home Bait The lighthouse is one of the seven wonders of the world. Lighthouse of Alexandria, aka Pharos lighthouse - the highest construction of the ancient world

The lighthouse is one of the seven wonders of the world. Lighthouse of Alexandria, aka Pharos lighthouse - the highest construction of the ancient world

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world had a practical purpose -. It performed several functions at once: it allowed ships to approach the harbor without any problems, and the observation post, located at the top of the unique structure, made it possible to follow the water expanses and notice the enemy in time.

Locals claimed that the light of the Alexandria lighthouse burned enemy ships even before they approached the coast, and if they managed to approach the coast, the statue of Poseidon, located on the dome of an amazing design, emitted a shrill warning cry.

Alexandrian lighthouse: short description to report

The height of the old lighthouse was 140 meters - much higher than the surrounding buildings. In ancient times, buildings did not exceed three floors, and against their background, the Pharos lighthouse seemed huge. Moreover, at the time of the completion of construction, it turned out to be the tallest building of the ancient world and was such for an extremely long time.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built on the east coast of the small island of Pharos, located near Alexandria, the main seaport of Egypt, built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. He is also known in history as.

He is one of the most famous wonders of the ancient world, along with, and.
The great commander chose the place for the construction of the city very carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trade center.

It was extremely important that the Alexandria lighthouse was located at the intersection of both water and land routes of the three parts of the world - Africa, Europe and Asia. For the same reason, at least two harbors had to be built here: one for ships arriving from Mediterranean Seaand the other for those who sailed along the Nile.

Therefore Alexandria was not built in the Nile delta, but a little to the side, twenty miles to the south. When choosing a place for the city, Alexander took into account the location of future harbors, while paying special attention to their strengthening and protection: it was very important to do everything so that the waters of the Nile did not clog them with sand and silt (especially for this, a dam was subsequently built connecting the continent with an island).

After the death of Alexander the Great (who, according to legend, was born on the day of destruction), the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter - and as a result of skillful management it turned into a successful and prosperous port city, and the construction of one of the seven wonders of the world significantly increased its wealth.

Lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos: purpose

The Alexandria lighthouse made it possible for ships to swim into the port without any problems, successfully avoiding pitfalls, shallows and other obstacles of the bay. Thanks to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of trade of light increased dramatically.

The lighthouse also served as an additional reference point for sailors: the landscape of the Egyptian coast is quite diverse - mostly only lowlands and plains. Therefore, the signal lights in front of the entrance to the harbor were very useful.

A lower structure would have successfully coped with this role, so the engineers assigned another important function to the Alexandria lighthouse - the role of an observation post: the enemies usually attacked from the sea, since the country was well defended by the desert from the land side.

It was also necessary to establish such an observation post at the lighthouse because there were no natural hills near the city where this could be done.

Construction of the Alexandria lighthouse

Such a large-scale construction required huge resources. Moreover, not only financial and labor, but also intellectual. Ptolemy I solved this problem rather quickly. It was at that time that he conquered Syria, enslaved the Jews and took them to Egypt. Later he used some of them to build a lighthouse.
It was at this time (in 299 BC) that he made a truce with Demetrius Poliorketus, the ruler of Macedonia (his father was Antigonus, the worst enemy of Ptolemy, who died in 301 BC).

Thus, a truce, a huge amount of labor and other favorable circumstances gave him the opportunity to start building a grand wonder of the world. Although the exact date for the start of construction work has not yet been determined, researchers are convinced that it happened sometime between 285/299. BC e.

The presence of a dam, built earlier and connecting the island with the continent, greatly facilitated the task.

The construction of the Alexandria lighthouse was entrusted to the master Sostratus of Cnidia. Ptolemy wished that only his name be inscribed on the building, indicating that it was he who created this magnificent wonder of the world.

But Sostratus was so proud of his work that he first engraved his name in stone. And then he put a very thick layer of plaster on it, on which he wrote the name of the Egyptian ruler. Over time, the plaster crumbled, and the world saw the signature of the architect.

What the Pharos lighthouse looked like

Exact information about how exactly one of the seven wonders of the world looked like has not been preserved, but some data is still available:

So that the fire could be seen from a great distance, a whole system of polished metal mirrors was installed near it, reflecting and amplifying the light of the fire. He, according to the testimony of contemporaries, was visible even at a distance of 60 km;

There are several versions of how the fuel was lifted to the top of the lighthouse. The adherents of the first theory believe that a shaft was located between the second and third tiers, where a lifting mechanism was installed, with the help of which fuel for the fire was raised upward.

As for the second, it implies that the site on which the signal light was burning could be accessed by a spiral staircase along the walls of the structure, and this staircase was so flat that loaded donkeys could easily climb up the building, carrying fuel to the top of the lighthouse ...

Lighthouse of Alexandria: wreck

Served since 283 BC. until the 15th century, when a fortress was erected instead. Thus, he survived more than one dynasty of Egyptian rulers, saw Roman legionaries. This did not particularly affect his fate: no matter who ruled Alexandria, everyone took care that the unique structure would stand as long as possible. They restored the parts of the building that were destroyed due to frequent earthquakes, renovated the facade, which was negatively affected by wind and salty sea water.

Time has done its job: the lighthouse stopped working in 365, when one of the strongest earthquakes in the Mediterranean caused a tsunami that flooded part of the city, and the death toll of Egyptians, according to chroniclers, exceeded 50 thousand inhabitants.

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but it stood for quite a long time - until the XIV century, until the next strongest earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, the Sultan Kait-bey built a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen and these days). After that, they remained the only ancient wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

In the mid-90s. The remains of the Alexandria lighthouse were discovered at the bottom of the bay using a satellite, and after a while, scientists, using computer modeling, were able to more or less restore the image of the unique structure.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the tallest man-made structures for almost 1000 years and has survived almost 22 earthquakes! Interesting, isn't it?

In 1994, French archaeologists discovered several ruins in the waters off the coast of Alexandria. Large blocks and artifacts were found. These blocks belonged to the Alexandria lighthouse. Built by the first Ptolemy, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called the Pharos Lighthouse, was the only ancient wonder with the actual purpose of helping sailors and ships enter the harbor. It was located on the island of Pharos in Egypt and is a fine example of ancient architecture. The lighthouse was a source of income and a landmark for the city.

History

◈ Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria in 332 BC.

◈ After his death, Ptolemy I Soter declared himself as a pharaoh. He built a city and commissioned a lighthouse.

◈ Pharos was a small island associated with Alexandria by a mound called Heptastadion.

◈ Alexander named 17 cities by his own name, but Alexandria is the only city that has survived and is flourishing.

◈ Unfortunately, Alexander could not see this beautiful structure in his city as he died in 323 BC.

Construction

◈ The Alexandria Lighthouse was built between 280 and 247 BC. It is about 12 to 20 years for construction. Ptolemy I died before its completion, so it was discovered by his son Ptolemy of Philadelphia.

◈ The construction cost was about 800 talents, which is equivalent to $ 3 million today.

◈ The lighthouse was approximately 135 meters high. The bottom-most part was square, the middle part was octagonal, and the top was round.

◈ Limestone blocks were used to build the lighthouse. They were sealed with molten lead to withstand strong waves.

◈ Spiral staircases led to the top.

◈ The huge curved mirror reflected light during the day, and at night there was a fire burning at the very top.

◈ The light of the lighthouse could be seen according to various sources at a distance of 60 to 100 km.

◈ Unconfirmed sources say that the mirror was also used to identify and burn enemy ships.

◈ 4 statues of the god Triton stood at the four corners at the top and a statue of Zeus or Poseidon in the center.

◈ The designer of the lighthouse was Sostrat of Cnidus. Some sources attribute sponsorship to him as well.

◈ Legend has it that Ptolemy did not allow Sostratus to inscribe his name on the walls of the lighthouse. Even then, Sostratus wrote "Sostratus, son of Dextiphon, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of the seas" on the wall, and then put plaster on top and wrote the name of Ptolemy.

Destruction

◈ The lighthouse was badly damaged during an earthquake in 956 and then again in 1303 and 1323.

◈ Although the Lighthouse survived nearly 22 earthquakes, it finally collapsed in 1375.

◈ In 1349, the famous Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited Alexandria, but was unable to climb the lighthouse.

◈ In 1480, a remnant of stone was used to build Fort Kite Bay at the same site.

◈ Now on the site of the lighthouse there is a military fortress of Egypt, so researchers cannot get there.

Value

◈ The monument has become an ideal model of a lighthouse and is of great architectural importance.

◈ The word "Pharos" - the lighthouse comes from the Greek word φάρος in many languages \u200b\u200bsuch as French, Italian, Spanish and Romanian.

◈ The Lighthouse of Alexandria is mentioned by Julius Caesar in his works.

◈ The lighthouse remains the civic symbol of the city of Alexandria. His image is used on the flag and seal of the province, as well as on the flag of the University of Alexandria.

One of the most prominent monuments of the ancient world is now in ruins under water. But everyone can swim around the ruins with equipment.

Lighthouse of Alexandria - helping sailors, calling the sea. This seventh wonder of the world arose thanks to skillful human hands and died due to the vagaries of nature. The Alexandria (Pharos) lighthouse, which served people for 1.5 thousand years, was crushed by a series of tremors. The majestic building did not want to surrender for a long time and fought to the last, withstanding three earthquakes and collapsing during the fourth. This is how the tallest structure in the ancient world perished.

Pharos Island - Ideal for the Lighthouse of Alexandria

The glorious Egyptian city of Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy Soter quickly grew into a major trading city. Rows of ships with various goods were drawn to him. But to get to the local port, they had to maneuver between treacherous reefs, of which there were a lot on the way to Alexandria. Bad weather increased the risk of shipwreck.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the island of Pharos, not far from the Egyptian Mediterranean coast

At first, they wanted to improve visibility for sailors by lighting fires on the shore (as the Athenians did in the 5th century BC), but this was not enough to give signals to ships sailing far from the coast. "Lighthouse! That's what we need, ”- it dawned on Ptolemy one of the sleepless nights.

Pharos lighthouse was a landmark for ancient sailors sailing to the port of Alexandria

The ruler was lucky - according to the map, at a distance of a little more than a kilometer from Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea was the island of Pharos, and God himself ordered to build a lighthouse there. The construction of the Alexandria lighthouse was entrusted to the engineer Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. Construction began immediately, for the sake of it, a dam was even built between the mainland and the island. Work on the Pharos lighthouse lasted approximately 5 to 20 years and was completed at the end of the 3rd century. BC. True, the very system of signal lights appeared only after 100 years.

The power and beauty of the Pharos lighthouse

According to various sources, the height of the Alexandria lighthouse was from 115 to 137 meters. For reasons of practicality, it was erected from marble blocks, fastened with lead mortar. The best Alexandrian architects and scientists were involved in the construction - it was they who came up with the project of the lighthouse, consisting of three tiers.

The Alexandria lighthouse consisted of three steps: pyramidal, prismatic and cylindrical

The first level of the Alexandria lighthouse was pyramidal with planes oriented to 4 cardinal points. Its ledges were decorated with statues of tritons. Premises on this level were intended to accommodate workers and soldiers, store equipment, fuel and food.

A spiral ramp was built inside the Pharos lighthouse to deliver firewood and oil to the top

The eight faces of the second stage of the Pharos lighthouse were designed by ancient architects according to the wind rose and decorated with bronze statues. Some of the sculptures were movable and served as weather vane. The third tier of the structure had a cylindrical shape and ended with a dome on which stood a 7-meter bronze statue of the ruler of the seas, Poseidon. But they say that in fact, the top of the dome of the Pharos lighthouse was decorated with a statue of a woman - the trustee of the sailors Isis-Faria.

Sostratus was proud of the lighthouse for good reason

At that time, mankind did not yet know electricians, and a gigantic fire was kindled at the very top of the Alexandria lighthouse for signals to sailors. Its light was amplified, reflected in polished bronze plates, and was visible up to 100 kilometers in the vicinity. Ancient legends said that the radiance emanating from the Pharos lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships even before approaching the shore.

In the dome of the lighthouse, a fire was constantly burning, illuminating the way for sailors at night and during the day with poor visibility

At night, powerful tongues of flame indicated the direction of the ships, and clouds of smoke during the day. To keep the fire burning, the Romans established an uninterrupted supply of firewood to the top of the Alexandria lighthouse. They were pulled out on carts drawn by mules and horses. For this, a gentle spiral road was built inside the Pharos lighthouse, one of the first ramps in the world. Although some scientists argue that the firewood was dragged to the top with lifting mechanisms.

Drawing of the Pharos lighthouse by archaeologist G. Thirsh (1909)

Interesting to know. The Alexandria lighthouse was surrounded by a powerful fence with loopholes, so it could serve as a fort and an observation post. From the top of the lighthouse, it was possible to see the enemy fleet long before it approached the city. In the underground part of the structure, supplies of drinking water were kept in case of a siege.

The Alexandria lighthouse was both a fort and could withstand a protracted siege

Sostratus of Cnidus was very proud of his brainchild. He hated the thought that the descendants would not recognize the name of the creator of the Alexandria lighthouse. Therefore, on the wall of the first tier, the engineer carved the inscription: "Sostratus of Cnidia, son of Dextiphan, dedicated to the gods-saviors for the sake of the navigators." But the loyal subject was afraid of the wrath of the Egyptian ruler, who usually takes all the merit to himself, so he hid the phrase under a thick layer of plaster, on which he scraped out the name of the vain Ptolemy Soter. Pieces of clay fell off very quickly, and even during the life of the Pharos lighthouse, travelers could read the name of its true creator.

Decline and destruction of the Alexandria lighthouse

Alarms about the destruction of the Pharos lighthouse began to appear during the fall of the Roman Empire. It was not maintained in proper condition, and the once majestic structure began to decline. The current brought silt into the bay, ships could no longer enter the port of Alexandria, and the need for a lighthouse on the island of Pharos gradually disappeared. Over time, the bronze plate-mirrors of the Alexandria lighthouse were taken away and melted down - it is assumed that they "dispersed" around the world in the form of coins and settled in the collections of numismatists.

The only images that give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe architecture of the Pharos lighthouse are embossed drawings on ancient Roman coins

Earthquakes in 365, 956 and 1303 AD significantly damaged the building - the epicenters were at a short distance from the place where the lighthouse was built. And in 1323, the most powerful tremors accelerated the demise of the Alexandria lighthouse - only ruins remained from the structure ...

Modern reconstruction of the building of the Alexandria lighthouse

One of the variants of the architecture of the Farossoko lighthouse, made of sand

Modern 3D visualizers provide various ideas for the appearance of the Alexandria lighthouse

In the 14th century A.D. Egypt was settled by nimble Arabs. First, they rolled up their sleeves and tried to rebuild the Alexandria lighthouse. But their zeal was enough only for a 30-meter structure - then the construction work stalled. Why the Arabs did not continue the restoration of the Pharos lighthouse - history is silent. And only 100 years later, in the place where the Pharos lighthouse was erected, the Sultan of Egypt, Kait Bey, built a fortress - it still stands there, having safely survived to this day. Now the base of the Egyptian fleet is located here. From the Alexandria lighthouse itself, only the basement remained, completely built into the fortress.

The Pharos lighthouse will be revived!

For many centuries, the Alexandria Lighthouse was considered the tallest building on Earth. Therefore, it is assigned to 7 ancient wonders of the world. The lighthouse, or rather, all that remains of it, was discovered in 1994 - some fragments of the building were found at the bottom of the sea - archaeologists were delighted with this message from the historical past. And in May 2015, the Egyptian government decided to rebuild the Pharos lighthouse - in the same place where the original was once erected.

A smaller building of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in one of the Chinese amusement and recreation parks

Volumetric reconstruction of the Pharos lighthouse on a scale

It is not yet known when construction will begin. The biggest difficulty when trying to build an exact copy of the structure is the absence of "lifetime" images of the Alexandria lighthouse, so the architects will have to pant, relying only on information from descriptions in several written Arabic sources and photos of the ruins. The appearance of the Pharos lighthouse was reconstructed using computer modeling - only the ruins and its images on Roman coins testify to the appearance of the seventh wonder of the world.

Model of the Alexandria lighthouse made of cardboard, giving an idea of \u200b\u200bthe main structural elements of the building

Interesting to know. Another possible hint for creating a project for a future lighthouse can be a tomb in the Egyptian city of Abusir. It was built in the same period as the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The people even call the tower the Abusir lighthouse. Historians suggest that it was specially built as a smaller copy of the Pharos lighthouse.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was described by ancient historians and travelers, including the "father of history" Herodotus. The most complete description of the Pharos lighthouse in 1166 was made by Abu el-Andalussi, a famous Arab traveler who stated that the lighthouse was not only a useful structure, but also a worthy decoration of Alexandria.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world in life size on the landscape (3D modeling)

The Pharos lighthouse remains the symbol of the city of Alexandria today. Its stylized image adorns the city's flag. Moreover, the drawing of the Lighthouse of Alexandria flaunts on the seals of many government agencies, including the local university.
The structure of the minarets of Islamic mosques is identical to the architecture of the Alexandria lighthouse.
The reconstructions of the Pharos lighthouse are strikingly similar to the Empire State Building in New York.
A replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in Window of the World, China.
It is assumed that in the first attempts to determine the radius of the Earth, ancient Greek scientists used the Alexandria (Pharos) lighthouse.

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The Alexandria Lighthouse is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Pharos, located ...

From Masterweb

22.05.2018 02:00

The Alexandria Lighthouse is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Pharos, located off the coast of the ancient city of Alexandria (the territory of modern Egypt). It is thanks to the name of this island that the lighthouse was also known as Pharos.

The height of this grandiose structure, according to the testimony of various historians, was approximately 120-140 meters. For many centuries it remained one of the tallest structures on our planet, second only to the pyramids at Giza.

Beginning of construction of the lighthouse

The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was conveniently located at the intersection of numerous trade routes. The city developed rapidly, more and more ships entered its harbor, and the construction of a lighthouse became an urgent need.

Some historians believe that, in addition to the usual function of ensuring the safety of mariners, the lighthouse could have an adjacent, no less important function. In those days, the rulers of Alexandria feared a possible attack from the sea, and such a colossal structure like the Alexandria lighthouse could serve as an excellent observation point.

Initially, the lighthouse was not equipped with a complex system of signal lights; it was built several hundred years later. At first, signals to ships were given using smoke from a fire, and therefore the lighthouse was effective only in the daytime.

Unusual design of the Alexandria lighthouse

Such a large-scale construction for those times was a grandiose and very ambitious project. However, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in a very short time - it lasted no more than 20 years.

For the sake of building a lighthouse between the mainland and the island of Pharos, a dam was built in a short time, along which the necessary materials were delivered.

It is simply impossible to tell briefly about the Alexandria lighthouse. The huge structure was built from solid marble blocks, connected to each other for greater strength with lead brackets.

The lower, highest level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a square with a side length of about 30 meters. The corners of the base were designed strictly to the cardinal points. The premises located on the first level were intended for storing the necessary supplies and for the residence of numerous guards and workers of the lighthouse.

A reservoir was built in the underground level, the supply of drinking water of which should have been enough in case of even a prolonged siege of the city.

The second level of the building was made in the shape of an octagon. Its edges were oriented exactly in accordance with the wind rose. It was decorated with unusual bronze statues, some of which were movable.

The third, main level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a cylinder and was crowned with a large dome on top. The top of the dome was decorated with a bronze sculpture at least 7 meters high. Historians still do not come to a consensus whether this was an image of the god of the seas, Poseidon, or a statue of Isis-Faria - the patroness of sailors.

How was the third level of the lighthouse arranged?

For that time, the true miracle of the Alexandria lighthouse was a complex system of huge bronze mirrors. The light from the fire, which was constantly burning on the upper platform of the lighthouse, was reflected and amplified many times over by these metal plates. In ancient chronicles, they wrote that the shining light coming from the Alexandria lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships far out to sea.

Of course, this was an exaggeration of the inexperienced guests of the city who saw this for the first time. ancient miracle light - Lighthouse of Alexandria. Although in fact the light of the lighthouse was visible for more than 60 kilometers, and for ancient times, this was a huge achievement.

A very interesting engineering solution for that time was the construction of a spiral staircase-ramp inside the lighthouse, along which the necessary firewood and combustible materials were delivered to the upper tier. A huge amount of fuel was required to run smoothly, so carts drawn by mules constantly climbed and descended the inclined stairs.

The architect who built the miracle

At the time of the construction of the lighthouse, the king of Alexandria was Ptolemy I Soter, a talented ruler, under whom the city turned into a thriving commercial port. Having decided to build a lighthouse in the harbor, he invited one of the talented architects of that time, Sostratus of Cnidus, to work.

In ancient times, the only name that could be immortalized on the constructed structure was the name of the ruler. But the architect who erected the lighthouse was very proud of his creation and wanted to preserve for posterity the knowledge of who really was the author of the miracle.

Risking to incur the wrath of the ruler, he carved the inscription on one of the stone walls of the first level of the lighthouse: "Sostratus of Cnidia, son of Dextiphan, dedicated to the gods-saviors for the sake of sailors." Then the inscription was covered with layers of plaster and already on top of it the prescribed praises to the king were carved.

Several centuries after the construction, pieces of plaster gradually fell off, and an inscription appeared that preserved in stone the name of the person who built one of the seven wonders of the world - the Alexandria lighthouse.

First of its kind

In ancient times, the flames and smoke of bonfires were often used in different countries as a warning system or to send signals of danger, but the Alexandria lighthouse was the first specialized structure of its kind in the whole world. In Alexandria, it was called Pharos, after the name of the island, and all the lighthouses that were built after him were also called Pharos. This is reflected in our language, where the word "headlight" means a source of directional light.

The ancient description of the Alexandria lighthouse contains information about unusual "living" sculptures, statues, which can be called the first uncomplicated automata. They turned, made sounds, performed simple actions. But these were not at all chaotic movements, one of the statues pointed with its hand at the Sun, and when the Sun went down, the hand automatically dropped. In another figure, a clockwork was mounted, which marked the beginning of a new hour with a melodic ringing. The third statue was used as a weather vane, showing the direction and strength of the wind.

A brief description of the Alexandria lighthouse, made by his contemporaries, could not convey the secrets of the structure of these statues or an approximate diagram of the ramp through which fuel was delivered. Most of these secrets are lost forever.

Destruction of the lighthouse

The firelight of this unique structure has shown sailors the way for centuries. But gradually, during the decline of the Roman Empire, the lighthouse also began to decline. Less and less funds were invested in maintaining it in working order, besides, the harbor of Alexandria gradually became shallower due to the large amount of sand and silt.

In addition, the area where the Alexandria lighthouse was built was seismically active. A series of strong earthquakes caused serious damage to it, and the catastrophe of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world.

Alternative version of destruction

In addition to the theory explaining the decline of the colossal structure by insufficient funding and natural disasters, there is another interesting hypothesis about the causes of the destruction of the lighthouse.

According to this theory, the blame was the enormous military importance that the beacon had for the defenders of Egypt. After the country was captured by the Arabs, the Christian countries, and above all the Byzantine Empire, hoped to recapture Egypt from the people. But these plans were greatly hampered by the Arab observation post located at the lighthouse.

Therefore, a rumor was spread that somewhere in the building in ancient times, the treasures of the Ptolemies were hidden. Believing, the Arabs began to dismantle the lighthouse, trying to get to the gold, and in the process damaged the mirror system.

After that, the damaged lighthouse continued to function for another 500 years, gradually decaying. Then it was finally dismantled, and a defensive fortress was erected in its place.

Recovery possibility

The very first attempt to restore the Alexandria lighthouse was made by the Arabs in the XIV century AD. BC, but it turned out to build only a 30-meter semblance of a lighthouse. Then the construction stopped, and only 100 years later the ruler of Egypt, Kite Bey, built a fortress in its place to protect Alexandria from the sea. At the base of this fortress, part of the foundation of the ancient lighthouse and almost all of its underground structures and reservoir remained. This fortress exists to this day.

Often, enthusiastic historians consider the likelihood of recreating this famous building in its original state. But there is one problem - there is practically no reliable description of the Alexandria lighthouse or its detailed images, on the basis of which it would be possible to accurately reconstruct its appearance.

Touch the history

For the first time, some fragments of the lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists at the bottom of the sea in 1994. Since then, the expedition of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology at the bottom of the harbor discovered a whole quarter of ancient Alexandria, the existence of which scientists had not previously suspected. Remains of many ancient structures have survived under the water. There is even a hypothesis that one of the buildings found may be the palace of the famous Queen Cleopatra.

In 2015, the Egyptian government approved a large-scale reconstruction of the ancient lighthouse. In the place where it was built in ancient times, they plan to build a multi-storey copy of the great lighthouse. Interestingly, the project provides for the construction of an underwater glass hall at a depth of 3 meters so that all lovers ancient history could see the ruins of the ancient royal quarter.

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Pharos Lighthouse is located on the ancient island of Pharos (today it is a cape within the city of Alexandria in Egypt). In 332 - 331. BC. Alexander the Great founded the capital of Hellenistic Egypt, Alexandria. Here is the famous Alexandria Mousseion - one of the main scientific and cultural centers of the ancient world, and with it the no less famous Alexandria Library, in which there were almost 700 thousand volumes of Greek and Oriental books. Alexandria was the richest city of its time. Many remarkable structures have been erected in Alexandria. These include the Lighthouse of Alexandria on the rocky island of Foros near the Nile Delta. The use of lighthouses began in ancient times and is associated with the development of navigation. At first, these were bonfires located on high banks, and then artificial structures. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the Alexandria, or Foros, luminous lighthouse was built in 283 BC. The construction of this gigantic structure took only 5 years, which is remarkable in itself. The main building material for it was limestone, marble, granite.

The lighthouse consisted of three gradually decreasing towers stacked on top of one another. The height of the lighthouse is enormous: according to some sources 120 meters, according to the descriptions of Ibn - al - Sayh (XI century) - 130 -140 meters, according to some modern publications, even 180 meters.

The base of the lower tower is square - side dimensions are 30.5 meters. The lower tower, 60 meters high, was built of stone slabs decorated with exquisite sculptural work. The middle, octahedral, 40-meter-high tower is faced with white marble slabs. The upper tower - a lantern - is round, with a dome mounted on granite columns, topped with a huge bronze statue of the patron saint of the seas, Poseidon, 8 meters high.

At the top of the third tower, charcoal glowed in a voluminous bronze bowl, the gleam of which, through a complex system of mirrors, indicated the location of the harbor for 100 miles. A shaft ran through the entire lighthouse, around which a ramp and a staircase rose in a spiral. Carts pulled by donkeys drove along a wide and sloping ramp to the top of the lighthouse. Fuel for the lighthouse fire was delivered through the mine.

The tall lighthouse served as an excellent observation post. The system of metal mirrors was also used to survey the sea space, allowing the detection of enemy ships long before they appeared at the coast. A weather vane, clocks and astronomical instruments were installed here.

The lighthouse, erected on the island of Foros, was one of a kind structure due to its huge size and complex system of light reflectors. This is how Achilles Tatius described it in his novel "Leucippus and Clitophon": "... a bizarre and amazing structure, the Mountain lying in the middle of the sea reached the very clouds, and the water flowed under this structure, and it rose, hanging over the sea."

The Alexandria lighthouse stood for about 1500 years, serving as a beacon, helping to navigate the Mediterranean "cybernetos", as the ancient Greeks called the pilots. The lighthouse suffered twice from earthquakes, but it was restored until finally it collapsed due to the weathering of the stone. Then a medieval fortress was erected on the ruins of the lighthouse.

It seemed that nothing remained of one of the seven "wonders of the ancient world", except for the ruins built into Kite Bay, where they still exist, and the name. The name of the island became a symbol: foros came to mean "lighthouse". Hence the modern "headlight".

In 1961, while exploring the coastal waters, scuba divers found statues, sarcophagi, and marble boxes on the seabed. In 1980, an international group of archaeologists discovered the remains of the Foros lighthouse on the seabed. At the same time, at a depth of 8 meters, the ruins of the legendary palace of Queen Cleopatra were discovered. This is one of the largest discoveries in archeology.