Alexandria Lighthouse

The Alexandria Lighthouse, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was a lighthouse built in Egypt by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. The lighthouse was built on Pharos Island, which is located opposite the Port of Alexandria.

Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria on an isthmus opposite Pharos in 332 BC. Alexandria and Pharos were later connected by a breakwater. After the death of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy I (Ptolemy I Soter) proclaimed himself king in 305 BC and shortly afterward began construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The building was completed during the reign of his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280-247 BC).

The Lighthouse was built by Sostratus of Cnidus. The length of the lighthouse was 300 dhira rashashl (162 m) according to the measurements of the geographer Al-Idrisi in 1154. According to current research, its total height is estimated to be at least 100 meters (330 ft). The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built of white stone fragments and structured on four levels. The lowest was a square base, the second a square section, the third an octagonal section and the fourth a circular section topped by a statue of Poseidon or Zeus. This last section had a mirror that reflected the sunlight during the day. This allowed sailors to see the lighthouse from a distance of about 50 kilometers. Ships passing by at night were also protected from obstacles thanks to the flame burning here. In other words, the lighthouse guided the ships entering the harbor day and night. For sailors, the Lighthouse of Alexandria meant a safe return home. However, the Alexandria Lighthouse, a magnificent lighthouse, collapsed due to successive earthquakes. partially standing until 1480, the last of the lighthouse’s stones were used to build the Qaitbay Fortress on this site.

A team of French archaeologists led by Jean-Yves Empereur rediscovered the physical remains of the lighthouse on the floor of Alexandria’s East Harbor in late 1994. He took the first underwater pictures of the scattered remains of collapsed columns and statues. 3.cataloging of more than 300 fragments was completed by Empereur and his team in late 1995 using a combination of photography and mapping. Thirty-six pieces from Empereur’s granite blocks and other discoveries have been restored and are now on display in Alexandria’s museums. Recent satellite and sonar imaging has revealed additional remains of piers, houses and temples that fell into the Mediterranean Sea as a result of earthquakes and other natural disasters. It is possible to dive there and see the ruins.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria is the only one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” that is used for daily life. Because of its architectural structure, it served as a model for lighthouses around the world for hundreds of years. It was also one of the tallest man-made structures in the world. However, it is also the highest of all lighthouses ever built. The lighthouse is universally known as the Alexandria Lighthouse due to its location just outside the harbor. The city of Alexandria, in all its beauty, awaits you, dear visitors!