Tabriz lies within the complex zone of collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate . The main structures accommodating this oblique collision are west-east trending thrust faults and WNW-ESE trending dextral ( right lateral ) strike-slip faults . The North Tabriz Fault is an active 150 km long dextral strike-slip fault that passes close to the northern edge of Tabriz city . It has two main segments and an estimated overall slip rate of about 7 mm per year . The southeastern segment is interpreted to have ruptured in the 1721 Tabriz earthquake , while the northwestern segment ruptured during the 1780 earthquake . Both events produced associated ground rupture , which is still observable . An average slip of about 4 m has been estimated for earthquakes along the northwestern segment . A recurrence interval of about 800 years has been estimated , suggesting that a major earthquake along this structure is unlikely in the next few centuries , although a recurrence interval of 250 – 300 years has also been proposed , indicating that there is potential for a major earthquake in the relatively near future
1721 Tabriz earthquake
1721 Tabriz earthquake
1780 Tabriz earthquake