West Asia and North Africa · Disaster

2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes

6 February 2023 CE and aftermath · Southern Türkiye and northern Syria

On 6 February 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake ruptured part of the East Anatolian fault system; a separate magnitude 7.5 event about nine hours later ruptured the Çardak fault. The sequence caused catastrophic collapse and displacement across southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

Back to West Asia and North Africa Show on world timeline

AI-generated evidence-guided visualization related to 2023 Turkiye-Syria earthquakes, 6 February 2023 CE and aftermath. — AI-generated visualization based on the cited record and period context. It is not documentary evidence or an authenticated reconstruction of a single event.

How the setting appeared

Collapsed apartment blocks, damaged historic centers, temporary shelters, blocked roads and winter conditions shaped the emergency.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Setting and material context · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

How people lived

Residents, refugees and already displaced Syrians faced bereavement, winter cold, housing loss and unequal access to rescue, aid and long-term recovery. Reported death and displacement totals changed as assessment continued.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Lifeways and community · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

How people worked

Local responders, international teams and residents carried out search and rescue, medical care, debris removal, structural assessment, logistics and community aid amid damaged roads, communications and prolonged aftershocks.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Work, tools and exchange · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

Belief, ritual and worship

The cited scientific and humanitarian sources do not document religious practice for this record. The earthquakes resulted from fault rupture; theological interpretations are beliefs, not seismological explanations.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Belief, ritual and evidence limits · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

World-atlas stage: Living world
Region: West Asia · Southern Türkiye and northern Syria
Languages and scripts: Turkish; Arabic; Kurdish; Armenian; English and other languages used by international rescue teams
Important people: Residents and survivors; Search-and-rescue teams; Medical workers; Displaced families
Events and changes: Magnitude 7.8 earthquake at 04:17 local time on 6 February 2023; Magnitude 7.5 earthquake about nine hours later on the Çardak fault; Prolonged aftershock sequence and widespread infrastructure disruption; Domestic and international search, rescue and humanitarian response; Long-term housing, livelihood and heritage recovery
Evidence confidence: High for the event and affected region; casualty, displacement and reconstruction totals change by reporting date.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Dates, place, language, people, events and confidence · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

Historical geography

A dated anchor, not an exact border

The local map uses modern coastlines only for orientation. The marker identifies this record's geographic anchor, not the full reach of a community or polity.

Map geometry loads only when requested. Modern outlines are orientation only; historical geography and identities changed through time.

Agent citation CIT-UNHCR-MENACIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES Historical-geography anchor and stated limits · 2 registered source URLs · registration is not semantic proof · audit HEM-AUDIT-20260812

Evidence register

Guides used for this record

Each registered source ID is paired with its institutional URL for independent checking. Source count is transparent, and duplicate URLs count only once.

CIT-UNHCR-MENA

Middle East and North Africa regional overview

https://www.unhcr.org/where-we-work/regions/middle-east-and-north-africa

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

CIT-USGS-2023-TURKIYE-EARTHQUAKES

Frequently Asked Questions about the 2023 Earthquakes in Türkiye

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/frequently-asked-questions-about-2023-earthquakes-turkiye

United States Geological Survey

Previous: Syrian war and regional displacement