Local date | 28 December 893 |
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Local time | Midnight |
Magnitude | 5.3–6.0 or ≥7.0 |
Epicenter | Dvin 40°00′N 44°36′E / 40.0°N 44.6°E |
Areas affected | Armenia |
Max. intensity | MMI IX (Violent)–MMI X (Extreme) |
Casualties | 30,000[1] |
The 893 Dvin earthquake occurred on 28 December at around midnight. It had a magnitude of approximately 6 and a maximum intensity of approximately IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It destroyed the city of Dvin in Armenia, causing approximately 30,000 casualties. The similarity of the Arabic name for Dvin, 'Dabil' to Ardabil in northwestern Iran, has caused confusion in written records, such that the 893 Ardabil earthquake appears in several catalogues, although it is generally regarded as a false event. It was also recorded as an event during the classical period of India in several early catalogues at an unspecified capital.