Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake

Where the earthquake significanly impacted the history of the site and the buildings are remaining today.

World Heritage Sites connected to 'Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake':

  • Angra do Heroismo 1980
  • Antigua Guatemala (1763)
  • Arequipa Arequipa Cathedral, damaged by earthquake on June 23 2001
  • Assisi 1997 earthquake
  • Bam Cultural Landscape (Dec 26 2003)
  • Belem The Great Lisbon Eartquake of 1755
  • Biblical Tells Many artifacts from Tell Hatzor were damaged/destroyed in an earthquake in 2008
  • Butrint 3rd Century
  • Cyrene (262 + 365, Led to abandonment)
  • Dubrovnik (1667 and fire)
  • Fasil Ghebbi 1704
  • Huascaran National Park (31 May 1970)
  • Kotor Kotor, 15 April 1979
  • Lima 1656
  • Meknes 1755 Lisbon earthquake
  • Mexico City (Sep 19 1985)
  • Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System The May 12th (2008) earthquake has dealt a blow to tourism in the city of Dujiangyan. The quake damaged some of the most famous historic sites, including the ancient waterworks of Dujiangyan. A month later, efforts to repair have paid off, as a handful of the historic sites have reopened."
  • Naples Giotto's frescoes in Castelnouvo were destroyed in an earthquake
  • National History Park Sans souci - Haiti - A severe earthquake in 1842 destroyed a considerable part of the palace and devastated the nearby city of Cap-Haïtien; the palace was never rebuilt
  • Nisa Nisa was totally destroyed by an earthquake, which occurred during the first decade BC.
  • Oaxaca and Monte Alban Numerous - As recently as 1999 when Tomb 104 at Monte Alban was closed due to damamge. In particular :- 1787 San francisco Church "Earthquake damage in 1787 altered the appearance of this 16th century church", "An earthquake destroyed much of the city in 1854 and the slow rebuilding was shaken to pieces by another quake in 1931" (the 1931 event is said to have destroyed 70% of the city)
  • Old Town of Lijiang 1996
  • Palmyra (1089, led to abandonment)
  • Paphos 1159, 1222
  • Pompei Pompeii and Herculaneum before the eruption (62 or 63 AD); link
  • Prambanan Java Earthquake 2006
  • Quebrada de Humahuaca Church of Tumbaya was destroyed in 1796.
  • Quito 1917
  • Rome Baths of Caracalla damaged in the earthquake that destroyed L'Aquila in 2009
  • Ruins of León Viejo "The final blow came on 11 January 1610, when a severe earthquake destroyed what was still standing" (AB)
  • Sabratha 365
  • Syracuse The city was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693 (same as Val di Noto)
  • Thessalonika Some sites were damages during an earthquake in 630
  • Val di Noto (Jan 9 1693, led to rebuilding in constant style)
  • Valparaiso (Aug 17 1906, May 22 1960)
  • Volubilis In 1755, same as Lisbon
  • Walled City of Baku November 2000