February 2, 1039 Tsunami: Constantinople, Turkey
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake began at Constantinople, Turkey on February 2, 1039. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- February 2, 1039
- Source
- Constantinople, Turkey
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.8
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 38.400° N, 27.300° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
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.
1039, February (January) 2. Zone of the Sea of Marmara. Smyrna became a terrible spectacle, because the most beautiful buildings collapsed and many people killed (reference #2130).
1039, January. Constantinople (Istanbul). Duck (p. 133, ref #4100) quotes Cedrinos (ii, P. 532, ref #4101) for this seismic seawave, but we can find no mention in that author. (references #15 and #26)
1039, January. Constantinople. (reference #20)
1039, February 2. 38.4 N, 27.3 E, magnitude 6.8. (reference #330)
1038 or 1039. 41.04 N, 28.98 E, Instanbul, earthquake intensity VI. (reference #1071)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (Constantinople) | Turkey | 324 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1039The 1000sTsunamis of TurkeyThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 87.