859 Tsunami: Samandag (Suaidiya), Turkey
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Samandag (Suaidiya), Turkey in 859. 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
- 859
- Source
- Samandag (Suaidiya), Turkey
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.080° N, 36.250° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
859 (possibly 861), November. Levantian Sea, Near East. A strong earthquake occurred on the coast from Antiochia to Akko. Large rockfalls and landslides. In the region of Samandagi (some references give Akko), the sea receded and then flooded the coast. (reference #2130)
859, November. Syrian coasts, near Samandag (iii). (reference #15, #20
859, November. Syrian Coasts near Samandag (iii). During one of the earthquakes of 245 AH, most probably in the month of Shaban (1 to 30 November 859 AD), a strong earthquake shook the Syrian coasts from Antiochia to Akka. As-Soyuti says that this earthquake shattered a mountain near Antiochia which fell into the sea together with 1005 houses and 90 villages. El-Macin, Abul-Faragi and Tabar add that the mountain was called Acraus or Rock and that it was closer to Akka rather than to Antiochia. All writers agree that when the mountain collapsed into the sea, the water retired and then returning surged he shores. (reference #24)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samandag (Suaidiya) | Turkey | 24 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 859The 800sTsunamis of TurkeyAlerts 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 71.