1927 earthquake in Palestine
Encyclopedia
The 1927 earthquake in Palestine was a devastating earthquake that shook the Palestine
and Transjordan
regions on July 11, 1927 at circa 16:00 local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the northern area of the Dead Sea
. The cities of Jerusalem, Jericho
, Ramle, Tiberias and Nablus
were heavily damaged and At least 500 were estimated to have been killed.
The earthquake also caused heavy damage to the domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
and the al-Aqsa Mosque
.
where it destroyed circa 300 buildings, including the Mosque of Victory
and the historic parts of the Great Mosque of Nablus
. The death toll in Nablus included more than 150 people and around 250 were injured.
In Jericho
, a number of houses collapsed, including several relatively new hotels. In addition, the Allenby Bridge
collapsed and the Jordan river was blocked for about 21 hours following the collapse of the Marl
cliffs in its banks.
Ramla
and Tiberias were also heavily damaged.
region was Salt
in which 80 people were killed, in the rest of the Transjordan region another 20 were killed by the earthquake.
, and close to the city of Jericho
. Later research by Avni (1999), located the epicenter to be around 50 km south of this location near the Dead Sea
at 31.6°N 35.4°E.
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
regions on July 11, 1927 at circa 16:00 local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the northern area of the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
. The cities of Jerusalem, Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
, Ramle, Tiberias and Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
were heavily damaged and At least 500 were estimated to have been killed.
Jerusalem
The death toll in Jerusalem included more than 130 people and around 450 were injured. About 300 houses collapsed or were severely damaged to the point of not being usable.The earthquake also caused heavy damage to the domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
and the al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
.
The rest of the Palestine region
The earthquake was especially severe in NablusNablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
where it destroyed circa 300 buildings, including the Mosque of Victory
An-Nasr Mosque
An-Nasr Mosque is a mosque located in the Palestinian city of Nablus. It is situated in the central square of the Old City and is donned as the "symbol of Nablus"...
and the historic parts of the Great Mosque of Nablus
Great Mosque of Nablus
Great Mosque of Nablus is the oldest and largest mosque in the Palestinian city of Nablus. It was originally built as a Christian church. The mosque is located at the intersection of the main streets of Nablus' Old City on its eastern edge...
. The death toll in Nablus included more than 150 people and around 250 were injured.
In Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
, a number of houses collapsed, including several relatively new hotels. In addition, the Allenby Bridge
Allenby Bridge
The Allenby Bridge , also known as the King Hussein Bridge , is a bridge that crosses the Jordan River, and connects Jericho in the West Bank to the country of Jordan...
collapsed and the Jordan river was blocked for about 21 hours following the collapse of the Marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
cliffs in its banks.
Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
and Tiberias were also heavily damaged.
The Transjordan region
The most affected city in the TransjordanTransjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
region was Salt
Salt, Jordan
Salt is an ancient agricultural town and administrative centre in west-central Jordan. It is on the old main highway leading from Amman to Jerusalem. Situated in the Balqa highland, about 790–1100 metres above sea level, the town is built in the crook of three hills, close to the Jordan River...
in which 80 people were killed, in the rest of the Transjordan region another 20 were killed by the earthquake.
Earthquake epicenter
Vered and Striem (1977) located the earthquake epicenter to be near the Damya Bridge in the Jordan ValleyJordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, and close to the city of Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
. Later research by Avni (1999), located the epicenter to be around 50 km south of this location near the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
at 31.6°N 35.4°E.