July 10, 1894 Tsunami: Marmara Sea, Turkey
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake began at Marmara Sea, Turkey on July 10, 1894 at 12:33 UTC. The water rose as high as 4.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places. It killed 1,349 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- July 10, 1894, 12:33 UTC
- Source
- Marmara Sea, Turkey
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.7
- Maximum water height
- 4.5 m (14.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 40.600° N, 28.700° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,349 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); 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
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100) 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.
1894, July 10. Zone of the Sea of Marmara. The sea in Istanbul receded and then attacked the shore with great force, i = 3. (reference #2130)
Damaging wave in Constantinople (reference #2427)
The shock was associated with a seismic sea-wave, which at St. Stephanos (Yesilkoy) had a height of 1.5 m, and caused the failure of submarine cables (reference #14000)
The shock was also associated with a seismic sea wave, which affected the epicentral section of the Marmara Sea coast. After t he earthquake the sea was very agitated. In places it retired 200 m, leaving many boats and vessels high and dry: at San Stefano the water on returning rose by 1 .5 m above its normal level, overflowing the quay, flooding the shore and casting sailing ships onto the shore, causing damage. It is said that in several places the temperature of the sea rose after the earthquake. Depth soundings a long the coast taken after the earthquake showed no changes. However, as a result of the earthquake the submarine cable between Kartal and the Dardanelles was ruptured 3 miles off Kartal in more than one place. The mode of rupture suggested that the cable had been sheared by the fall of slide material, and depth soundings at this place revealed some changes in the bathymetry, suggesting a submarine landslide (reference #9116)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesilkoy | Turkey | 43 | 1.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Princes Islands, Marmara Sea | Turkey | 46 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Istanbul (Constantinople) | Turkey | 52 | 4.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1894The 1800sTsunamis 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 1213.