- Also called:
- Pharos of Alexandria
- Related Topics:
- civil engineering
- Related Places:
- Alexandria
- Egypt
- ancient Egypt
lighthouse of Alexandria
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What was the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most well-known lighthouse in antiquity. Sostratus of Cnidus constructed it around 280 BCE, possibly for Ptolemy I Soter, and completed it during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt. The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria and may have been over 350 feet (110 meters) tall. According to accounts, the lighthouse was built in three stages: the lowest was square, the next octagonal, and the top cylindrical, all sloping slightly inward. A broad spiral ramp led to the top, where a fire burned at night.
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Where was the Lighthouse of Alexandria located?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was located on the eastern tip of Pharos Island in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. Constructed by Sostratus of Cnidus around 280 BCE, during the reign of Ptolemy II, the lighthouse was an impressive 350 feet (110 meters) high. By 1477, however, Sultan Qāʾbeit Bāy used stones from the dilapidated structure to build a fort near the site. In 1994, underwater archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur found stones and statuary from the lighthouse in the waters off Pharos Island.
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Why was the Lighthouse of Alexandria built?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was built around 280 BCE on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt. It was commissioned possibly by Ptolemy I Soter and finished during the reign of his son Ptolemy II.
Designed incorporating the best in Hellenic planning and architecture, the lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and became the archetype for all lighthouses built afterward. It served as a technological triumph. The lighthouse stood more than 350 feet (110 meters) high and was one of the tallest man-made structures of its time, second only to the pyramids of Giza.
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How did the Lighthouse of Alexandria help sailors?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, guided sailors as they approached the harbor. It stood on the island of Pharos in Alexandria and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The lighthouse, completed around 280 BCE, was a technological marvel of its time. At over 350 feet (110 meters) high, it was one of the tallest man-made structures. At the top of the lighthouse, a fire burned at night to guide ships.
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What did the Lighthouse of Alexandria look like?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was a technological triumph built around 280 BCE on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt. It is considered the archetype for all lighthouses built since.
The lighthouse had three sections: a square base, an octagonal midsection, and a cylindrical top. Ancient sources estimate the structure to have been over 350 feet (110 meters) high. A spiral ramp led to the top, where a fire burned at night as a beacon. Some accounts suggest a large statue, possibly of Alexander the Great or Ptolemy I Soter, topped the lighthouse.
The lighthouse stood until the 12th century, but by 1477, Mamlūk sultan Qāʾit Bāy used its ruins to build a fort. In 1994, underwater archeological finds revealed blocks and statuary believed to have fallen into the sea due to an earthquake in the 1300s.
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What eventually happened to the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, a Seven Wonder of the World, stood for centuries, but it eventually fell into ruin. Although still standing in the 12th century, by 1477, Mamlūk sultan Qāʾit Bāy used stones from the dilapidated structure to build a fort.
In 1994, underwater archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur located many of the stones and some statuary that had belonged to the lighthouse in the waters off Pharos Island. The Egyptian government then considered turning the area into an "underwater museum" for tourists to view the lighthouse's archaeological remains.
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lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous lighthouse in antiquity. It was a technological triumph and is the archetype of all lighthouses since. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus, perhaps for Ptolemy I Soter, it was finished during the reign of Soter’s son Ptolemy II of Egypt in about 280 bce. The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos in the harbour of Alexandria and is said to have been more than 350 feet (110 metres) high; the only taller man-made structures at the time would have been the pyramids of Giza. Much of what is known about the structure of the lighthouse comes from a 1909 work by Hermann Thiersch, Pharos, antike, Islam und Occident. According to the ancient sources consulted by Thiersch, the lighthouse was built in three stages, all sloping slightly inward; the lowest was square, the next octagonal, and the top cylindrical. A broad spiral ramp led to the top, where a fire burned at night.
Some descriptions report that the lighthouse was surmounted by a huge statue, possibly representing either Alexander the Great or Ptolemy I Soter in the form of the sun god Helios. Though it was well known earlier, the lighthouse does not appear in any list of wonders until the 6th century ce (the earliest list gives the walls of Babylon instead). In the Middle Ages sultan Ahmed ibn Touloun replaced the beacon with a small mosque. The lighthouse was still standing in the 12th century, but by 1477 the Mamlūk sultan Qāʾit Bāy was able to build a fort from its ruins.
In 1994 archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur, founder of the Centre for Alexandrian Studies (Centre d’Etudes Alexandrines), made an exciting find in the waters off Pharos Island. He had been called in by the Egyptian government to map anything of archaeological significance in this underwater area before a concrete breakwater was erected over the site. He mapped the location of hundreds of huge masonry blocks; at least some of these blocks are believed to have fallen into the sea when the lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1300s. A large amount of statuary was also discovered, including a colossal statue of a king dating to the 3rd century bce that was thought to represent Ptolemy II. A companion statue of a queen as Isis had been discovered nearby in the 1960s, and these statues representing the deified Ptolemy and his wife, Arsinoe, are thought to have been placed just below the lighthouse, facing the entrance to the harbour. Based upon these finds, the Egyptian government abandoned the idea of a breakwater and planned instead an underwater park where divers could view the many statues, stone sphinxes, and remains of the lighthouse.
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