[8]) was one of a series of major and intermediate quakes that have occurred in modern times along the North Anatolian Fault since 1939.

About 5,200 houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair;[10] some 900 of these were in Adapazarı at the far western end of the fault zone, and many collapsed completely as a result of aftershocks.

Although a large number of sites were independently assessed by up to six observers, variations of up to four degrees of the Mercalli scale indicated that an accurate figure was practically impossible to gauge.

[13] Some villages suffered 70% destruction of property, while others nearby with fault lines running right through them had only a few houses damaged.

The surface rupture zone, which was between 1–4 kilometres (0.62–2.49 mi) wide, stretched some 80 km (50 mi) from to Lake Abant (Turkish: Abant Gölü) to Sapanca in an East–West direction, generally following the course of the Mudurnu River until it flows north near Lake Sapanca.