Significant earthquakes of 587

September 30, 587 Earthquake: Antakya (Antioch), Turkey

September 30, 587 · 60,000 deaths

An earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Turkey on September 30, 587. It killed 60,000 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
September 30, 587
Place
Antakya (Antioch), Turkey
Intensity
9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
36.250° N, 36.100° E
Country
Turkey

The toll

Deaths
60,000
Damage
Extreme (about $25 million or more)

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.

July 9, 587, Antioch, Very destructive, intensity IX. (reference #1222)

September 30, 587, 3 hours after twilight, Antioch. (reference #521)

September 30, 587, 36.25 N, 36.1 E, Antakya, 60,000 missing, intensity IX. (reference #3733)

October 31, 588, Antioch, destroyed, 60,000 victims, intensity IX. (reference #1222)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 587The 500sRecent 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 152.