The lighthouse of Athens glittering golden. Seven Wonders of the World: Pharos Lighthouse, Egypt (world of travel)

24.11.2021

The Alexandria or Pharos lighthouse is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Construction began under Alexander the Great and completed under Ptolemy I. Briefly described, its importance was of a strategic nature. The uniqueness of the building was due to the non-standard height of the building.

Alexander the Great founded the city of the same name south of the Nile River delta. To create strategically important sea trade routes, a port and a harbor were needed. The harbor was necessary due to frequent shipwrecks in that area - at night the ships crashed on the rocky terrain of the reservoir.

The lighthouse had an important functional solution - to illuminate the location of stones, to direct ships towards the port and to warn in advance an enemy attack.

History of creation

Only a sufficiently tall building could handle such functionality. According to the plans, the architect Sostratus of Cnidus indicated the height of the lighthouse at 120 m. Some sources indicate 135-150 m. At the time of the 4th century BC, such a structure became a giant. The construction was supposed to last 20 years, but it went much faster - up to 12 years. According to another version - in 5-6 years.

Where is the Lighthouse of Alexandria located on the world map

The Alexandria lighthouse, a brief description of which allows you to learn about the alleged place of its construction, was located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria. Now it is connected to the mainland by an embankment. This part on the modern world map belongs to the Republic of Egypt.

Construction features

The appearance of the Alexandria lighthouse was significantly different from the architecture of that time. The direction was set in such a way that each wall pointed to the corresponding side of the world.

Under Alexander the Great, there were not enough resources for quick construction. Therefore, the construction was originally supposed to last 20 years. But after the death of the Macedonian and the conquest of the lands of Ptolemy, these resources appeared.

Ptolemy had several squads of Jewish slaves who could start building. A dam was organized between the island and the mainland for easier transportation of people and building materials.

What the Lighthouse of Alexandria looked like

Sailing sailors artistically described the characteristic features of the sculptures located along the contour of the lighthouse. One of them pointed to the sun. At night, the hand of the sculpture went down. Another statue was beating time every hour. The third indicated the direction of the wind.

The version with the third sculpture can be called confirmed, since the second tier was located in the direction of the wind rose. Accordingly, one of the statues could really show the direction, according to the principle of a weather vane.

There is a version that mechanisms were involved that are responsible for displaying weather conditions. One of the statues worked on the principle of accumulating solar energy or a similar mechanism, and the other - on the principle of a cuckoo clock. This version has not been reliably confirmed.

I (lower) tier

The lowest block was in the form of a square, each side of which was 30-31 m. The height of the first tier reached 60 m. This foundation part became the main one. In those days, the height of the foundation did not exceed 10 meters, which was an innovation for the lighthouse. The corners of the lower floor were decorated with statues in the form of tritons.

The practical purpose of the tier was to position the guards and workers of the lighthouse in these rooms. Food and fuel for the lantern were also stored here.

II (middle) tier

The middle tier had a height of 40 m, the outer cladding was made of marble slabs. The octagonal shape of this part of the building faced the direction of the winds. Thus, the enlarged architectural solution of Sostratus of Cnidus took into account all the outgoing data. The statues that adorned the tier served as weather vane.

III (upper) tier

The third cylindrical tier was the main one for the lighthouse. A statue stood on 8 granite columns.

There are 3 versions whose figure was depicted:

God of the seas Poseidon.
Isis-Faria, goddess of prosperous sailors.
Zeus the Savior, the main god.

Its material also differs in two versions: bronze or gold. The height of the statue reached 7-8 m. The top of the lighthouse was domed in the form of a cone. There was a platform for a signal light under the statue. The increase in the amount of light was created with the help of concave mirrors (possibly bronze) made of metal according to one version and the same shape of smooth polished stones according to the other. G

A number of disputes arose over the delivery of fuel:

One of the versions about the delivery using a lifting mechanism inside the lighthouse in the mine.
Another story tells about the lifting of fuel on mules along a spiral ramp.
The third version modified the second - donkeys were delivered along a gentle staircase.

One of the versions of fuel delivery for the lamp to the upper tier of the Alexandria lighthouse

Pharos is the island where the lighthouse was located. The delivery of fuel and provisions for the guards would take place by boat, which would significantly complicate transportation. Therefore, it was decided to build a dam from the island to the mainland. Subsequently, the dam was trampled, forming a land isthmus.

Height and range of outgoing light

There are very conflicting data regarding the range of the outgoing light. One version is 51 km, the other - 81. But according to Struysky's mathematical calculations, for such a range of light, the height of the lighthouse should have been at least 200-400 m. The most probable version is that the light from the building emanated no more than 20 km.

At night, the lighthouse was illuminated with fire, and during the day it served as a designation in the form of an outgoing column of smoke.

Additional purpose

The Alexandria lighthouse, a brief description of which is in scientific publications, had an additional purpose. By the time of construction, Alexander the Great was expecting an attack by the Ptolemies on the water. Lighting could warn the advantage of a surprise attack from enemies. For this purpose, a sentry post was located on the lower floor, which periodically scanned the sea.

Macedonian was feared based on the experiences of other rulers. At that time, Demetrius Poliorketus suddenly attacked the harbor of Piraeus, taking advantage of the enemy's limited visibility. Demetrius also appeared off the Egyptian shores after an unsuccessful campaign against Ptolemy.

Egypt then escaped the fight due to a violent storm that destroyed a large part of the enemy's fleet. Alexander began construction of an important lighthouse, but only Ptolemy I was able to complete it. Under the lighthouse on the underground floor there was a large cistern with water for the time of the proposed siege.

What happened to the Alexandria lighthouse

There are several reasons for the destruction of the lighthouse:

Due to the death of Alexander the Great, the central focus of the lighthouse was lost. It gradually collapsed due to insufficient funding.
The sea trade route was closed to Pharos, so the need for a lighthouse and a bay was gone. Copper statues and mirrors were melted down into coins.
The remains of the lighthouse were destroyed by an earthquake.

Until 796, the story is the same: the lighthouse gradually collapsed and the earthquake caused damage.

Alternative version of destruction

Further history is divided into alleged parts:

Complete annihilation version	Partial Destruction Versions
The lighthouse was completely destroyed to its very foundations. Almost 800 years later, it was partially rebuilt from strategic military targets. The height of the new lighthouse did not exceed 30 m.	The earthquake partially destroyed the lighthouse, but it was successfully repaired. It stood until the XIV century. The troops were also located here. Due to countless forays, the lighthouse was destroyed over a hundred years to its foundation 30 meters.
	There is another version in which the lighthouse was partially destroyed. It is assumed that his plundering was the cause of the destruction. During the Arab conquest of the Egyptian state, the Byzantines and Christian countries wanted to entice people and weaken the enemy. But a lighthouse was in the way of getting into the city. Therefore, several people secretly made their way into the city and spread rumors about Ptolemy's treasure, which is hidden in the lighthouse. Arab people began to disassemble the insides of the structure, melting metals. This damaged the mirror system and permanently broke the beacon. The structure remained in the form of a standing building, and after half a century it was converted into a fortress.

The meaning of the wonder of the world in the modern world

The Lighthouse of Alexandria has preserved the remains of the foundation, which in the modern world is occupied by the fort of Kite Bay (or the Alexandria fortress). In short, the fortress served as a protective citadel of Turkey, but was conquered by the Napoleonic army during the weakening of the state.

In the 9th century, the Alexandrian fortress was ruled by Egypt. At this time, it was strengthened and equipped with modern weapons at that time. After a strong attack by British troops, it was again destroyed. By the end of the 20th century, the fort was completely rebuilt.

With such a long history, the fortress acquired a new value. For this reason, they did not want to rebuild the Alexandria lighthouse in its former place - this would destroy those historical monuments that were erected after the destruction of the lighthouse.

Recoverability

By the 15th century on the site of the Alexandria lighthouse, the fort-fortress of Kite Bay was built. According to one version, the fragments of the lighthouse were used. According to the other, the fort was built in the surviving part of the building. At the end of the 20th century, there was an international discussion of the restoration of the lighthouse.

The Egyptians planned to start work elsewhere, their initiative was supported by the countries:

Italy.
Greece.
France.
Germany.

The project is planned to be named "Medistone". It includes the reconstruction of the architectural structures of the Ptolemy era. Expert assessment of the project in the region of $ 40 million. The bulk of the budget will go towards building modern amenities such as a business center, restaurant, diving club, hotel and museum with the Lighthouse of Alexandria themed.

The location of the new reconstructed structure has been discussed for a long time. The Egyptians did not want to give up the original location of the lighthouse due to its current importance with the fort built. It was decided to build a new lighthouse to the east in the bay on a five-pointed float. The center of the float will be decorated with a glass interpretation of the lighthouse.

The number of storeys will be preserved with different level parts. Each of them will be equipped with an observation deck for tourists. From each floor you can go out to view the sea and city views. The height of the New Lighthouse will be up to 50 m. A star on steel supports will be installed on top, which will serve as an illuminator. The highest point is planned up to 106 m.

The main interest of tourists is due to the planned construction of an underwater hall. Its depth will reach 3 m.

The possibility of this construction was due to the location of the royal quarter of Alexandria. The city was located in a seismically active zone, so a significant part of it went under water. Transporting the find is problematic due to its many years of being under water. The presence of an underwater hall will allow anyone to explore the lost quarter.

Interesting facts about the Alexandria lighthouse

The Alexandria lighthouse, a brief description of which allows you to learn about the details of the internal construction, is surrounded by several interesting facts.

For example, like this:

The search for the lost quarter began back in 1968 by the archaeologist Honor Frost. By the time the remains of the city were found, she was awarded the medal "For Egyptian Underwater Archeology".
Sostratus of Cnidus wanted to immortalize his name. Under the plaster, he applied the phrase about the construction of this lighthouse with his hands for sailors. The upper layer testified to the dedication of the building to Ptolemy. This was discovered many years later when the plaster began to fall off.
The lighthouse is known under two names - Alexandria and Pharos. The first name comes from the city where the lighthouse was located. According to another version - in honor of the Macedonian, who began construction. The second name is known because of the island on which the building was located.
It is not known for certain which statue stood under the dome of the lighthouse. This is due to the different countries that occupied the land. A different culture with a foreign religion changed oral history. There is no documented information, which is why the versions about the statue are so different. They have one thing in common - the figure was associated with a deity of government and / or the sea.

The Alexandria lighthouse provided people with work and food, stored water supplies for the city in the event of a siege... To briefly describe its function: it illuminated the rocky bottom and helped to see the enemy. Its uniqueness attracted Herodotus, which is why he mentioned the lighthouse on his list of wonders of the world.

Article formatting: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: Lighthouse of Alexandria

Alexandria (Pharos) lighthouse:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lighthouse
Alexandrian lighthouse Φάρος της Αλεξάνδρειας
Alexandrian lighthouse, drawing by archaeologist G. Tirsch (1909)
Country	Egypt
Location	Alexandria
Beacon height	140 meters
Distance	50 kilometers
Acting	No

Alexandrian lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons

K: Wikipedia: Link to Wikimedia Commons directly in the article Coordinates: 31 ° 12'51 ″ s. NS. 29 ° 53'06 ″ east etc. / 31.21417 ° N NS. 29.88500 ° E etc./ 31.21417; 29.88500(G) (I)

Alexandrian lighthouse (Pharos lighthouse) is a lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC. NS. on the island of Pharos near the Egyptian city of Alexandria, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Construction history

The lighthouse was built so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to the Alexandrian Bay. At night, they were helped in this by the reflection of the flames, and during the day - by a column of smoke. The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 AD. NS. was badly damaged by an earthquake. Subsequently, the Arabs who came to Egypt tried to restore it, and by the XIV century. the height of the lighthouse was about 30 m. At the end of the 15th century, Sultan Kayt-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 off the coast of Alexandria. This bustling port was founded by Alexander the Great during a visit to Egypt in 332 BC. NS. The structure was named after the island. Its construction was supposed to take 20 years, and it was completed around 283 BC. NS. , during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. The construction of this gigantic structure took only 5 years. Architect - Sostrat of Cnidus.

The Pharos lighthouse consisted of three marble towers, which stood on a base of massive stone blocks. The first part of the tower was rectangular; it contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this section was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading up to the top. The upper part of the tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned.

Guide light

The death of the lighthouse

Research

In 1968, under the auspices of UNESCO, the ruins of the lighthouse were examined 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., Neikhardt A.A. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
... Peter A. Clayton

Notes (edit)

Excerpt from Alexandria Lighthouse

The battle of Borodino, followed by the 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 activity of states and peoples, in their clashes with each other, is 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 the historical descriptions of how some king or emperor, having quarreled with another emperor or king, gathered an army, fought with the army of the enemy, won a victory, killed three, five, ten thousand people and, as a result, conquered the state and the whole people in several million; no matter how incomprehensible 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 truth that greater or lesser successes of the troops of one people against the troops of another people are the essence of the reasons or, at least, significant signs of an increase or decrease in the strength of the peoples. The army won the victory, and at once the rights of the victorious people increased to the detriment of the vanquished. The army was defeated, and immediately, according to the degree of defeat, the people are deprived of their rights, and with the complete defeat of their army, they completely submit.
So it was (in history) from ancient times to the present. 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 powers of France increase. The French victory at Jena and Auerstät destroyed 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 six hundred thousandth army ceased to exist, then Napoleonic France. It is impossible to drag facts onto 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, is impossible.
After the Borodino victory of the French there was not a single not only general, but any significant battle, 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 is not a historical phenomenon (historians' loophole when something does not fit their standard); if the matter concerned a short-lived clash, in which small numbers of troops would participate, we could take this phenomenon as an exception; but this event took place in front of our fathers, for whom the question of the 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 a reason for conquest, but not even a permanent sign of conquest; proved that the power that decides the fate of peoples lies not in the conquerors, even in armies and battles, but in something else.
French historians, describing the position of the French army before leaving Moscow, argue that everything in the Grand Army was in order, except for cavalry, artillery and carts, and there was no fodder for horses and cattle. Nothing could help this disaster, because the surrounding peasants burned their hay and did not give it to the French.
The won battle did not bring the usual results, because the peasants Karp and Vlas, who, after the French performance, came to Moscow with carts to rob the city and generally did not show heroic feelings personally, and all the countless number of such peasants did not bring hay to Moscow for good money, which they offered, but burned him.

Let us imagine two people who went out to a duel with swords in accordance with all the rules of the art of fencing: fencing continued for quite a long time; suddenly one of the opponents, feeling himself wounded - realizing that this was not a joke, but concerns his life, threw his sword and, taking the first club he came across, began to turn it around. But let us imagine that the enemy, who so reasonably used the best and simplest means to achieve the goal, at the same time inspired by the legends of chivalry, would want to hide the essence of the matter and insist that he, according to all the rules of art, won with swords. One can imagine what confusion and ambiguity would result from such a description of the fight that took place.
The swordsman who demanded a fight according to the rules of the art were the French; his opponent, who threw down his sword and raised a club, were Russians; people trying to explain everything according to the rules of fencing are the historians who wrote about this event.
Since the fire of Smolensk, a war began, which does not fit any previous legends of wars. The burning of cities and villages, the retreat after the battles, the blow of Borodin and again the retreat, the abandonment and fire of Moscow, the catching of marauders, the transfer of transports, the partisan war - all these were deviations from the rules.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In 285 BC. NS. the island was connected to the shore by an artificial dam about 750 meters long. The construction of the lighthouse was entrusted to the famous architect Sostratus of Cnidus. He enthusiastically set to work, and five years later the three-story tower about 120 meters high was completed. The first floor in the form of a square was built of large slabs. Its walls, about 30.5 meters long, were facing the four cardinal directions - north, east, south and west. The second floor was an octahedral tower faced with marble slabs and oriented in the direction of the eight main winds. A round lantern on the third floor was crowned with a dome, on which stood a seven-meter bronze statue of the god of the seas, Poseidon.

Alexandrian lighthouse.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In 332-331. BC. Tsar Alexander the Great in the Nile Delta founded Alexandria, which became the capital of Hellenistic Egypt. The city was remarkable because it was built according to a single plan. The richest quarters were Brucheion - a quarter of palaces, gardens, parks and royal tombs. There was also the tomb of Alexander the Great, whose body was brought from Babylon, where he died in 323 BC. The fame of Alexandria was also greatly facilitated by the world-famous Museion (temple of the muses) - a place for scientific studies and an educational refuge for scientists who worked in various branches of science. Museion became the center of scientific life in the brilliant Egyptian capital, something like an academy of sciences.

Lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos

Mathematics and mechanics developed especially successfully in Alexandria. Here lived and worked such outstanding scientists as the mathematician Euclid, who outlined the foundations of geometry in his work "Elements", and the inventor Heron of Alexandria, much ahead of his time. He created a variety of machines and built a device, in fact, a real steam engine.

Sometimes the creations of scientists amazed the imagination of their contemporaries. One of these miracles was Alexandrian lighthouse... It was built on a cliff overlooking the eastern coast of the island of Pharos. Due to shoals, pitfalls, sediments and sediments at the bottom of the sea, ships passed to the harbors of Alexandria very carefully.

The height of the Alexandria lighthouse

The first floor in the form of a square was built of large slabs. Its walls, about 30.5 meters long, were facing the four cardinal directions - north, east, south and west.
The second floor was an octahedral tower faced with marble slabs and oriented in the direction of the eight main winds.
A round lantern on the third floor was crowned with a dome, on which stood a seven-meter bronze statue of the god of the seas, Poseidon.

The dome rested on eight polished granite columns. A lighthouse fire burned here. Its light intensified, reflecting in a system of metal mirrors. The sailors saw him from afar, 60 kilometers away. Fuel for the fire was brought up on donkeys along a gentle spiral staircase.

Some researchers believe that there was an elevator inside the building that lifted firewood and people serving Alexandrian lighthouse.

The lighthouse was at the same time a fortress. There was a large garrison here. In the underground part of the tower, in case of a siege, there was a huge cistern for drinking water. Alexandrian lighthouse served also as an observation post - an ingenious system of mirrors made it possible to observe the sea space from the top of the tower and detect enemy ships long before they sailed to the city.

The octagonal tower was decorated with numerous bronze statues that served as weather vane or equipped with various mechanisms. Travelers told miracles about the statues.

One of them seemed to always point her hand at the Sun along the entire path of its movement across the firmament and dropped her hand when it set. The other beat every hour, day and night. It was as if there was such a statue, which pointed with its hand to the sea if an enemy fleet appeared on the horizon, and issued a warning cry when the enemy ships approached the harbor.

Alexandria Lighthouse - Wonder of the World

The Pharos lighthouse stood until the XIV century. By 1326, when it was finally destroyed by an earthquake, the height of the lighthouse was no more than 30 meters, that is, a quarter of the original height. But even in this form, this monument of ancient architecture aroused the admiration of Arab authors (in 640, Alexandria was conquered by the Arabs).

The remains of the tower's high pedestal have survived to this day, but they are completely unacceptable for architects and archaeologists, since they turned out to be built into a medieval Arab fortress.

In ancient times, all lighthouses began to be called the word "pharos". The memory of the miracle of construction technology has come down to us in the word "headlight".

One of the Seven Wonders of the World is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a structure built on the island of Pharos in the third century BC. The building is located not far from the famous Alexandria, in connection with which it was given such a name. Another option could be the phrase "Pharos lighthouse" - from the name of the island on which it is located.

The purpose

The first wonder of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria - was originally intended to help lost sailors who want to get to the coast, safely breaking the underwater reefs. At night, the path was illuminated by tongues of flame and signal beams of light emanating from a huge fire, and by day - columns of smoke emanating from a fire located at the very top of this sea tower. The Alexandria lighthouse served faithfully for almost a thousand years, but was very badly damaged by the earthquake in 796. After this earthquake, five more very powerful and long-term tremors are recorded in history, which finally put out of action this magnificent creation of human hands. Of course, they tried to reconstruct it more than once, but all attempts led only to the fact that a small fortress was left of it, which was built by Sultan Kait-bey in the 15th century. It is this fortress that can be seen today. She is all that remains of this magnificent human creation.

History

Let's delve a little into history and find out how this wonder of the world was built, because it is really exciting and interesting. How many things happened, what features of the construction and its purpose - we will tell you about all this below, do not be too lazy to just read.

Where is the Lighthouse of Alexandria

The lighthouse was built on a small island called Pharos, which is located off the coast of Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea. The entire history of this lighthouse is originally associated with the name of the great conqueror Alexander the Great. It was he who was the creator of the first wonder of the world - a thing that all mankind is proud of. On this island, Alexander the Great decided to found a large port, which he actually did in 332 BC during his visit to Egypt. The building received two names: the first - in honor of the one who decided to build it, the second - in honor of the name of the island on which it is located. In addition to such a famous lighthouse, the conqueror also decided to build a city of the same name - one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean. It should be noted that in his entire life, Alexander the Great built about eighteen city-states with the name "Alexandria", but it was this one that went down in history and is known to this day. First of all, the city was built, and only then its main attraction. Initially, the construction of the lighthouse was supposed to take 20 years, but that was not the case. The whole process took only 5 years, but despite this, the construction saw the world only in 283 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great - during the government of Ptolemy II - the king of Egypt.

Construction features

I decided to approach the construction issue very carefully. According to some sources, he chose the site for the construction of the port for more than two years. The conqueror did not want to create a city in the Nile, for which he found a very good replacement. The construction site was set up twenty miles south, not far from the withering Lake Mareotis. Previously, there was a platform of the Egyptian city of Rakotis, which in turn made the whole process of construction a little easier. The whole benefit of the location was that the port was able to receive ships from both the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, which was very profitable and diplomatic. This not only increased the profits of the conqueror, but also helped him and his followers build strong bonds with both the merchants and sailors of the time. The city was created during the life of the Macedonian, but the Alexandria lighthouse was the development of the first Soter Ptolemy. It was he who finalized the design and brought it to life.

Alexandrian lighthouse. Photo

Looking at the image, we can see that the lighthouse consists of several "layers". Three large marble towers stand on the foundation of huge stone blocks weighing several hundred thousand tons. The first tower has the shape of a huge rectangle. Inside are rooms for the soldiers and workers of the port. Above was the smaller octagonal tower. The spiral ramp was a transition to the upper cylindrical tower, inside which there was a large fire, which served as a light source. The entire structure weighed several million thousand tons, excluding the decorations and appliances inside it. Because of this, the soil began to sink, which caused serious problems and required additional reinforcement and construction work.

Start of fire

Despite the fact that the Pharos lighthouse was built during 285 - 283 BC, it began to work only at the beginning of the first century BC. It was then that the entire signaling system was developed, working thanks to the large bronze discs directing the light into the sea. In parallel with this, a composition of gunpowder was invented, which gave off a huge amount of smoke - a way to show the way during the day.

Height and range of outgoing light

The total height of the Alexandria lighthouse is from 120 to 140 meters (the difference is the difference in ground height). Due to this arrangement, the light from the fire was visible at a distance of more than 60 kilometers in bright weather (there is evidence that the light could be seen for 100 kilometers or more in calm weather) and up to 45-50 kilometers during a thunderstorm. The direction of the rays was due to a special arrangement in several rows. The first row was a tetrahedral prism, the height of which reached 60-65 meters, with a square base, an area of 900 square meters. Equipment and everything needed to supply fuel and maintain the "eternal" fire were kept here. The middle part was based on a large flat lid, the corners of which were decorated with large statues of Tritons. This room was an octahedral white marble tower 40 meters high. The third part of the lighthouse is built of eight columns, on top of them there is a large dome, which is adorned with a large eight-meter statue of Poseidon made of bronze. Another name for the statue is Zeus the Savior.

"Eternal flame"

Maintaining the fire was a challenging task. More than a ton of fuel was required every day so that the fire could burn with the necessary strength. Wood, which was the main material, was delivered in specially equipped carts along a spiral ramp. The carts were pulling mules, which required more than a hundred for one lift. In order for the light from the fire to spread as far as possible, behind the flame, at the foot of each column, huge bronze sheets were placed, with the help of which the light was directed.

Additional purpose

According to some manuscripts and surviving documents, the Alexandria lighthouse served not only as a source of light for lost sailors. For soldiers, it became an observation point, for scientists - an astronomical observatory. The records state that there was a large amount of very interesting technical equipment - clocks of all shapes and sizes, a weather vane, as well as many astronomical and geographical instruments. Other sources talk about the presence of a huge library and school in which the elementary disciplines were taught, but this does not have any significant evidence.

Doom

The destruction of the lighthouse occurred not only due to several powerful earthquakes, but also due to the fact that the bay almost ceased to be used, since it was very silted up. After the port became unusable, the bronze plates, with the help of which the light was directed into the sea, were melted down into coins and jewelry. But it wasn't over yet. The complete destruction of the lighthouse occurred in the 15th century during one of the most powerful earthquakes that have ever occurred off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After that, the remains were restored several times and served as a fortress, as well as a dwelling for the few inhabitants of the island.

In modern world

Today, the Pharos lighthouse, a photo of which can be found very easily, is one of the few architectural monuments lost in history and time. This is something that is still of interest to both scientists and ordinary people who like centuries-old things, because many events, literary works and scientific discoveries that are important for the entire development of the world are associated with it. Alas, not much is left of the 7 wonders of the world. The Alexandria lighthouse, or rather only a part of it, is one of those structures that mankind can be proud of. True, all that remains of it is just the lower tier, which served as a warehouse and residence for the military and workers. Thanks to many renovations, the building was not completely destroyed. It was converted into something like a small fortress castle, inside which the remaining inhabitants of the island lived. This is what you can see when visiting the island of Pharos, which is quite popular among tourists. After complete construction and cosmetic repairs, the lighthouse has a more modern look, which makes it a modern structure with a long history.

Future plans

The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the sites under the protection of UNESCO. Thanks to this, various repairs are carried out annually in order to protect the fortress from destruction. There was even a time when they talked about completely resuming the previous view, but they never did it, because then the lighthouse would have lost the status of one of the wonders of the world. But you must see it if you are really interested in history.

The history of the seventh Wonder of the World - the Lighthouse of Alexandria - is connected with the foundation in 332 BC. Alexandria, a city that was named after the great Roman commander Alexander the Great. It should be noted that over the course of his career, the conqueror founded about 17 cities with similar names, but only the Egyptian project managed to survive to this day.

Alexandrian lighthouse

Foundation of the city in honor of the great commander

The Macedonian chose the site for the founding of Egyptian Alexandria very carefully. He did not like the idea of a location in the Nile Delta and so the decision was made to set up the first construction sites 20 miles south, near the marshy Lake Mareotis. Alexandria was to have two large harbors - one for merchant ships coming from the Mediterranean Sea, and the other for ships sailing along the Nile.

After the death of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter - the new ruler of Egypt. During this period, Alexandria developed into a thriving commercial port. In 290 BC. Ptolemy ordered to build a huge lighthouse on the island of Pharos, which would illuminate the way for ships sailing in the harbor of the city at night and in bad weather.

Construction of a lighthouse on the island of Pharos

The construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria dates back to the 4th century BC, but the system of signal lights itself appeared only in the 1st century BC. The creator of this masterpiece of engineering and architectural art is Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. The work lasted a little over 20 years, and as a result, the Lighthouse of Alexandria became the first structure of this type in the world and the tallest building in the ancient world, not counting, of course, the Gisea pyramids.

The height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was approximately 450-600 feet. At the same time, the building was absolutely unlike any of the architectural monuments available at that time. The building was a three-tiered tower, the walls of which were made of marble slabs, fastened with lead mortar. The most complete description of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was compiled by Abu el-Andalussi - the famous Arab traveler - in 1166. He noted that in addition to performing purely practical functions, the lighthouse served as a very noticeable attraction.

The fate of the great lighthouse

The Pharos Lighthouse has illuminated the way for mariners for over 1,500 years. But strong tremors in 365, 956 and 1303 AD. severely damaged the building, and the most powerful earthquake in 1326 finally destroyed one of the greatest architectural structures in the world. In 1994, the remains of the Alexandria Lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists, and later the image of the structure was more or less successfully restored using computer modeling.