Why was the Alexandria lighthouse built? Lighthouse of Alexandria: brief description of the report. Alexandria Lighthouse on the island of Pharos: purpose

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 monitor the expanses of water and notice the enemy in time.

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

Alexandrian lighthouse: short description for the report

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

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

He is among the most famous miracles the ancient world, along with, and.
The great commander chose the location for the construction of the city extremely carefully: he initially planned to build a port in this region, which would be an important trading center.

It was extremely important that the Alexandria Lighthouse be located at the intersection of both water and land routes of three parts of the world - Africa, Europe and Asia. For the same reason, it was necessary to build at least two harbors here: one for ships arriving from outside Mediterranean Sea, and 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 location for the city, Alexander took into account the location of future harbors, paying special attention to their strengthening and protection: it was very important to do everything to ensure that the waters of the Nile did not clog them with sand and silt (a dam was subsequently built specifically for this purpose, 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.

Alexandria Lighthouse on the island of Pharos: purpose

The Alexandria lighthouse made it possible for ships to sail into the port without any problems, successfully avoiding underwater rocks, shoals and other obstacles in the bay. Thanks to this, after the construction of one of the seven wonders, the volume of light trade increased sharply.

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

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

It was also necessary to install 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 enormous resources. Moreover, not only financial and labor, but also intellectual. Ptolemy I solved this problem quite quickly. It was at that time that he conquered Syria, enslaved the Jews and took them to Egypt. He later used some of them to build a lighthouse.
It was at this time (in 299 BC) that he concluded a truce with Demetrius Poliorcetes, the ruler of Macedonia (his father was Antigonus, the worst enemy of Ptolemy, who died in 301 BC).

Thus, the truce great amount labor force and other favorable circumstances gave him the opportunity to begin construction of a grandiose wonder of the world. Although the exact date of the start of construction work has not yet been determined, researchers are convinced that it happened somewhere 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 from Cnidia. Ptolemy wanted only his name to 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 carved his name on the 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 architect's signature.

What the Faros lighthouse looked like

Exact information about exactly what 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 enhancing the light of the fire. According to contemporaries, it was visible even at a distance of 60 km;

There are several versions of how exactly the fuel was lifted to the top of the lighthouse. Adherents of the first theory believe that between the second and third tiers there was a shaft 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 platform on which the signal fire was burning could be reached by a spiral staircase along the walls of the structure, and this staircase was so flat that loaded donkeys carrying fuel to the top of the lighthouse could easily climb to the top of the building .

Alexandria Lighthouse: Wreck

Served from 283 BC. until the 15th century, when a fortress was erected instead. Thus, he experienced more than one dynasty of Egyptian rulers and saw Roman legionnaires. This did not particularly affect its fate: no matter who ruled Alexandria, everyone made sure that the unique structure stood for as long as possible. They restored parts of the building that had been destroyed due to frequent earthquakes, and updated the facade, which was negatively affected by wind and salty sea water.

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

After this event, the lighthouse significantly decreased in size, but stood for quite a long time - until the 14th century, until another strong earthquake wiped it off the face of the earth (a hundred years later, Sultan Qait Bey built a fortress on its foundation, which can be seen Nowadays). After this, 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 with the help of a satellite, and after some time, scientists, using computer modeling, were able to more or less restore the image of the unique structure.

The Alexandria lighthouse was one of the tallest 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 small island, connected to Alexandria by a mound called Heptastadion.

◈ Alexander named 17 cities after himself, but Alexandria is the only city that has survived and flourished.

◈ Unfortunately, Alexander was not able 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 of the ancient world now lies underwater in ruins. But everyone can swim around the ruins with equipment.

Daria Nessel| Oct 10, 2017

Alexandrian lighthouse, built on Pharos, is an ancient skyscraper, the like of which could only be created after 16 centuries. Due to its unprecedented height of more than 100 m, it is considered one of.

Alexandria Lighthouse - observation outpost

In 332 BC. at the mouth of the Nile River, on a spit flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, Alexander the Great founded the capital of his empire in Egypt and called it Alexandria. The prudent conqueror chose the place so that it would be a convenient harbor at the crossroads of waterways, invulnerable from land and not lack water in the arid African climate.

The desert, stretching a thousand miles to the south, a lake and one of the branches of the Nile Delta provided all the conditions for starting the construction of a city.

The seventh wonder of the world is the Faros Lighthouse.

The death of Alexander the Great 9 years later did not allow this project to be carried out during his lifetime. Diadochus (military leader) Ptolemy I, as a result of the division of the giant power, strengthened himself in Egypt and realized the plans of the Macedonian.

The founder of a family that ruled in Egypt for about 300 years, a descendant of a Greek aristocrat, a comrade-in-arms of the famous commander, an intelligent and careful ruler, managed to bury Alexander in his home, thereby placing his kingdom in a special position compared to other parts of the collapsed empire.

The last representative of this dynasty, Cleopatra, committed suicide in Alexandria after the news of the death of Mark Antony and the defeat of the Egyptian troops by Roman legionnaires.

Having invested considerable funds, he turned this settlement into Cultural Center civilization where outstanding philosophers, poets, mathematicians, sculptors such as Euclid, Heron, Konstantinos Kafavis lived and worked.

The Library of Alexandria and the Museum appeared during the reign of the Ptolemies (co-ruler of Ptolemy I was his son).

Commercial ships from three continents dropped their anchors in the waters of Alexandria. The Egyptian fleet was dominant in the Mediterranean. A reliable port was required, which was what the capital was supposed to become.

The sea routes to Alexandria passed close to dangerous reefs, so the construction of a lighthouse was necessary. In addition, to protect against attacks from the sea, an observation outpost was needed, since the flat nature of the terrain did not allow the enemy to be seen from afar.

Alexandrian lighthouse.

Construction of the Alexandria Lighthouse

The lighthouse of Alexandria was built in a short time, in just 5 years (approximately 285 - 280 BC) and stood for almost ten centuries.

Such a short schedule is explained by the favorable circumstances that developed during this period: sufficient financial and labor resources and non-aggression agreements concluded by Ptolemy with his enemies.

According to the testimony of the ancient Greek historian Pliny the Elder, 800 talents were spent on the Pharos lighthouse.

The coast on which Alexandria was founded had no natural shelter, so a dam and a pier were built to create an artificial bay.

The dam served three functions:

divided the water area into sea and river,
prevented siltation of the bottom,
it was used for supplies during further maintenance of the Alexandria lighthouse.

The pier protected the port complex from storms and hurricanes.

On the eastern rocky coast of Pharos, on a massive granite base with sides 180 by 130 meters, a three-tier fortress was erected with a total height, according to various estimates, from 110 to 180 meters, surrounded by a fortress wall.

The materials for construction were granite and limestone, lined with marble.

The first tier was a structure approximately the height of a 20-story building, with a square base with a perimeter of 120 meters, oriented to the cardinal points.

On its flat roof stood four towers and statues of Tritons (mythical half-humans, half-fish, who pacified or raised waves with the movement of their tail).

Inside the first floor there was a garrison guarding the Alexandria Lighthouse and service personnel, as well as the necessary equipment and supplies of food and water in case of a siege.

The second, forty-meter tier was an octagonal prism oriented in the direction of the winds. Inside this floor, supposedly, there was a ramp along which the fuel was raised to the upper tier.

According to legend, on the second tier there were extraordinary statues: one always pointed to the sun with its hand and lowered it when it set; the other is the wind direction; the third is the time of day.

The last tier of 8 ten-meter columns, covered with a dome, formed a lantern, inside of which a fire burned at night and smoke poured out during the day.

On the roof of the Faros lighthouse, facing the sea, stood a seven-meter bronze statue of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the seas and oceans.

The flame of a giant fire was kept alive by tarred wood around the clock, warning sailors about shoals, reefs and showing the way to the harbor. In fog and rain with poor visibility, the sound of a trumpet notified approaching ships about the proximity of a reliable pier.

Faros lighthouse.

In the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a system of mirrors (made of polished metal plates) was used for the first time, enhancing the glow of the fire and creating a directed beam visible over a hundred kilometers. It was so bright that in the darkness it looked like the glow of a star and sometimes knocked sailors off course as they made their way, guided by the starry sky. The genius of the engineers there remained in the name of the modern optical device: headlight.

Upon completion of the work, this grandiose creation was immediately classified as a wonder of the world.

The Alexandria Lighthouse was designed and built by the architect and builder Sostratus of Cnidia. Pride in his creation forced him to carve his own name on the foundation stones in order to preserve it for future generations. The inscription said that he, Sostratus of Cnidus, dedicated the lighthouse to the savior gods for the glory of sailors.

But the monarch demanded that he be immortalized. The resourceful architect covered the message he had drawn with mortar and wrote “Ptolemy I Soter” on top. Years passed, the plaster fell away, revealing to everyone the real creator of the miracle.

Decline of the Alexandria Lighthouse

The Faros lighthouse was a symbol of Alexandria. It was admired, minted on money, decorated with vases and jugs, and made as souvenirs.

By the 12th century. the structure fell into disrepair, ships no longer came here due to silting and shifting trade routes. The parts were melted down into small banknotes.

In the XIV century. new tremors finally destroyed the masterpiece of culture and architecture. On its ruins, Sultan Qait Bey built a bastion, which has survived to this day.

Now this fortification is a naval base.

Divers found the remains of masonry, partially submerged after seismic activity. This was the reason for a small sensation picked up by the press.

Since 2015, the Cairo administration has been considering the possibility of reconstructing the Alexandria Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was located on the island of Pharos near the coast of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria. The history of the lighthouse is connected with the founding of this city in Ancient Egypt. In fact, the city, compared to other ancient Egyptian cities, is not that ancient. It appeared in 332 BC. thanks to the famous conqueror of Ancient Egypt - Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great chose the location for the future city very carefully. He identified the settlement area not in the Nile Delta itself, but 20 miles to the south, although it would seem that it was in the Delta that two important water roads intersect: by sea and along the Nile River. And yet, the city was founded a little away from the Delta, so that the waters of the great river would not clog the city harbor with silt and sand. Alexandria was conceived as the most important shopping mall at the intersection of river, sea and land routes of three continents. Such a center had to have its own well-defended harbor.

To equip such a harbor, it was necessary to carry out a number of serious engineering and construction works. The first priority was the construction of a dam connecting the coast with the island of Pharos, as well as the construction of a breakwater to protect the harbor from sand and silt, which the numerous branches of the Nile delta carry in abundance to the sea.

As a result, the city had two excellent harbors at once. One of them was intended for merchant ships arriving from the Mediterranean Sea, the other received ships traveling along the Nile River.

In 323 BC. Alexander died, and soon after this the city came into the possession of the new ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy I Soter.

During his reign, Alexandria turned into a rich and prosperous port city, and the construction of the lighthouse played an important role in this.

The purpose of the lighthouse was to ensure the safety of navigation in coastal waters, and thanks to this, the volume of trade carried out through the port of Alexandria increased. The coast of Egypt is characterized by a monotonous landscape - lowlands and plains predominate in it, and for successful navigation, sailors always needed an additional landmark: a signal light before entering the harbor of Alexandria. However, this task could be performed by a much lower lighthouse. Even a lighthouse 35 m high (and this is the height of another Wonder of the World of antiquity - the Colossus of Rhodes) would be somewhat excessive for these purposes.

Most likely, one of the most important functions of the Alexandria lighthouse was to ensure the security of the capital of the Ptolemaic state from attacks from the sea. The greatest threat to Egypt could come from the sea, which was naturally protected from attacks by enemies on land by the desert.

It was to detect the enemy at a considerable distance from the coast that an observation post of considerable height was required. This was especially true due to the absence of any natural hills near Alexandria on which such observation posts could be organized.

The construction of such a grandiose structure required significant intellectual, financial and labor resources, which would be difficult to attract in a turbulent time. war time. However, by the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. The situation was favorable for the start of construction. At this time, taking the title of king, Ptolemy conquered Syria, taking a huge number of Jews as slaves to Egypt. Other important events were the conclusion of peace between Ptolemy Soter and Demetrius Poliorcetes in 299 BC, as well as the death of Ptolemy's worst enemy, Antigonus, and the division of his kingdom between the diadochi.

It was after 299 BC. and the construction of a lighthouse began on the island of Pharos. It is quite difficult to name the exact date of construction. They call it 290, 285, etc. years BC

The island of Pharos in 285 BC. was connected by a dam to the mainland, which greatly facilitated construction work.

The lighthouse on Pharos was completely different from most modern structures of this type - thin single towers. It looked more like a futuristic skyscraper.

To this day, no exact information has been preserved about the size and design of the Alexandria Lighthouse.

The height of the lighthouse ranged from 120 to 180 m. It was a three-tiered tower, the walls of which were made of marble blocks held together with lead-laced mortar.

The base of the lighthouse had a powerful foundation in the shape of a square made of granite or limestone with a side length of about 180 - 190 m. On this site there was a palace or fortress with four towers at the corners. This lowest tier of the lighthouse resembled a massive parallelepiped. 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 third tier of the Alexandria Lighthouse resembled a cylinder topped with a dome resting on columns. At the top of the dome, a huge statue of the god Poseidon, the ruler of the seas, proudly looked out at the world. The fire was burning on the platform below him. There is evidence that from ships it was possible to see the light of this lighthouse at a distance of sixty, or even a hundred km.

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.

A spiral staircase led along the walls to the top of the lighthouse, along which staff and visitors climbed to the platform where the signal fire burned. There was a massive concave mirror installed there, most likely made of polished metal. It was supposed to reflect and enhance the light of the fire. According to sources, a bright reflected light at night showed the ships the path to the harbor, and during the day, instead of it, a huge smoke column, visible from afar, rose up.

The lighthouse of Alexandria immediately upon completion of construction was recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world, becoming the subject of admiration throughout the ancient world. His silhouette was depicted on vessels, minted on coins, cast and carved into souvenir figurines for Greek and Roman travelers. The lighthouse became a symbol of Alexandria. Strabo and Pliny the Elder described the lighthouse in enthusiastic terms.

For almost 1000 years, the Alexandria Lighthouse showed ships the way. Earthquakes gradually destroyed it. In 1183, it still stood on the island; in this year, the traveler Ibn Jabar visited Alexandria. The grandiose structure 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!” By the 12th century, Alexandria Bay was so filled with silt that ships could no longer use it. The lighthouse fell into disrepair. In the 14th century it was completely destroyed by an earthquake. The Mamluk Sultan Qait Bey built a fortress on the foundations of the lighthouse in 1480, which received the name of its creator. This fortress still stands today.

about the Alexandria lighthouse

The lighthouse was erected in the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great. The great commander founded at least 17 cities with the same name in different parts of his vast empire. Almost all of these cities disappeared without a trace. And only Egyptian Alexandria flourished for many centuries and prospers to this day.

The lighthouse was created by the architect Sostratus of Cnidia. Ptolemy II, who inherited the throne after his father Ptolemy Soter, wanted only his royal name to be carved on the stones, and that he be revered as the creator of the Alexandria Lighthouse. Sostratus, proud of his creation, found a way to perpetuate his name. He knocked out the following inscription on the stone wall: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphon, Cnidian, dedicated to the savior gods for the health of seafarers!”, then covered this inscription with a layer of plaster, and wrote the name of Ptolemy on top. Centuries passed, and the plaster crumbled, revealing to the world the name of the true builder of the lighthouse.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, the seventh wonder of the world, is actually the eighth wonder. Before its construction, the walls of Babylon were considered the second wonder of the world. When the lighthouse was erected, contemporaries were so amazed by this outstanding structure that the walls of Babylon were simply crossed out from the list of the Seven Wonders of the World and the lighthouse was added to it as the latest, newest miracle.

The news of the Miracle spread all over the world, and the lighthouse began to be called by the name of the island of Faros or simply Pharos. Later, the word “faros”, as a designation for a lighthouse, became established in many languages (French, Spanish, Romanian).

And in Russian the word “headlight” comes from it.

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 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 seafarers, 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. Huge building It was built from solid marble blocks, connected together 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 thriving 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 condition, and the harbor of Alexandria was gradually becoming smaller 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 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 especially 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. 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 still exists today.

Often, enthusiastic historians consider the possibility 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 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.

It might be useful to read: