Earthquake Damages Several Historical Buildings in Morocco

On Friday night, September 8, Morocco experienced a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, resulting in damage to several of its historical buildings. This earthquake was the largest to shake Morocco in the past 120 years, causing many structures and walls that were not designed to withstand earthquakes to collapse. The city of Marrakech, the fourth largest in the country, is known for its mosques, fortresses, and medieval buildings, which are popular tourist attractions due to their beautiful mosaic tile work in its narrow red streets. However, following the earthquake, images shared on social media indicate that the city has suffered significant damage, including parts of the minaret of a small mosque in the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square, the busiest square in Africa located in the heart of old Marrakech, collapsing. This old city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 due to its historical and cultural significance. UNESCO has described Morocco as 'a living witness to a historical civilization.' The ancient buildings of the old city of Marrakech were already in a vulnerable state even before this earthquake. The published images also show that the famous medieval Koutoubia Mosque, overlooking Jemaa el-Fnaa, was on the brink of collapse but remained standing. The extent of the damage to this mosque is still unclear. The Moroccan Ministry of Interior reported on Saturday morning that at least 1,037 people had died, mostly in Marrakech and five provinces near the earthquake's epicenter. According to this report, more than 1,200 people were injured, with the condition of 721 of them described as critical. The earthquake in Morocco has left over 1,000 dead, raising warnings about the potential consequences of a similar earthquake in Tehran; the deputy of the International Institute of Earthquake Research stated that officials are shirking their responsibilities. The low quality of construction in Iran; a 7-magnitude earthquake could destroy 60% of buildings. Land subsidence, earthquakes, and dilapidated urban areas; 20 million Iranians live in dangerous regions.