September 18, 844 Earthquake: Antakya, Dimashq (Damascus), Turkey, Syria
An earthquake struck Antakya, Dimashq (Damascus), Turkey, Syria on September 18, 844. It killed 50,000 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 18, 844
- Place
- Antakya, Dimashq (Damascus), Turkey, Syria
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 33.500° N, 36.300° E
- Country
- Syria
The toll
- Deaths
- 50,000
- 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.
844 September 18 - 845 September 06 : An earthquake at Damascus, many perished under the ruins. The shock extended to Antiochia and Harirah destroying both places killing 50,000 persons. It shook Mosul also. (reference #1098)
844 Sep. 18 Damascus, Antioch; Many perished, VIII; 845 Sep. 6 Mosul 50,000 victims (reference #1222)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 13, 1157, Halab (Aleppo), Syria
- December 5, 1033, Ramala, Gaza, Nablus, Egypt, Israel, Syria
- May 20, 1202, Southwestern, Syria
- November 25, 1759, Damascus, Antioch, Baalbec, Syria, Lebanon-Syria
- 1183, Tripoli, Antakya, Lebanon, Dimashq, Turkey, Syria
- January 1, 1837, Beirut (Beyrout), Zefat (Safed), Lebanon, Israel
- October 30, 1759, Zefat (Safed), Israel
- 1155, Tarabulus, Antioch, Lebanon, Dimashq, Turkey, Syria
- February 26, 1796, Al-Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Syria
- July 11, 1927, Damiya, Israel, Jordan
- 1339, Tarabulus (Tripolis), Lebanon
- October 28, 1354, Hamah (Hama),hims (Hums),balabakk, Syria
- March 29, 1903, Nabulus, Israel
- August 12, 2024, Syria, Lebanon
- August 31, 748, Dimashq (Damascus), Syria
More
Significant earthquakes of 844The 800sRecent 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 208.