The epicenter of the July 10, 1894, earthquake was not actually Istanbul. However, due to the city's status as the capital and its dense population, the earthquake became closely associated with Istanbul. To assess the consequences of the earthquake, Dimitrios Eginitis, the director of the Athens Observatory, was invited.

According to Eginitis' report, the sea temperature was observed to be significantly high before the earthquake. Additionally, changes in animal behavior were noted before the quake occurred. The earthquake consisted of a total of three tremors and lasted approximately 18 seconds.

^{A photo frame after the Istanbul earthquake. Source: Avlaremoz}

Affected Areas

After the earthquake, aftershocks continued for about a month. The main areas affected in Istanbul were Sur İçi (the historic peninsula), Üsküdar, Büyükçekmece, and Kartal. According to the 12-degree Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK) scale, the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.

The number of casualties was around 150. In addition to the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı), many public and official buildings were damaged. After the earthquake, the state provided shelter and food for the people. The government established the "İane-i Musabin Commission" to collect financial support from wealthy citizens. Those who donated above a certain amount were awarded medals. The places that were repaired after the earthquake included water channels, mosques, schools, and hospitals.

The earthquake had a global impact. Kings and queens from countries such as England, Spain, and the Netherlands sent their condolences, which were also covered in the press. Additionally, the earthquake was reflected in Turkish literature in the form of two epic poems and one lyrical poem.