Rey-Taleghan Earthquake of 23 February 958, Ms 7.7
On 23th February 958, there was a catastrophic earthquake in north-central Persia. It destroyed all the villages in the districts of Ray and Taliqan, both in the plain and the mountains, and much of the city of Ray was totally ruined, heavy causalities being reported from both districts. In Taliqan there were only 30 survivors and in the districts of Ray 150 villages were destroyed, one village in the mountains being overwhelmed by landslides. A mountain near Ray was fissured and water poured out of the ground. In the mountains of Ruyan to the north of Ray, large-scale landslides blocked the course of a river whose waters receded to form a lake. Damage extended northwest into Dailman and south to Qum and Kashan. The shock was possibly felt in Isfahan and as far as Baghdad. Damaging aftershocks continued for forty days, and were felt throughout north-central Persia. It is possible that the earthquake was connected with an abnormal drop in the level of the Caspian Sea which, however, seems to have occurred before the event.
