1157 Hama earthquake

1157 Hama earthquake
Local date12 August 1157
Magnitude7.4 Ms
Epicenter35°06′N 36°30′E / 35.1°N 36.5°E / 35.1; 36.5
Areas affectedSyria (region)
Total damageExtreme
Max. intensityMMI VIII (Severe)MMI IX (Violent)
Casualties8,000

After a year of foreshocks, an earthquake occurred on 12 August 1157 near the city of Hama, in west-central Syria (then under the Seljuk rule), where the most casualties were sustained. In eastern Syria, near the Euphrates, the quake destroyed the predecessor of the citadel al-Rahba, subsequently rebuilt on the same strategic site. The earthquake also affected Christian monasteries and churches in the vicinity of Jerusalem.