The 1679 Armenia earthquake (also called Yerevan earthquake or Garni earthquake) took place on June 4 in the

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

region of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, then part of the

Safavid Iran Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

. Numerous buildings were destroyed as a result of the earthquake. In

most notable structures were damaged. The Yerevan Fortress was destroyed, so were the following churches: Poghos-Petros, Katoghike, Zoravor and the

Gethsemane Chapel Gethsemane Chapel ( hy, Գեթսեմանի Մատուռ, ''Get'semani Matur'') was a small Armenian Apostolic church in the historic ''Shahar'' district of Yerevan, Armenia, that was destroyed during the 1920s to make way for the construction of t ...

. Furthermore, the nearby Kanaker village was destroyed. The classical Hellenistic

Temple of Garni The Temple of Garni ( hy, Գառնիի տաճար, ''Gaṙnii tačar'') is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Built in the Ionic order, it is located in the village of Garni, in central Armen ...

also collapsed. Among many churches and monasteries that were reduced to ruins were Havuts Tar,

Saint Sargis Monastery of Ushi Saint Sarkis Monastery ( hy, Սուրբ Սարգիս Վանք or Ուշի Վանք; also Surp Sarkis Vank) is a large monastic complex, just outside the village of Ushi in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It sits at the far side of what was ...

Hovhannavank Hovhannavank ( hy, Հովհաննավանք) is a medieval monastery located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The monastery stands on the edge of the Kasagh River canyon, and its territory is adjacent to the vill ...

, Geghard, and Khor Virap.

See also

References

Further reading