1303 Crete earthquake

Damage

The earthquake and tsunami devastated Heraklion (then Candia) on Crete, with reports from Venetian representatives describing extensive damage to public buildings and castles across the island. Most victims were women and children, though no numbers were given. At Alexandria, massive flooding occurred, many ships were destroyed, and some were carried up to 2 miles inland. The port city of Acre on the Levantine coast also suffered building destruction and loss of life.

In Egypt, Cairo experienced severe damage, dislodging much of the Great Pyramid's white limestone casing and toppling minarets on many mosques. Alexandria's city walls were mostly destroyed, and homes collapsed, killing many people. The earthquake was felt along the entire Adriatic coast up to Venice, about 1600 km from Heraklion.

Characteristics

The earthquake ruptured the eastern segment of the Hellenic arc somewhere between Crete and Rhodes, causing damage over a wide area including Crete, the Peloponnese, Rhodes, Cairo, Acre, Damascus, Antioch, and Cyprus. It was felt as far away as Constantinople (1000 km) and possibly Tunis (1500 km). The exact magnitude is unknown but estimated at about 8.0. Tsunami modeling predicts a maximum 9 m run-up at Alexandria, with about a 40-minute delay from the earthquake to the first wave's arrival in Egypt.

Did You Know?

• The Hellenic arc is an arcuate tectonic feature related to the subduction of the African plate beneath the Aegean Sea plate.
• The Hellenic arc is one of the most active seismic zones in western Eurasia.