847 Earthquake: Al-Mawsil, Iraq
An earthquake struck Al-Mawsil, Iraq in 847. It killed 70,000 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
- 847
- Place
- Al-Mawsil, Iraq
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.210° N, 42.080° E
- Country
- Iraq
The toll
- Deaths
- 70,000
- 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.
847 (Hegira 232), Monsul, 36.21 N, 42.08 E, intensity VII-IX. (reference #1057)
847. Damascus, walls of the buildings fell down, intensity IX-X. Antiochia, 20,000 died, intensity VIII. Mosul, 50,000 died, intensity VIII. (reference #1222)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 6, 845, Al-Mawsil, Iraq
- 1781, Al-Mawsil (Mosul), Iraq
- July 24, 1991, Arbil, Dibs, Iraq
- November 1666, Al-Mawsil, Armenia, Iraq
- May 13, 986, Al-Mawsil (Mosul), Iraq
- February 12, 1130, Al-Mawsil (Mosul),jabal,jazirah, Iraq
- November 1137, Mesopotamia, Mosul, Iraq-Syria
- June 14, 2012, Sirnak, Turkey
- 678, Between Tigris and Tharthar Rivers, Jazirah, Iraq
- January 25, 749, NE of Tharthar River, Jazirah, Iraq
More
Significant earthquakes of 847The 800sRecent earthquakes near here
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 211.