The last Beirut earthquake

On July 9, 551, Beirut was hit by a major earthquake measuring between 5 and 6 on the Richter scale, killing 30,000 people. This event was fortunately the last of its kind.

The Byzantine earthquake of 551 AD leveled Beirut to the ground, and it is said that it took decades to rebuild. This type of earthquake, according to experts, occurs once every 1,500 years.

Furthermore, an earthquake on July 9, 551 caused a landslide near the city of Batroun, and Beirut suffered a major fire that lasted for two months, according to ancient sources.

This natural disaster also resulted in a massive tsunami that caused severe human and material damage to several cities on the Lebanese coast from Tripoli to Tyre. The greatest damage was in Beirut, and the tsunami waves also destroyed commercial ships and boats.

The earthquake, which is believed to have occurred on that day about 100 km from the coast, caused widespread tsunamis, with the waters reportedly receding in some coastal locations to a distance of 3 km. The earthquake was also noticeable from Alexandria to Antioch and even Iraq.

Beirut lies on the border between the Arabian and African tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur in the region as a result of the movement and pressure of the tectonic plates extending from the Sinai Peninsula to Lebanon. This is further exacerbated by Beirut's location next to the Dead Sea Rift, which extends from Turkey to East Africa.

The epicenter of the latest devastating earthquake in Beirut is believed to have been off the coast of the city. This assumption, experts say, indicates that the earthquake was the result of movement along the left lateral Rom fault in southern Lebanon.

Experts also spoke of evidence that the epicenter of the earthquake was either offshore or on land but near the sea, and that at the same time it was not far from Beirut.

Seismologists also point out that the tectonic plates extending from the Sinai Peninsula to Lebanon are moving eastward toward Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.   

Although the earthquake measured 5 to 6 on the Richter scale, which is considered weak to moderate according to the international classification, it was devastating because its epicenter was near the surface.