Alexandrian lighthouse was one of the highest artificial structures 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 discovered. 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 was an excellent example ancient architecture. The lighthouse was a source of income and an important milestone for the city.
Story
◈ Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria in 332 BC.
◈ After his death, Ptolemy I Soter declared himself as pharaoh. He built a city and commissioned a lighthouse.
◈ Pharos was a small island connected to Alexandria by a causeway called Heptastadion.
◈ Alexander named 17 cities after himself, but Alexandria is the only city that has survived and flourished.
◈ Unfortunately, Alexander was unable to see this beautiful structure in his city since he died in 323 BC.
Construction
◈ The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built between 280 and 247 BC. This is about 12 - 20 years for construction. Ptolemy I died before its completion, so it was opened by his son Ptolemy of Philadelphia.
◈ The construction cost was about 800 talents, which is currently equivalent to 3 million dollars.
◈ The lighthouse was approximately 135 meters high. The lowest part was square, the middle 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, crooked 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 on top and a statue of Zeus or Poseidon in the center.
◈ The designer of the lighthouse was Sostratus of Cnidus. Some sources also credit him with sponsorship.
◈ Legend says that Ptolemy did not allow Sostratus to write his name on the walls of the lighthouse. Even then, Sostratus wrote "Sostratus, son of Dectiphon, 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 heavily damaged during an earthquake in 956, and again in 1303 and 1323.
◈ Although the Lighthouse survived almost 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 the remaining stone was used to create the fort of Qite Bay on the same site.
◈ Now there is an Egyptian military fortress on the site of the lighthouse, so researchers cannot get there.
Meaning
◈ The monument has become an ideal model of a lighthouse and has important architectural significance.
◈ The word "Pharos" - lighthouse comes from the Greek word φάρος in many languages such as French, Italian, Spanish and Romanian.
◈ The lighthouse of Alexandria is mentioned by Julius Caesar in his works.
◈ The lighthouse remains a 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 outstanding monuments ancient world is now underwater in ruins. But everyone can swim around the ruins with equipment.
In 332 BC. Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. In 290 BC. Ruler Ptolemy I. ordered the construction of a lighthouse on the small island of Pharos as quickly as possible as a symbol of the city and a coastal landmark.
Pharos was located near the coast of Alexandria - it was connected to the mainland by a huge artificial dam (dam), which was also part of the city harbor. The coast of Egypt is distinguished by the monotony of its landscape - it is dominated by plains and lowlands, and sailors have always needed an additional landmark for successful navigation: a signal light before entering the harbor of Alexandria. Thus, the function of the building on Pharos was determined from the very beginning. Actually, the lighthouse, precisely as a structure with a system of mirrors reflecting sunlight and signal lights on the top, dates back to approximately the 1st century AD. e., which dates back to the times of Roman rule. However, the Alexandria Lighthouse, which served as a coastal sign for sailors, was erected in the 4th century BC.
The lighthouse was created by the architect Sostratus of Cnidia. Proud of his creation, he wanted to leave his name on the foundation of the structure, but Ptolemy II, who inherited the throne after his father Ptolemy Soter, forbade him to perform this free act. The pharaoh wanted only his royal name to be engraved on the stones, and that he be revered as the creator of the Alexandria lighthouse. Sostrato, being an intelligent man, did not argue, but simply found a way to circumvent the ruler’s order. First, he knocked out the following inscription on the stone wall: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphon, a Cnidian, dedicated to the savior gods for the health of seafarers!”, after which he covered it with a layer of plaster, and wrote the name of Ptolemy on top. Centuries passed, and the plaster became cracked and crumbled, revealing to the world the name of the true builder of the lighthouse.
Construction dragged on for 20 years, but in the end the Lighthouse of Alexandria became the world's first lighthouse, and the tallest structure of the ancient world, not counting the Great Pyramids of Giza. Soon the news of the Miracle spread throughout the world and the lighthouse began to be called by the name of the island of Faros or simply Pharos. Afterwards, the word “faros”, as a designation for a lighthouse, became established in many languages (Spanish, Romanian, French)
In the 10th century two were compiled detailed descriptions Lighthouse of Alexandria: travelers Idrisi and Yusuf el-Shaikh. According to them, the height of the building was 300 cubits. Since such a measure of length as a “cubit” had different sizes among different peoples, when translated into modern parameters, the height of the lighthouse ranges from 450 to 600 feet. Although I think the first number is more true. 
The lighthouse on Pharos was completely different from most modern facilities This type - thin single towers, but rather resembled a futuristic skyscraper. It was a three-story (three-tiered) tower, whose walls were made of marble blocks held together with lead-laced mortar.
The first floor was over 200 feet high and 100 feet long. Thus, the lowest tier of the lighthouse resembled a massive parallelepiped. Inside, along its walls, there was an inclined entrance along which a horse-drawn cart could climb up.
The second tier was built in the shape of an octagonal tower, and the top floor of the lighthouse resembled a cylinder topped with a dome resting on columns. The top of the dome was decorated with a huge statue of the god Poseidon, the ruler of the seas. There was always a fire burning on the platform below him. It is said that the light of this lighthouse could be seen from ships at a distance of 35 miles (56 km).
At the very bottom of the lighthouse there were many service rooms where equipment was stored, and inside the two upper floors there was a shaft with a lifting mechanism that allowed fuel for the fire to be delivered to the very top.
In addition to this mechanism, a spiral staircase led along the walls to the top of the lighthouse, along which visitors and staff climbed to the platform where the signal fire burned. According to sources, a massive concave mirror, probably made of polished metal, was also installed there. It was used to reflect and enhance the light of a fire. They say that at night the ships were guided to the harbor by a bright reflected light, and during the day by a huge smoke column visible from afar.
Some legends say that the mirror at the Pharos lighthouse could also be used as a weapon: supposedly it was capable of focusing the sun's rays in such a way that it burned enemy ships as soon as they appeared in the field of view. Other legends say that it was possible to see Constantinople on the other side of the sea, using this mirror as a magnifying glass. Both stories seem too implausible.
The most complete description of it was left by the Arab traveler Abu Haggag Yusuf ibn Mohammed el-Andalussi, who visited Pharos in 1166. His notes read: " The Alexandria Lighthouse is located at the very edge of the island. Its plinth has a square base, the length of the sides is approximately 8.5 meters, while the northern and western sides are washed by the sea. The height of the eastern and southern walls of the basement reaches 6.5 meters. However, the height of the walls facing the sea is much greater, they are more vertical and resemble a steep mountain slope. The stonework of the lighthouse here is especially strong. I must say that the part of the building that I described above is the most modern, since it was here that the masonry had dilapidated the most and needed restoration. On the side of the plinth that faces the sea is an ancient inscription, which I cannot read, because the wind and sea waves have worn away the stone base, causing the letters to partially crumble. The dimensions of the letter "A" are slightly less than 54 cm. And the upper part of the "M" resembles a large hole in the bottom of a copper boiler. The sizes of the remaining letters are similar.
The entrance to the lighthouse is at a considerable height, because an embankment 183 meters long leads to it. It rests on a series of arches, the width of which is so great that my companion, standing under one of them and spreading his arms to the sides, could not touch its walls. There were sixteen arches in total, and each of them was larger than the previous one. The very last arch is especially striking in its size".
How did the world's first lighthouse end up at the bottom? Mediterranean Sea? Most sources say that the lighthouse, like other ancient structures, fell victim to earthquakes. The lighthouse on Pharos stood for 1500 years, but tremors in 365, 956 and 1303 AD. e. seriously damaged it. And the earthquake of 1326 (according to other sources, 1323) completed the destruction.
The story of how most of the lighthouse was turned into ruins in 850 thanks to the intrigues of the Emperor of Constantinople seems completely unreliable. Since Alexandria competed very successfully with the above-mentioned city, the ruler of Constantinople conceived a cunning plan to destroy the lighthouse on Pharos. He spread rumors that a treasure of fabulous value was hidden under the foundation of this building. When the caliph in Cairo (who was at that time the ruler of Alexandria) heard this rumor, he ordered the lighthouse to be demolished in order to find the treasures hidden under it. Only after the giant mirror was broken and two tiers had already been destroyed did the caliph realize that he had been deceived. He tried to restore the building, but his attempts were unsuccessful. Then he rebuilt the surviving first floor of the lighthouse, turning it into a mosque. However, no matter how colorful this story is, it cannot be true. After all, travelers who visited the Faros lighthouse already in 1115 AD. e. indicate that even then he still remained safe and sound, properly performing his function.
Thus, the Lighthouse still stood on the island when the traveler Ibn Jabar visited Alexandria in 1183. What he saw shocked him so much that he exclaimed: “No description can convey all its beauty, there are not enough eyes to look at it, and there are not enough words to tell about the greatness of this spectacle!”
Two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 destroyed the lighthouse on Pharos so much that the Arab traveler Ibn Batuta was no longer able to get inside this structure. But even these ruins have not survived to this day: in 1480, Sultan Qait Bey, who ruled Egypt at that time, erected a citadel (fort) on the site of the lighthouse. The remains of the lighthouse's masonry were taken for construction. Thus, the lighthouse became part of the medieval fort of Qite Bay. However, the blocks from which the Alexandria Lighthouse was once built can still be distinguished in the stone walls of the fort - due to their gigantic size.
Alexandria Lighthouse - help to seafarers, challenge of the sea elements. This seventh wonder of the world arose thanks to skillful human hands and died due to the vagaries of nature. The Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse, which served people for 1.5 thousand years, was crushed by a series of tremors. The majestic building did not want to give up for a long time and fought to the last, withstanding three earthquakes and collapsing during the fourth. Thus died the highest in ancient world construction.
Faros Island is an ideal location for the Alexandria Lighthouse
The glorious Egyptian city of Alexandria during the time of the ruler Ptolemy Soter quickly grew into a large trading city. Lines of ships with various goods reached out to him. But to get to the local port, they had to maneuver between treacherous reefs, of which there were a lot on the approach to Alexandria. Bad weather increased the risk of shipwreck.
The lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the island of Pharos, near the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
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 traveling far from the shore. "Lighthouse! This is what we need,” it dawned on Ptolemy one of the sleepless nights.
The Pharos lighthouse was a landmark for ancient sailors heading to the port of Alexandria
The ruler was lucky - on the map, at a distance of a little more than a kilometer from Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea there was the island of Pharos, and God himself ordered a lighthouse to be built there. The construction of the Alexandria lighthouse was entrusted to the engineer Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. Construction began immediately, and a dam was even built between the mainland and the island. Work on the Faros lighthouse lasted approximately from 5 to 20 years and was completed at the end of the 3rd century. BC. True, the system of signal lights itself appeared only 100 years later.
The power and beauty of the Faros 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 held together with lead mortar. The best Alexandrian architects and scientists were involved in the construction - it was they who came up with the design of a lighthouse consisting of three tiers.
The Alexandria lighthouse consisted of three stages: pyramidal, prismatic and cylindrical.
The first level of the Alexandria Lighthouse was pyramidal in shape with planes oriented along the 4 cardinal directions. Its protrusions were decorated with statues of tritons. The premises at this level were intended to accommodate workers and soldiers, store equipment, fuel and food.
A spiral-shaped ramp was built inside the Faros lighthouse to deliver firewood and oil to the top
The eight faces of the second stage of the Faros 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 vanes. 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 Faros lighthouse was decorated with a statue of a woman - the guardian of seafarers, Isis-Faria.
Sostratos was proud of the lighthouse for good reason
At that time, humanity did not yet know electricians, and to signal the sailors, a giant fire was lit at the very top of the Alexandria lighthouse. Its light intensified, reflected in the polished bronze plates, and was visible up to 100 kilometers in the area. Ancient legends said that the radiance coming from the Pharos lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships even before approaching the shore.
A fire was constantly burning in the dome of the lighthouse, illuminating the way for sailors at night and during the day in poor visibility.
At night, the direction of the ships was indicated by powerful tongues of flame, during the day - by clouds of smoke. 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 purpose, a flat road in the shape of a spiral was built inside the Faros Lighthouse - one of the first ramps in the world. Although some scientists claim that firewood was dragged to the top using lifting mechanisms.
Drawing of the Faros lighthouse by archaeologist G. Thiersch (1909)
Interesting to know. The Alexandria lighthouse was surrounded by a powerful fence with loopholes, so it could serve as a fort and 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 lighthouse of Alexandria was also a fort and could withstand a protracted siege
Sostratus of Knidos was very proud of his brainchild. He was disgusted by the idea that descendants would not know 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 Dextiphanes, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of seafarers.” But the loyal subject was afraid of the wrath of the Egyptian ruler, who usually takes all the credit for himself, so he hid the phrase under a thick layer of plaster, on which he scraped the name of the vain Ptolemy Soter. Pieces of clay fell off very quickly, and even during the life of the Faros lighthouse, travelers could read the name of its true creator.
Decline and destruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse
Alarming signals 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 fall into disrepair. 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 mirror plates of the Alexandria Lighthouse were stolen and melted down - it is assumed that they “dispersed” throughout the world in the form of coins and ended up in the collections of numismatists.
The only images that give an idea of the architecture of the Faros lighthouse are embossed designs on ancient Roman coins
Earthquakes in 365, 956 and 1303 AD. significantly damaged the building - the epicenters were located a short distance from the place where the lighthouse was built. And in 1323, powerful tremors accelerated the demise of the Alexandria Lighthouse - only ruins remained of the structure...
Modern reconstruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse building
One of the options for Farossoko lighthouse architecture, made of sand
Modern 3D visualizers provide different ideas regarding the appearance of the Alexandria Lighthouse
In the 14th century AD. Egypt was settled by nimble Arabs. The first thing they did was roll up their sleeves and try to restore the Alexandria Lighthouse. But their zeal was only enough for a 30-meter structure - then construction work stalled. Why the Arabs did not continue the restoration of the Faros lighthouse - history is silent. And only 100 years later, in the place where the Faros lighthouse was erected, the Sultan of Egypt Qait-Bey built a fortress - it still stands there, having safely survived to this day. Now there is a base for the Egyptian fleet. From the Alexandria lighthouse itself, only the base remained, completely built into the fortress.
The Faros lighthouse will be revived!
For many centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was considered the tallest building on Earth. Therefore it is classified as 7 ancient wonders of the world. The lighthouse, or rather, all that remained of it, was discovered in 1994 - some fragments of the building were found at the bottom of the sea - archaeologists rejoiced at this message from the historical past. And in May 2015, the Egyptian government decided to re-build the Faros Lighthouse - on the same spot where the original was once built.
A smaller building of the Alexandria Lighthouse was built in one of the Chinese parks for entertainment and recreation.
Volumetric reconstruction of the Faros lighthouse to 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 lack of “lifetime” images of the Alexandria Lighthouse, so the architects will have to puff, relying only on information from descriptions in several written Arabic sources and photographs of the ruins. The appearance of the Faros lighthouse was reconstructed using computer modeling - about appearance The seventh wonder of the world is evidenced only by ruins and its images on Roman coins.
A cardboard model of the Alexandria Lighthouse, giving an idea of the main structural elements of the building
Interesting to know. Another possible clue for creating a project for a future lighthouse could be a tomb in the Egyptian city of Abusir. It was built in the same period as the Alexandria Lighthouse. People even call the tower the Abusir Lighthouse. Historians suggest that it was specially built as a smaller copy of the Faros lighthouse.
The lighthouse of Alexandria was described by ancient historians and travelers, including the “father of history” Herodotus. The most Full description The Pharos lighthouse was compiled in 1166 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 life-size on the landscape (3D modeling)
- The Faros lighthouse remains a symbol of the city of Alexandria today. His stylized image adorns the city flag. Moreover, a drawing of the Alexandria Lighthouse appears on the seals of many government institutions, including the local university.
- The structure of the minarets of Islamic mosques is identical to the architecture of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
- Reconstructions of the Faros Lighthouse are strikingly similar to the New York Empire State Building skyscraper.
- A replica of the Alexandria lighthouse built in Chinese amusement park Window of the World.
- 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 Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Faros, located...
From Masterweb
22.05.2018 02:00The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Faros, located off the coast ancient city Alexandria (territory of modern Egypt). It was thanks to the name of this island that the lighthouse was also known as the Faros lighthouse.
The height of this grandiose structure, according to 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 lighthouse construction
The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was conveniently located at the intersection of numerous trade routes. The city developed rapidly, everything came into its harbor more ships, and the construction of a lighthouse became an urgent necessity.
Some historians believe that, in addition to the usual function of ensuring the safety of sailors, the lighthouse could have a related, no less important function. In those days, the rulers of Alexandria feared a possible attack from the sea, and such a colossal structure as the Alexandria Lighthouse could serve as an excellent observation post.
Initially, the lighthouse was not equipped with a complex system of signal lights; it was built several hundred years later. At first, signals were given to ships using smoke from a fire, and therefore the lighthouse was effective only during the daytime.
The unusual design of the Alexandria lighthouse
Such a large-scale construction was a grandiose and very ambitious project for those times. However, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in a very short time - it lasted no more than 20 years.
For the construction of the lighthouse, a dam was quickly built between the mainland and the island of Pharos, through which the necessary materials were delivered.
It is simply impossible to talk 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, largest level of the lighthouse was built in the shape of a square with sides approximately 30 meters long. The corners of the base were designed strictly according to the cardinal directions. The premises located on the first level were intended for storing necessary supplies and housing numerous guards and lighthouse workers.
A reservoir was built at the underground level, the supply of drinking water of which should have been sufficient 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 in exact 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 shape of a cylinder and topped with a large dome. The top of the dome was decorated with a bronze sculpture no less than 7 meters high. Historians still have 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 the 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 greatly amplified 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 inexperienced guests of the city who saw this for the first time ancient miracle light - Alexandria lighthouse. 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. Enormous amounts of fuel were required to operate smoothly, so mule-drawn carts were constantly going up and down an inclined staircase.
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 prosperous Trading port. Having decided to build a lighthouse in the harbor, he invited one of the talented architects of that time, Sostratus of Knidos, to work on it.
In ancient times, the only name that could be immortalized on a built structure was the name of the ruler. But the architect who built 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 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 Dextiphanes, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of seafarers.” Then the inscription was covered with layers of plaster and the required praises addressed to the king were carved on top of it.
Several centuries after construction, pieces of plaster gradually fell off, and an inscription appeared, preserving in stone the name of the man who built one of the seven wonders of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
First of its kind
In ancient times in different countries The flames and smoke of fires were often used as a warning system or to transmit signals of danger, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria became the first specialized structure of its kind in the whole world. In Alexandria they called it Pharos, after the name of the island, and all the lighthouses that were built after it also began to be called faros. 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 and statues, which can be called the first simple automata. They turned, made sounds, and performed simple actions. But these were not chaotic movements at all, one of the statues pointed its hand at the Sun, and when the Sun set, the hand automatically lowered. Another figure had a clock mechanism built into it, which marked the beginning of a new hour with a melodious ringing. The third statue was used as a weather vane, showing the direction and strength of the wind.
The brief description of the Lighthouse of Alexandria by his contemporaries failed to convey the secrets of the structure of these statues or the approximate diagram of the ramp along which fuel was delivered. Most of these secrets are lost forever.
Lighthouse destruction
The light from the fire of this unique structure showed the way to sailors for many centuries. But gradually, during the decline of the Roman Empire, the lighthouse also began to decline. Less and less money was invested in maintaining it in working order, and the harbor of Alexandria was gradually becoming smaller due to large quantity 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 disaster of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world.
Alternative version of destruction
In addition to the theory that explains the decline of the colossal structure due to insufficient funding and natural disasters, there is another interesting hypothesis about the reasons for the destruction of the lighthouse.
According to this theory, the enormous military importance that the lighthouse had for the defenders of Egypt was to blame. After the country was captured by the Arabs, Christian countries, and most notably the Byzantine Empire, hoped to recapture the people of Egypt. 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 in an attempt to get to the gold, and in the process damaged the mirror system.
After this, the damaged lighthouse continued to function for another 500 years, gradually deteriorating. Then it was finally dismantled, and a defensive fortress was erected in its place.
Possibility of recovery
The very first attempt to restore the Alexandria Lighthouse was made by the Arabs in the 14th century AD. e., but it was possible to build only a 30-meter semblance of a lighthouse. Then construction stopped, and only 100 years later the ruler of Egypt, Qait Bey, built a fortress in its place to protect Alexandria from the sea. Part of the foundation remains at the base of this fortress ancient lighthouse and almost all of its underground structures and reservoir. This fortress still exists today.
Often enthusiastic historians consider the possibility of recreating this famous building in its original condition. 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 restore its appearance.
Touch history
For the first time, some fragments of the lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists at the bottom of the sea in 1994. Since then, an expedition of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology has discovered an entire quarter of ancient Alexandria at the bottom of the harbor, the existence of which scientists had not previously guessed. The remains of many ancient structures remain underwater. There is even a hypothesis that one of the found buildings may be the palace of the famous Queen Cleopatra.
The Egyptian government approved a large-scale reconstruction of the ancient lighthouse in 2015. In the place where it was built in ancient times, they plan to build a multi-story copy of the great lighthouse. Interestingly, the project involves 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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Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
| Lighthouse | |
Alexandrian lighthouse |
|
Alexandrian lighthouse, drawing by archaeologist G. Thiersch (1909) |
|
| A country | Egypt |
| Location | Alexandria |
| Lighthouse height | 140 meters |
| Distance | 50 kilometers |
| Active | No |
| Alexandrian lighthouse on Wikimedia Commons | |
Alexandrian lighthouse (Faros lighthouse) - a lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC. e. on the island of Pharos near the Egyptian city of Alexandria, one of the 7 wonders of the world.
History of construction
The lighthouse was built so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 AD. e. was heavily damaged by the earthquake. Subsequently, the Arabs who came to Egypt tried to restore it, and by the 14th century. the height of the lighthouse was about 30 m. At the end of the 15th century, the Sultan of Qait Bay erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.
The lighthouse was built on small island Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e. The building was named after the island. Its construction was supposed to take 20 years, and it was completed around 283 BC. e. , during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. The construction of this gigantic structure lasted only 5 years. Architect - Sostratus of Cnidus.
The Faros lighthouse consisted of three marble towers standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first part of the tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this part was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper part. The upper part of the tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned.
Guide light
Death of the lighthouse
Research
In 1968, under the auspices of UNESCO, the ruins of the lighthouse were explored by the famous underwater archaeologist Honor Frost: much later, in 1997, for this expedition she received the medal “For innovative underwater archeology in Egypt” from the French government.
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Literature
- Shishova I. A., Neihardt A. A. Seven wonders of the ancient world
- . Peter A. Clayton
Notes
An excerpt characterizing the Alexandria Lighthouse
The Battle of Borodino, with the subsequent occupation of Moscow and the flight of the French, without new battles, is one of the most instructive phenomena in history.
All historians agree that the external activities of states and peoples, in their clashes with each other, are expressed by wars; that directly, as a result of greater or lesser military successes, the political power of states and peoples increases or decreases.
No matter how strange historical descriptions how some king or emperor, having quarreled with another emperor or king, gathered an army, fought with the enemy army, won a victory, killed three, five, ten thousand people and, as a result, conquered the state and an entire people of several million; no matter how incomprehensible it may be why the defeat of one army, one hundredth of all the forces of the people, forced the people to submit, all the facts of history (as far as we know it) confirm the justice of the fact that greater or lesser successes of the army of one people against the army of another people are the reasons or, according to at least significant signs of an increase or decrease in the strength of nations. The army was victorious, and the rights of the victorious people immediately increased to the detriment of the vanquished. The army suffered defeat, and immediately, according to the degree of defeat, the people are deprived of their rights, and when their army is completely defeated, they are completely subjugated.
This has been the case (according to history) from ancient times to the present day. All Napoleon's wars serve as confirmation of this rule. According to the degree of defeat of the Austrian troops, Austria is deprived of its rights, and the rights and strength of France increase. The French victory at Jena and Auerstätt destroys the independent existence of Prussia.
But suddenly in 1812 the French won a victory near Moscow, Moscow was taken, and after that, without new battles, not Russia ceased to exist, but the army of six hundred thousand ceased to exist, then Napoleonic France. It is impossible to stretch the facts to the rules of history, to say that the battlefield in Borodino remained with the Russians, that after Moscow there were battles that destroyed Napoleon’s army.
After the Borodino victory of the French, there was not a single general battle, but not a single significant one, and the French army ceased to exist. What does it mean? If this were an example from the history of China, we could say that this phenomenon is not historical (a loophole for historians when something does not fit their standards); if the matter concerned a short-term conflict, in which small numbers of troops were involved, we could accept this phenomenon as an exception; but this event took place before the eyes of our fathers, for whom the issue of life and death of the fatherland was being decided, and this war was the greatest of all known wars...
The period of the 1812 campaign from the Battle of Borodino to the expulsion of the French proved that a won battle is not only not the reason for conquest, but is not even a permanent sign of conquest; proved that the power that decides the fate of peoples lies not in the conquerors, not even in armies and battles, but in something else.
French historians, describing the position of the French army before leaving Moscow, claim that everything in the Great Army was in order, except for the cavalry, artillery and convoys, and there was no fodder to feed horses and cattle. Nothing could help this disaster, because the surrounding men burned their hay and did not give it to the French.
The won battle did not bring the usual results, because the men Karp and Vlas, who after the French came to Moscow with carts to plunder the city and did not personally show heroic feelings at all, and all the countless number of such men did not carry hay to Moscow for the good money that they They offered it, but they burned it.
Let's imagine two people who went out to duel with swords according to all the rules of fencing art: fencing lasted for quite a long time; suddenly one of the opponents, feeling wounded - realizing that this was not a joke, but concerned his life, threw down his sword and, taking the first club he came across, began to swing it. But let us imagine that the enemy, having so wisely used the best and simplest means to achieve his goal, at the same time inspired by the traditions of chivalry, would want to hide the essence of the matter and would insist that he, according to all the rules of art, won with swords. One can imagine what confusion and ambiguity would arise from such a description of the duel that took place.
The fencers who demanded fighting according to the rules of art were the French; his opponent, who threw down his sword and raised his club, were Russians; people who try to explain everything according to the rules of fencing are historians who wrote about this event.
Since the fire of Smolensk, a war began that did not fit any previous legends of war. The burning of cities and villages, retreat after battles, Borodin’s attack and retreat again, abandonment and fire of Moscow, catching marauders, rehiring transports, guerrilla warfare - all these were deviations from the rules.
