Who built the Alexandria lighthouse. Holidays in Egypt. The unusual design of the Alexandria lighthouse

Faros lighthouse is located ancient island Pharos (today 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 Musseion - one of the main scientific and cultural centers of the ancient world, and with it the no less famous Library of Alexandria, which contained almost 700 thousand volumes of Greek and oriental books. Alexandria was the richest city of its time. Many remarkable structures were erected in Alexandria. Among them belongs Alexandrian lighthouse 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 fires located on high banks, and then artificial constructions. 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 in itself is remarkable. The main building materials for it were limestone, marble, and granite.

The lighthouse consisted of three gradually decreasing towers placed one on top of the other. The height of the lighthouse is enormous: according to some sources, 120 meters, according to the descriptions of Ibn al-Saikh (11th century) - 130-140 meters, according to some modern publications, even 180 meters.

The base of the lower tower is square - the side size is 30.5 meters. The lower tower, 60 meters high, was made of stone slabs decorated with exquisite sculptural work. The middle, octagonal, tower is 40 meters high, lined with white marble slabs. The upper tower - the lantern - is round, with a dome mounted on granite columns, and was crowned with a huge bronze statue of the patron of the seas, Poseidon, 8 meters high.

At the top of the third tower, in a voluminous bronze bowl, charcoal smoldered, the reflection of which, using a complex system of mirrors, indicated the location of the harbor 100 miles away. A shaft ran through the entire lighthouse, around which a ramp and stairs 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. A system of metal mirrors was also used to view the sea, making it possible to detect enemy ships long before they appeared off the coast. A weather vane, a clock and astronomical instruments were installed here.

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

The lighthouse of Alexandria stood for about 1,500 years, serving as a beacon, helping the Mediterranean “cybernetos” navigate, as the ancient Greeks called helmsmen. The lighthouse suffered from earthquakes twice, but was restored until it finally collapsed due to weathering of the stone. Then, on the ruins of the lighthouse, they erected medieval fortress.

From one of the seven "wonders of the ancient world", it seemed that nothing remained except the ruins built into Qayt Bay, where they still exist today, and the name. The name of the island turned into a symbol: “foros” began to mean “lighthouse”. Hence the modern "headlight".

In 1961, while exploring 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 archaeology.

Farossky, also known as the Alexandria Lighthouse - one of the seven wonders of the world - was located on east coast Pharos Islands within Alexandria. It was the first and only lighthouse at that time gigantic size. The builder of this structure was Sostratus of Cnidus. Now the Alexandria Lighthouse has not survived, but the remains of this structure have been found, confirming the reality of its existence.

It has long been known that there are remains of a lighthouse underwater in the Pharos area. But the presence of an Egyptian naval base at this site prevented any research. Only in 1961, Kemal Abu el-Sadat discovered statues, blocks and marble boxes in the water.

On his initiative, a statue of the goddess Isis was removed from the water. In 1968, the Egyptian government approached UNESCO with a request for an examination. An archaeologist from Great Britain was invited, who presented a report on the work done in 1975. It contained a list of all finds. Thus, the significance of this site for archaeologists was confirmed.

Active Research

In 1980, a group of archaeologists from different countries began excavations on the seabed in the Faros area. This group of scientists, in addition to archaeologists, included architects, topographers, Egyptologists, artists and restorers, as well as photographers.

As a result, hundreds of fragments of the lighthouse were discovered at a depth of 6–8 meters, occupying an area of ​​more than 2 hectares. In addition, studies have shown that on the seabed there are objects more ancient than the lighthouse. Many columns and capitals made of granite, marble, and limestone belonging to different eras were recovered from the water.

Of particular interest to scientists was the discovery of the famous obelisks, called “Cleopatra’s needles” and brought to Alexandria by order of Octavian Augustus in 13 BC. e. Subsequently, many of the finds were restored and exhibited in museums in different countries.

About Alexandria

Alexandria, the capital of Hellenistic Egypt, was founded in the Nile River delta by Alexander the Great in 332–331 BC. e. The city was built according to a single plan developed by the architect Dinohar, and was divided into blocks with wide streets. The two widest of them (30 meters wide) intersected at right angles.

Alexandria was home to many magnificent palaces and royal tombs. Alexander the Great was also buried here, whose body was brought from Babylon and buried in a golden sarcophagus in a magnificent tomb by order of King Ptolemy Soter, who thereby wanted to emphasize the continuity of the traditions of the great conqueror.

At a time when other military leaders were fighting among themselves and dividing Alexander's huge power, Ptolemy settled in Egypt and made Alexandria one of the richest and most beautiful capitals of the Ancient World.

Abode of the Muses

The glory of the city was greatly facilitated by the creation by Ptolemy of the Museion (“abode of the Muses”), where the king invited prominent scientists and poets of his time. Here they could live and engage in scientific research entirely at the expense of the state. Thus, Museion became something of an academy of sciences. Attracted favorable conditions, scientists flocked here from different parts of the Hellenistic world. Funds were generously allocated from the royal treasury for various experiments and scientific expeditions.

Scientists were also attracted to the Museion by the magnificent Library of Alexandria, which collected about 500 thousand scrolls, including works by the outstanding playwrights of Greece Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. King Ptolemy II allegedly asked the Athenians for these manuscripts for a while so that the scribes could make copies of them. The Athenians asked for a huge deposit. The king paid without complaint. But he refused to return the manuscripts.

A famous scientist or poet was usually appointed as the keeper of the library. For a long time, this post was occupied by the outstanding poet of his time, Callimachus. Then he was replaced famous geographer and mathematician Eratosthenes. He was able to calculate the diameter and radius of the Earth and made only a minor error of 75 kilometers, which, given the capabilities available at that time, does not detract from his merits.

Of course, the tsar, providing scientists and poets with hospitality and financial support, pursued his own goals: to increase the glory of his country in the world as a scientific and cultural center and, thereby, his own. In addition, poets and philosophers were expected to praise his virtues (real or imaginary) in their works.

Natural sciences, mathematics and mechanics were widely developed. The famous mathematician Euclid, the founder of geometry, lived in Alexandria, as well as the outstanding inventor Heron of Alexandria, whose work was long ahead of its time. For example, he created a device that was actually the first steam engine.

In addition, he invented many different machines driven by steam or hot air. But in the era of the universal spread of slave labor, these inventions could not find application and were used only for the entertainment of the royal court.

The most brilliant astronomer Aristarchus of Samos, long before Copernicus, stated that the Earth is a ball that rotates around its axis and around the Sun. His ideas only caused a smile among his contemporaries, but he remained unconvinced.

Creation of the Alexandria Lighthouse

The developments of Alexandrian scientists found application in real life. An example of outstanding achievements of science was the Alexandria Lighthouse, which was considered at that time one of the wonders of the world. In 285 BC. e. The island was connected to the shore by a dam - an artificially formed isthmus. And five years later, by 280 BC. e., the construction of the lighthouse was completed.

The Alexandria lighthouse was a three-story tower about 120 meters high.

  • The lower floor was built in the form of a square with four sides, each of which was 30.5 meters in length. The edges of the square were facing the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, west - and were made of limestone.
  • The second floor was made in the form of an octagonal tower, lined with marble slabs. Its edges were oriented in the direction of the eight winds.
  • The third floor, the lantern itself, was crowned with a dome with a bronze statue of Poseidon, the height of which reached 7 meters. The dome of the lighthouse rested on marble columns. Leading up spiral staircase was so convenient that all the necessary materials, including fuel for the fire, were carried up on donkeys.

A complex system of metal mirrors reflected and amplified the light of the lighthouse, and it was clearly visible to sailors from afar. In addition, the same system made it possible to monitor the sea and detect enemy ships long before they appeared within sight.

Special signs

Bronze statues were placed on the octagonal tower that forms the second floor. Some of them were equipped with special mechanisms that allowed them to serve as weather vanes indicating the direction of the wind.

Travelers talked about the miraculous properties of the statues. One of them allegedly always pointed her hand at the sun, tracing its path across the sky, and lowered her hand when the sun set. The other chimed every hour throughout the day.

They said that there was even a statue that, when enemy ships appeared, pointed to the sea and uttered a warning cry. All these stories do not seem so fantastic if we remember the steam automata of Heron of Alexandria.

It is quite possible that the scientist’s achievements were used in the construction of the lighthouse, and the statues could produce some mechanical movements and sounds when a certain signal was received.

Among other things, the lighthouse was also impregnable fortress with a powerful garrison. In the underground part, in case of a siege, there was a huge tank with drinking water.

The Faros lighthouse had no analogues in Ancient world neither in size nor in technical data. Before this, ordinary fires were usually used as beacons. It is not surprising that the Lighthouse of Alexandria, with its complex system of mirrors, colossal dimensions and fantastic statues, seemed to all people a real miracle.

Who created the Lighthouse of Alexandria

The builder of this miracle, Sostratus of Cnidus, carved the inscription on the marble wall: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphanes of Cnidus, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of sailors.” He covered this inscription with a thin layer of plaster, on which he placed the praise of King Ptolemy Soter. When, over time, the plaster fell off, the name of the master who created the magnificent lighthouse appeared to the eyes of those around him.

Although the lighthouse was located on the eastern shore of the island of Pharos, it is more often called the Alexandrian lighthouse rather than the Faros lighthouse. This island is mentioned in Homer's poem "Odyssey". In Homer's time it was located in the Nile Delta, opposite the small Egyptian settlement of Rakotis.

But by the time the lighthouse was built, according to the Greek geographer Strabonne, it had moved significantly closer to the shores of Egypt and was one day’s journey from Alexandria. With the start of construction, the island was connected to the coast, effectively turning it from an island into a peninsula. For this purpose, a dam was artificially built, which was called Heptastadion, since its length was 7 stages (a stage is an ancient Greek measure of length, which is equal to 177.6 meters).

That is, translated into our usual measurement system, the length of the dam was approximately 750 meters. The main harbor, the Great Harbor of Alexandria, was located on the Pharos side. This harbor was so deep that a large ship could anchor off the shore.

Nothing is eternal

The tower is an assistant to sailors who have lost their way.
Here at night I light the bright fire of Poseidon.
The muffled wind was about to collapse,
But Ammonius strengthened me again with his labors.
After the ferocious waves they stretch out their hands to me
All sailors, honoring you, O shaker of the earth.

Nevertheless, the lighthouse stood until the 14th century and even in a dilapidated state reached a height of 30 meters, continuing to amaze with its beauty and grandeur. To date, only the pedestal, which is built into the medieval fortress, has survived from this famous wonder of the world. Therefore, there are practically no opportunities for archaeologists or architects to study the remains of this grandiose structure. Now there is an Egyptian military port on Pharos. And on the western side of the island there is another lighthouse, which in no way resembles its great predecessor, but also continues to show the way for ships.

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 the two most 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 outside 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 precisely to detect the enemy at a considerable distance from the shore that required an observation post of considerable height. This was especially true due to the lack 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, having accepted the title of king, Ptolemy conquered Syria, taking him as slaves to Egypt great amount Jews. 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 square-shaped foundation 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 way 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. But only Egyptian Alexandria flourished for many centuries and continues to thrive 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.

One of the classic wonders, one way or another connected with the name of Alexander the Great, is the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Alexandria, founded in 332, is located in the Nile Delta, on the site of the Egyptian town of Rakotis. It was one of the first cities of the Hellenistic era built according to a single plan, and it quickly grew into a large trading city and an enlightened city. There were many amazing and wonderful things in this city. There was also the famous Museyon (Museum-Temple of the Muses), which housed an astronomical observatory, a school, an anatomical theater, and workshops. IN different time Many brilliant Greek scientists lived and worked in Museion - the creator of geometry Euclid, the pioneer of surgery Herophilus. Archimedes was educated and worked here. The wonderful mechanic Heron worked here for many years, who built the first automata and wrote a fascinating book about them, Theater of Automata.

And a passionate scribe and a vain man, King Ptolemy II suffered because the city library did not have some unique manuscripts of Greek playwrights. He sent an embassy to Athens so that the Athenians would borrow the scrolls for a while to copy. Arrogant Athens demanded a fabulous deposit - 15 talents, almost half a ton, of silver. Ptolemy accepted the challenge. The silver was delivered to Athens, and the Greeks had to reluctantly fulfill the agreement. But Ptolemy did not forgive such distrust of his bibliophilic inclinations and his word of honor. He left the deposit to the Athenians, and the manuscripts to himself...

The city had two harbors: one for traffic on the Nile, and the other for Mediterranean sea trade. Both harbors had to remain deep and clear.
Lines of ships with various goods reached the city. 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.
It was necessary to somehow secure navigation.
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 ruler was lucky - according to the map, at a distance of a little more than a kilometer from Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea there was the island of Pharos, where Ptolemy ordered the construction of a lighthouse.

The construction of the Alexandria lighthouse was entrusted to the engineer Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. Construction began in 285 BC, for which 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.
Alexandria was an advanced technical center and the richest city of the world at that time; the builders had a huge fleet and quarries at their disposal; 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.

According to various sources, the height of the Alexandria lighthouse was from 115 to 137 meters (the first and most dangerous “rival” Egyptian pyramids).
For reasons of practicality, it was erected from marble blocks held together with lead mortar.
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.
The eight faces of the second stage of the Faros lighthouse were designed by ancient architects according to the wind rose. Everyone who saw the lighthouse was delighted by the tall, slender female figures made of gilded bronze. From time to time these motionless figures suddenly came to life. These were not just statues, but ingenious machines. Some showed the strength of the wind and sea waves by moving large golden hands on huge blue dials. Others turned to indicate the direction of the wind or followed the movements of the sun and moon with their hands. Women automata also stood near the large Water Clock - clepsydra. They hit the coki. And in fog and bad weather, another beautiful woman blew a curved golden horn, warning sailors about the dangerous proximity of shallows and underwater rocks.
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.

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 was visible up to 100 kilometers in the area. How the brightness and range of the glow was achieved has not yet been established. According to one version, this effect was achieved with the help of huge mirrors made of polished bronze or glass. On the other hand, thanks to the use of transparent polished stones - lenses. Ancient legends said that the radiance coming from the Faros lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships even before approaching the shore.

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.

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 tower contained many ingenious technical devices: weather vanes, astronomical instruments, clocks.

Sostratus of Knidos was very proud of his brainchild. Fearing oblivion, the engineer took a risky violation of the Ptolemaic decrees and on the wall of the first tier he 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 took all the credit for himself, so he hid the phrase under a thick layer of plaster, on which he carved the name of the vain Ptolemy Soter. Sostratus did not hope to live until the time when the plaster crumbled, and it was not in his interests to find out the ruler’s reaction to this act. But the 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. Posidippus, a contemporary of Sostratus, sang it in verses that have survived the lighthouse and brought to us the name of its creator.
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.

Alarming signals about the destruction of the Alexandria 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 majestic building did not want to give up for a long time and fought until the last, withstanding three earthquakes and collapsing during the fourth in 1375.

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 Alexandria Lighthouse was erected, the Sultan of Egypt Qait Bay built a fortress - it still stands there, having safely survived to this day. From the Alexandria lighthouse itself, only the base remained, completely built into the fortress.

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.
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 - the reconstruction of the lighthouse is a bit like the New York skyscraper Empire States Building.
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.

By the way, a copy of the Alexandria lighthouse was built in Chinese amusement park Window of the World.
And it’s interesting - it is assumed that in the first attempts to determine the radius of the Earth, ancient Greek scientists used the Alexandria (Pharos) lighthouse.

Alexandrian lighthouse


Lighthouse of Alexandria, drawing by archaeologist H. Thiersch (1909)
Lighthouse name
original name

Φάρος της Αλεξάνδρειας
Location
Coordinates

31.214167 , 29.885 31°12′51″ n. w. /  29°53′06″ E. d. 31.214167° s. w.
29.885° E. d.

(G) (O)
Height
140 meters

Active
Distance

56 kilometers- one of the 7 wonders of the world, was built in the 3rd century BC. e. in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, 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. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it 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. Sultan Qait Bey erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.

The lighthouse was built on the small island of 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 structure 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 tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this tower was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper tower. The upper tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned.

Guide light

Death of the lighthouse

In the 14th century, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by an earthquake. A few years later, its ruins were used to build a fortress. The fortress was subsequently rebuilt several times.

Literature

Seven wonders of the world

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2010.

    See what "Alexandria Lighthouse" is in other dictionaries: Alexandrian lighthouse - Alexandrian lighthouse …

    Russian spelling dictionary

    This article is about the artistic image. For other meanings of the term in the title of the article, see Pillar of Alexandria. The Alexandria pillar is an image used by Alexander Pushkin in the poem “Monument” 1836 ... Wikipedia

    This term has other meanings, see Lighthouse (meanings). In Kronstadt... Wikipedia

    May imply: A literary image introduced by A.S. Pushkin in the poem “Monument” Informal name of the Alexander Column, going back to this image Lighthouse of Alexandria, according to a number of Pushkinists, implied by A.S.... ... Wikipedia- Lighthouse, UK. LIGHTHOUSE, a tower-type structure, usually installed on the shore or in shallow water. Serves as a navigation reference for ships. It is equipped with so-called beacon lights, as well as devices for giving sound signals,... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

    LIGHTHOUSE, a tower-type structure, usually installed on the shore or in shallow water. Serves as a navigation reference for ships. It is equipped with so-called beacon lights, as well as devices for sending sound signals, radio signals (radio beacon) ... Modern encyclopedia

    A tall, tower-shaped structure standing on the seashore, along the route of ships to show the way to seafarers. At night, a fire is maintained on top of the M. Indicative markers are erected in the open sea, on individual small rocks and shallows, and... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

    Lighthouse, a tower-type structure that serves as a landmark for identifying shores, determining the location of a ship and warning about navigational hazards. M. are equipped with light-optical systems, as well as other technical means alarms:... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

 

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