January 856 Earthquake: Dvin, Armenia
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Dvin, Armenia in January 856, 10 km below the surface.
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
- January 856
- Place
- Dvin, Armenia
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 40.000° N, 44.600° E
- Country
- Armenia
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100) with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
856, January. 40 N, 44.6 E, depth 10 km, magnitude 4.5, intensity VIII. Divin II; much destruction, deaths. According to [St], in the same year there was destructive earthquake in Tebriz; probably a separate tremor. (reference #223)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1139, Gyzndzha, Azerbaijan
- December 24, 893, Ardabil, Dvin, Iran, Armenia
- December 7, 1988, Leninakan, Spitak, Kirovakan, Armenia
- 851, Dvin, Armenia
- January 858, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- June 4, 1679, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- November 24, 1976, Muradiye, Turkey
- April 27, 1931, Zangezur, Nakhitchevan, Armenia
- 854, Tovin, Armenia
- July 2, 1840, Maku, Mt Ararat, Aguri, Aralikh, Iran, Turkey
- April 18, 1843, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- May 28, 1903, Varginis,cardahli,mehkerek, Turkey
- January 5, 1896, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- October 23, 2011, Ercis, Van, Turkey
- May 1, 1935, Kigi, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 856The 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 225.