Syria earthquake

June 29, 1170

A massive earthquake rattled the Levant from Aleppo to Damascus, toppling Crusader castles and Muslim citadels alike. The tremor was followed by months of aftershocks. Contemporary chroniclers on both sides saw it as a divine rebuke for the ongoing wars. The quake destroyed sections of the Krak des Chevaliers and forced both Nur al-Din and the Crusader lords into a rare informal truce while they rebuilt their shattered fortifications.