The Lighthouse of Alexandria | Location, History, Facts, Destruction
The Pharos of Alexandria also called the lighthouse of Alexandria together with the Giza Pyramids were two of the old seven wonders of ancient times. Giza Pyramid still standing while the lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed.
Alexandria itself was one of 17 cities founded by the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. Most of these 17 cities disappeared, but Alexandria in Egypt thrived for many centuries and is prosperous even today.
After the death of Alexander in 323 BC and before he finished the city, his general Ptolemy Soter, the new ruler of Egypt completed the city. As soon as the city was finished, it became very rich and prosperous. Ptolemy built the Pharos to guide the trade ships to the harbor. It was the first lighthouse in the world and the second tallest building after the Great Pyramid.
The idea of this lighthouse was the beginning of establishing a number of other lighthouses in the Mediterranean, such as the port of “Portus” in Italy and La Coruña in Spain.
Where is the lighthouse of Alexandria?
The Pharos of Alexandria was at the entrance of the eastern harbor on the south part of Pharos Island. The lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the prototype of all subsequent lighthouses.
What is the meaning of the word Pharos?
The word Pharos means beacon or lighthouse to guide sailors and it was considered a technological triumph.
When Alexandria Lighthouse was constructed?
The work was begun under Ptolemy I Soter and was not finished until the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Ptolemy II inaugurated the building after 12 years in 282 BC and held a festival to honor his parents.
Who was the Architect of the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
The lighthouse of Alexandria was built by the powerful architect Sostratus of Cnidus, son of Dexiphanes who had a close relation to King Ptolemy I and his son Ptolemy II.
The materials used for the construction of the Pharos of Alexandria?
The Pharos was about 135 meters and the materials used for the construction were mainly limestone, and the decoration was from marble and bronze. While the columns were of marble and granite. Besides, a total of 800 talents of silver were used.
The description of the lighthouse of Alexandria
The Pharos was approached through a solid granite wall that connects the city with Pharos Island. There were four floors(storeys), each built on top of one other.
The first storey(floor) | The ground floor
The first floor was square in shape and it contained 300 rooms used as storage for fuel, rooms for guards, and machines.
The second floor
It was at the top of the square floor and it was a sort of square platform on which stood figures of Tritons at the four corners. A Greek inscription on the northern side of the tower made from lead saying
Sostratos of Dexiphanes (son of Dexiphanes) the Cnidian to Saviour Gods on behalf of the sea-faring. The Saviour gods of sailors are Castor and Pollux, the protector of sailors, or Ptolemy and his wife sister Berenice.
Nest storeys
It was octagonal, the third was circular, and then on the top of it was the Lantern under a dome carried by 8 columns. Above the dome, there was a huge bronze statue of Poseidon, the god of the sea 7 meters high.
The interior of the building contained a cistern in the ground for holding fresh water and also a central shaft provided with primitive lifts to convey fuel up to the lantern. They probably used wood to get light which was then reflected by mirrors made of metal.
Who destroyed Alexandria’s lighthouse?
The lighthouse continued to function until the Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 AD. Then about 700 AD the first disaster occurred. The lantern fell down. According to one story, that was planned by the Byzantine emperor who was afraid to attack Egypt until the magic mirror of the lighthouse could be moved.
The lighthouse was restored during the reign of Ahmed Ibn Tulun in the year 880 AD and again in about 980 AD. At the beginning of the eleventh century, another disaster occurred when the octagonal part fell down because of an earthquake.
The square bottom survived but could only serve as a watch tower, and a small mosque was built above it until the earthquake in 1303 AD destroyed the lighthouse completely. It continued in this way The situation until it turned into Qaitbay fort in 1480 AD. It is said that there are many stones from the old lighthouse that were used in building Qaitbay Castle.
In 1480 AD, the Mameluke sultan Qaitbay fortified Alexandria as a part of his defensive plan against the Turks who were threatening Egypt at that time. He built a fort on the site of the old lighthouse. That took a shape of a square castle with a mosque in it. That forte lasts until the English bombardment of the city in 1882.
Conclusion
The Pharos of Alexandria was the most famous lighthouse in ancient times and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world such as
- Colossus of Rhodes,
- Great Pyramid of Giza
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
- Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- Lighthouse of Alexandria
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