; Kamik, 1971). (reference #4408)

1894 July 10. A destructive earthquake in the Gulf of Izmit and further to the east caused extensive damage in the area between Silivri, Istanbul, Adapazari and Katirli. Maximum effects were reported from the region between Heybeliada, Yalova and Sapanca where most villages were totally destroyed with great loss of life. The shock caused the Sakarya river to flood its banks and the development of mud volcanoes. In Adapazari 83 people were killed and another 990 in the Sapanca area. In Istanbul damage was widespread and in places very serious. Many public buildings, mosques, and houses were shattered and left on the verge of collapse, while most of the older constructions fell down, killing 276 and injuring 321 people. Three of the dams for the water supply of Istanbul were badly damaged. (reference #14000)

1894 July 10. An earthquake occurred on 10 July 1894 at 12 h 24m local time. Its epicentral zone extended from Adapazari in the east, along the Gulf of Izmit, into the Sea of Marmara. Damage worsened by unfavourable foundation conditions, in places serious, extended further away and up to near Istanbul. The shock was perceptible as far away as at Bucharest in Rumania, and probably at Chalkis and on Crete, as well as in much of Asia Minor up to Cide, Kastamonu, Ankara, Konya, Burdur and Aydin, over an area of radius 440 km […] It is rather strange that no official return of the total number of victims and material losses was ever published. For instance, the actual loss of life in the Istanbul bazaar, which was great, was not published [15], and the effects of the earthquake in the countryside, particularly in the eastern part of the affected area, appeared in the press only summarily [8, 14]. Damage and loss of life are reported in private correspondence from the region between Adapazari and Lake Iznik, but none of this is mentioned in the press, which concentrated chiefly on the effects of the earthquake in the capital. This supports the opinion expressed by an eye-witness in Adapazari [27] that news in the press about the disastrous effects of the earthquake must have been censored. (reference #9116)