The Dvin Earthquake of 893: How a Disaster Reshaped Armenia

In 893, a massive earthquake devastated Dvin, the capital of Bagratid Armenia, killing tens of thousands and leveling the city’s famous markets, palaces, and churches. This episode follows the immediate aftermath, the leadership of King Smbat I and Catholicos Gevorg II as they orchestrated relief and reconstruction, and the long-term consequences: the shift of political gravity toward Ani, the economic blow to Silk Road trade, and the psychological scar that lingered in Armenian memory through chronicles like those of Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi. We explore how the disaster altered urban planning, weakened the nakharar nobility, and paradoxically spurred the Bagratid golden age by forcing a new capital. A story of catastrophe, resilience, and unintended transformation. #Dvin #Earthquake893 #BagratidArmenia #SmbatI #CatholicosGevorgII #HovhannesDraskhanakerttsi #Ani #SilkRoad #MedievalArmenia #Caucasus #NaturalDisaster #UrbanHistory #ArmenianHistory #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #Armenia #EarthquakeHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo