May 28, 1903 Earthquake: Varginis,cardahli,mehkerek, Turkey
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Varginis,cardahli,mehkerek, Turkey on May 28, 1903 at 03:58:00 UTC. It killed 1,000 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
- May 28, 1903
- Time
- 03:58:00 UTC
- Place
- Varginis,cardahli,mehkerek, Turkey
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 40.900° N, 42.700° E
- Country
- Turkey
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
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.
A destructive earthquake in the Gole region, south of Ardahan, ruined a number of villages between Varginis, Cardahli and Mehkerek. This earthquake is alleged to have killed over 1000 people. (reference #1215)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 24, 893, Ardabil, Dvin, Iran, Armenia
- December 7, 1988, Leninakan, Spitak, Kirovakan, Armenia
- June 2, 1859, Erzurum, Turkey
- 851, Dvin, Armenia
- January 858, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- June 4, 1679, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- October 30, 1983, Erzurum, Kars, Khorasan, Pasinler, Narman, Turkey
- July 2, 1840, Maku, Mt Ararat, Aguri, Aralikh, Iran, Turkey
- May 1, 1935, Kigi, Turkey
- September 10, 1941, Van, Ercis, Turkey
- October 22, 1926, Turkey, Armenia
- April 29, 1991, Dzhava, Chiatura, Ambrolauri, Georgia
- December 31, 1899, Turkey
- January 9, 1925, Ardahan, Turkey
- July 12, 1900, Kars,karakurt,kagizman,digor, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1903The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1903Recent 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 2653.