▁north ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁earth qu ake , ▁and ▁dust ▁fell ▁in ▁various ▁places . ▁This ▁narr ative ▁is ▁repeated ▁by ▁George ▁K ed ren os ▁( 1 2 th ▁century ), ▁who ▁used ▁The oph anes ▁as ▁his ▁source . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁se ism ic ▁catalog ue ▁by ▁Am br ase ys ▁and ▁Mel ville , ▁this ▁earth qu ake ▁occurred ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁Ray , ▁Iran , ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁of ▁Tang - e ▁Sar - e ▁Dar reh . ▁Its ▁recording ▁in ▁By z antine ▁sources ▁would ▁test ify ▁to ▁this ▁being ▁a ▁" large ▁magnitude ▁event ". ▁However ▁the ▁ge ographic ▁term ▁" C asp ian ▁G ates " ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁mountain ▁passes ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us . ▁The ▁passes ▁linked ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁regions ▁to ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁Pl ate au ▁and ▁Central ▁Asia . ▁▁ ▁The ▁term ▁C asp ian ▁G ates ▁was ▁familiar ▁to ▁Gre co - R oman ▁authors . ▁By ▁the ▁By z antine ▁era ▁it ▁mainly ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁pass ▁between ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁and ▁Northern ▁Iran , ▁the ▁pass ▁of ▁Der b ent . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁Gate " ▁or ▁" the ▁Gate ▁of ▁G ates ". ▁An ▁Armen ian ▁translation ▁of ▁Pse udo - Call is then es ' ▁Alexander ▁Rom ance ▁instead ▁ident ifies ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁G ates ▁with ▁the ▁territory ▁of