The sixth wonder of the world is Alexandrian lighthouse (aka Faros lighthouse). It was built in the 3rd century BC on.

In Egypt, on the small island of Pharos, not far from Alexandria, there was a bay of great importance for merchant ships. It was for this reason that the need arose for the construction of the Faros Lighthouse.

Hardly anyone imagined that the outstanding structure would enter. At night, flames reflected by the water surface were visible at a distance of more than 60 kilometers, allowing ships to safely pass the reefs. During the day, instead of light, a column of smoke was used, which was also visible extremely far away.

Having stood for almost 1000 years, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was seriously damaged by what happened in 796 AD. When the Arabs came to Egypt (XIV century), they decided to restore the grandiose building, reaching only 30 meters from its original height.

However, the reconstruction was not destined to be completed, and by the end of the 15th century, Kait-bey, a famous sultan, founded a fortress on the foundation of the lighthouse. By the way, it still exists.

Interesting facts about the wonder of the world Lighthouse of Alexandria

During the reign of Ptolemy II in Egypt, it was decided to build the famous lighthouse. According to the plan, the implementation of the idea was supposed to take 20 years, but all residents saw the masterpiece much earlier. The main architect and builder of this structure is Sostratus of Cnidus.

On the marble wall of the lighthouse, he carved his name, and then, applying thin plaster, wrote words glorifying Ptolemy. Naturally, after a short period of time, the plaster crumbled, and the name of an outstanding master entered the centuries. So, Sostratus completed the construction of the Pharos Lighthouse in 5 years, which, by the standards of antiquity, was generally an instant!

The lighthouse of Alexandria consisted of three towers. The first, lowest, rectangular part of the monument served technical purposes. Workers and soldiers lived there, as well as tools and equipment necessary for maintaining the lighthouse. A second, octagonal tower rose above the first part.

A ramp wound around it to carry fuel for the fire. The third tier was a majestic cylindrical building, equipped with a complex system of mirrors. It was here that a vital fire burned, spreading its light for many kilometers around.

The height of the sixth wonder of the world, the Pharos lighthouse, ranged from 120 to 140 meters. At the very top was a statue of the god of the seas, Poseidon.

Some travelers, describing the miracle that struck them, mentioned unusually arranged statues. The first one pointed with her hand at, throughout the day, and when the sun went down, the hand dropped.

The second statue sounded every hour day and night. The third constantly indicated the direction of the wind, playing the role of a weather vane.

In the 12th century AD, ships stopped using the Alexandrian bay due to the fact that it had become extremely silty. This is what caused the outstanding building to fall into complete decline. Even later, in the XIV century, due to an earthquake Wonder of the Lighthouse of Alexandria completely collapsed.

A fortress was erected in its place, which changed its appearance more than once. Now on this historical place the base of the Egyptian fleet is located and, despite various proposals, the authorities are not considering the idea of ​​restoring the lighthouse.

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After the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, a city was founded, named Alexandria in his honor. The city began to actively develop and flourish, becoming a major center of maritime trade. Soon there was an urgent need for the construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Alexandrian lighthouse. Information and interesting facts

The island of Pharos, located 1290 meters from Alexandria, was chosen as the place for the lighthouse. The construction of the Pharos lighthouse, which later became the seventh wonder of the world, was led by the architect Sostratus, the son of Dexifan from Cnidus.

A dam was built to ensure the transport of building materials to the island. The construction itself was executed by the standards of the ancient world with lightning speed, it took only six years (285-279 BC). The new building immediately "knocked out" the walls of Babylon from the list of classic wonders of the world, and took pride of place there to this day. The height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, according to contemporaries, reached 120 meters. The light projected from the tower of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was visible at a distance of up to 48 kilometers.

The lighthouse had three tiers.

The first tier had a square shape with sides of 30.5 meters, oriented to the cardinal points. The total height of this tier was 60 meters. The corners of the tier were occupied by statues of tritons. The room itself was intended to accommodate workers and guards, storerooms for fuel and food.

The middle tier of the Pharos lighthouse had an octagonal shape with edges oriented according to the winds prevailing here. The upper part of the tier was decorated with statues, some of which functioned as weathercocks.

The upper tier of a cylindrical shape played just the role of a lantern. It was surrounded by eight columns covered with a dome-cone. The top of the dome of the Pharos lighthouse was decorated with a seven-meter statue of Isis-Faria (the guardian of seafarers). A powerful lamp was projected using a system of concave metal mirrors. There has been a long-standing debate about the delivery of fuel to the top of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Some suggest that the delivery was carried out with the help of lifting mechanisms along the inner shaft, while others say that the lifting was carried out with the help of mules along a spiral ramp.

Also in the lighthouse there was an underground part, where stocks were located drinking water for the garrison. It is worth mentioning that the lighthouse also served as a fortress guarding the sea route to Alexandria. The Pharos lighthouse itself was even surrounded by a powerful fence with bastions and loopholes.

In the XIV century, the wonder of the world Faros lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake. Currently, only images on Roman coins and the remains of the ruins testify to the appearance of the seventh wonder of the world. So, for example, research in 1996 made it possible to find the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria at the bottom of the sea.

Lighthouse on Roman coins

A hundred years after the destruction, Sultan Kait Bey built a fort in its place. And now there are initiators who want to reconstruct the Pharos lighthouse, in the place where it was originally located - on the island of Pharos. But the Egyptian authorities do not want to consider these projects yet, and the Qait-bey fortress continues to guard the site of the former great building of antiquity.

Kite Bay Fortress

Lighthouse of Alexandria - help to sailors, a challenge to the sea. This seventh wonder of the world arose thanks to skillful human hands and died due to the vagaries of nature. The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Faros), which served people for 1.5 thousand years, was crushed by a series of tremors. majestic building for a long time did not want to give up and fought to the last, having withstood three earthquakes and collapsed during the fourth. So the tallest building in the ancient world perished.

Pharos Island is the perfect location for the Lighthouse of Alexandria

The glorious Egyptian city of Alexandria during the time of the ruler Ptolemy Soter quickly grew into a large trading policy. Strings of ships with a variety of goods stretched towards him. But in order to get to the local port, they had to maneuver between treacherous reefs, which were very numerous on the way to Alexandria. Bad weather increased the risk of shipwreck.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the island of Pharos, not far from the Egyptian Mediterranean coast.

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 sailing far from the coast. "Lighthouse! That's what we need, ”it dawned on one of the sleepless nights of Ptolemy.

The lighthouse of Pharos was a landmark for ancient sailors going to the port of Alexandria.

The ruler was lucky - according to the map, at a distance of a little more than a kilometer from Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea was the island of Pharos, and God himself ordered to build a lighthouse there. The construction of the lighthouse of Alexandria was entrusted to the engineer Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. Construction began immediately, for the sake of it, a dam was even built between the mainland and the island. Work on the Faros lighthouse lasted approximately 5 to 20 years and was completed at the end of the 3rd century. BC. True, the system of signal lights itself appeared only after 100 years.

The power and beauty of the Faros Lighthouse

According to various sources, the height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was from 115 to 137 meters. For reasons of practicality, it was erected from blocks of marble, fastened with lead mortar. The best Alexandrian architects and scientists were involved in the construction - it was they who came up with the project of the lighthouse, consisting of three tiers.

The lighthouse of Alexandria consisted of three steps: pyramidal, prismatic and cylindrical.

The first level of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was pyramidal in shape with planes oriented to 4 cardinal points. Its ledges were decorated with statues of tritons. The premises of this level were intended to accommodate workers and soldiers, store equipment, fuel and products.

Inside the Pharos lighthouse was built spiral ramp for the delivery of firewood and oil to the top

The eight faces of the second step of the Pharos lighthouse were designed by ancient architects according to the wind rose and decorated with bronze statues. Some of the sculptures were movable and served as weathercocks. 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 the sailors Isis-Faria.

Sostratos was proud of the lighthouse not in vain

At that time, mankind did not yet know electricians, and for signals to sailors, a giant fire was kindled at the very top of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Its light was amplified, reflected in polished bronze plates, and was visible up to 100 kilometers in the area. Ancient legends said that the radiance coming from the Pharos Lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships even before approaching the shore.

A fire was constantly burning in the dome of the lighthouse, illuminating the way for sailors at night and during the day in poor visibility.

At night, powerful tongues of flame indicated the direction of the ships, during the day - clouds of smoke. To keep the fire burning, the Romans established an uninterrupted supply of firewood to the top of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. They were drawn on wagons pulled by mules and horses. To do this, they built a gentle spiral-shaped road inside the Faros Lighthouse, one of the first ramps in the world. Although some scientists claim that firewood was dragged to the top by lifting mechanisms.

Drawing of the Faros Lighthouse by the archaeologist G. Tirsh (1909)

Interesting to know. The lighthouse of Alexandria was surrounded by a powerful fence with loopholes, so it could serve as a fort and an 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 lighthouse of Alexandria was at the same time a fort and could withstand a protracted siege

Sostratus of Knidos was very proud of his offspring. He hated the idea that the descendants would not recognize the name of the creator of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Therefore, on the wall of the first tier, the engineer carved the inscription: "Sostratus from Cnidia, son of Dextifan, dedicated to the gods-saviors for the sake of seafarers." But the loyal subject was afraid of the wrath of the Egyptian ruler, who usually takes all the credit for himself, so he hid the phrase under a thick layer of plaster, on which he scratched out the name of the conceited Ptolemy Soter. Pieces of clay fell off very quickly, and even during the life of the Pharos lighthouse, travelers could read the name of its true creator.

Decline and destruction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Alarming signals about the destruction of the Pharos lighthouse began to appear at the time of the fall of the Roman Empire. It was not maintained in proper condition, and once majestic building began to decline. 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 plates-mirrors of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were taken apart and melted down - it is assumed that they "dispersed" around the world in the form of coins and settled in the collections of numismatists.

The only images that give an idea of ​​the architecture of the Pharos lighthouse are embossed drawings on ancient Roman coins.

Earthquakes in 365, 956 and 1303 AD significantly damaged the building - the epicenters were at a short distance from the place where the lighthouse was built. And in 1323, the most powerful tremors hastened the death of the Lighthouse of Alexandria - only ruins remained from the building ...

Modern reconstruction of the building of the Lighthouse of Alexandria

One of the options for the architecture of the Farosso lighthouse, made of sand

Modern 3D visualizers give different ideas regarding the appearance of the Lighthouse of Alexandria

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 lighthouse of Alexandria. But their zeal was only enough for a 30-meter structure - then the 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 Pharos lighthouse was erected, the Sultan of Egypt Kite-Bey built a fortress - it still stands there, having successfully survived to this day. Now here is the base of the Egyptian fleet. From the Lighthouse of Alexandria itself, only the plinth remained, entirely built into the fortress.

Faros lighthouse will be revived!

For many centuries, the lighthouse of Alexandria was considered the most tall building on the ground. Therefore, it is assigned to 7 ancient wonders of the world. The lighthouse, or rather, all that was left of it, was discovered in 1994 - some fragments of the building were found at the bottom of the sea - archaeologists were delighted with this message from the historical past. And in May 2015, the Egyptian government decided to rebuild the Pharos Lighthouse on the same spot where the original was once erected.

The reduced building of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in one of Chinese parks for entertainment and recreation

Volumetric reconstruction of the Faros lighthouse on a scale

When construction will begin is still unknown. The biggest difficulty when trying to build an exact copy of the structure is the lack of “living” images of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, therefore, the architects will have to puff, relying only on information from descriptions in several written Arabic sources and photos of the ruins. The appearance of the Pharos lighthouse was reconstructed using computer modeling - only the ruins and its images on Roman coins testify to the appearance of the seventh wonder of the world.

Model of the lighthouse of Alexandria made of cardboard, giving an idea of ​​the main structural elements of the building

Interesting to know. Another possible clue for creating a project for a future lighthouse could be a tomb in Egyptian city Abusir. It was built in the same period as the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The people even call the tower the lighthouse of Abusir. Historians suggest that it was specially built as a smaller copy of the Pharos lighthouse.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was described by ancient historians and travelers, including the "father of history" Herodotus. Most Full description The Pharos lighthouse in 1166 was compiled 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.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world life-size in the landscape (3d modeling)

• The Pharos lighthouse remains today a symbol of the city of Alexandria. His stylized image adorns the flag of the city. Moreover, the drawing of the Lighthouse of Alexandria flaunts on the seals of many government agencies, including the local university.
• The structure of the minarets of Islamic mosques is identical to the architecture of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
• Reconstructions of the Pharos lighthouse are strikingly similar to the New York skyscraper Empire State Building.
• A copy of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in Chinese amusement park Window of the World.
• It is assumed that during the first attempts to determine the radius of the Earth, ancient Greek scientists used the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Faros).

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Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures humanity. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Pharos, located...

By Masterweb

Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Pharos, off the coast ancient city Alexandria (territory modern Egypt). It was because of the name of this island that the lighthouse was also known as Faros.

Height of this grand structure, according to various historians, was about 120-140 meters. For many centuries, it remained one of the tallest structures on our planet, second only to the pyramids at Giza.

Start of lighthouse construction

The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was conveniently located at the crossroads of numerous trade routes. The city developed rapidly, everything entered its harbor more ships, and the construction of a lighthouse became an urgent need.

Some historians believe that, in addition to the usual function of ensuring the safety of sailors, the lighthouse could have an adjacent, no less important function. At that time, the rulers of Alexandria feared a possible attack from the sea, and such a colossal structure as the Lighthouse of Alexandria could serve as an excellent observation post.

Initially, the lighthouse was not equipped with a complex system of signal lights; it was built several hundred years later. At first, signals were given to ships using smoke from a fire, and therefore the lighthouse was effective only in the daytime.

The unusual design of the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Such a large-scale construction for those times was a grandiose and very ambitious project. However, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in a very short time - it lasted no more than 20 years.

For the sake of building a lighthouse between the mainland and the island of Pharos, a dam was built in a short time, through which the necessary materials were delivered.

It is simply impossible to talk briefly about the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The huge structure was built from solid marble blocks, interconnected for greater strength with lead brackets.

The lower, largest level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a square with sides about 30 meters long. The corners of the base were designed strictly according to the cardinal points. The premises located on the first level were intended for storing the necessary supplies and for the residence of numerous guards and lighthouse workers.

A reservoir was built in the underground level, the reserves of drinking water of which should have been enough in case of even a long siege of the city.

The second level of the building was made in the form of an octagon. Its faces were oriented in exact accordance with the wind rose. It was decorated with unusual bronze statues, some of which were movable.

The third, main level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a cylinder and was crowned with a large dome on top. The top of the dome was decorated with a bronze sculpture at least 7 meters high. Historians have not yet come to a consensus whether it was an image of the god of the seas, Poseidon, or a statue of Isis-Faria, the patroness of sailors.

How was the third level of the lighthouse arranged?

For that time, the true miracle of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the complex system of huge bronze mirrors. The light from the fire, constantly burning on the upper platform of the lighthouse, was reflected and greatly amplified by these metal plates. In ancient chronicles, they wrote that the shining light coming from the lighthouse of Alexandria was capable of burning enemy ships far out to sea.

Of course, this was an exaggeration of the inexperienced guests of the city, who saw it for the first time. ancient wonder light - Lighthouse of Alexandria. Although in fact the light of the lighthouse was visible for more than 60 kilometers, and for ancient times this was a huge achievement.

A very interesting engineering solution for that time was the construction of a spiral staircase-ramp inside the lighthouse, through which the necessary firewood and combustible materials were delivered to the upper tier. A huge amount of fuel was required to run smoothly, so the mule-drawn wagons were constantly going up and down the sloping stairs.

The architect who built the miracle

During the construction of the lighthouse, the king of Alexandria was Ptolemy I Soter, a talented ruler, under whom the city turned into a prosperous trade port. Having decided to build a lighthouse in the harbor, he invited one of the talented architects of that time, Sostratus of Knidos, to work.

In ancient times, the only name that could be immortalized on a constructed structure was the name of the ruler. But the architect who erected the lighthouse was very proud of his creation and wanted to preserve for posterity the knowledge of who really was the author of the miracle.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the ruler, he carved an inscription on one of the stone walls of the first level of the lighthouse: "Sostratus from Cnidia, son of Dextifan, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of seafarers." Then the inscription was covered with layers of plaster and already on top of it the prescribed doxology to the king was carved.

A few centuries after the construction, pieces of plaster gradually fell off, and an inscription appeared that preserved in stone the name of the man who built one of the seven wonders of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

First of its kind

In ancient times in different countries often used the flames and smoke of bonfires as a warning system or to transmit danger signals, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the first specialized structure of its kind in the whole world. In Alexandria, it was called Pharos, after the name of the island, and all the lighthouses that were built after it were also called Pharos. This is reflected in our language, where the word "headlight" means a source of directional light.

An ancient description of the lighthouse of Alexandria contains information about unusual "living" sculptures-statues, which can be called the first simple automata. They turned, made sounds, performed simple actions. But these were not chaotic movements at all, one of the statues pointed to the Sun with its hand, and when the Sun set, the hand automatically lowered. A clock mechanism was mounted in another figure, which marked the beginning of a new hour with a melodious ringing. The third statue was used as a weather vane, showing the direction and strength of the wind.

Short description The lighthouse of Alexandria, made by his contemporaries, could not convey the secrets of the construction of these statues or the approximate scheme of the ramp through which fuel was delivered. Most of these secrets are lost forever.

Destruction of the lighthouse

The firelight of this unique building has shown the way to sailors for many centuries. But gradually, during the decline of the Roman Empire, the lighthouse also began to fall into disrepair. Less and less money was invested in its maintenance in working order, besides, the harbor of Alexandria gradually became smaller due to a large number sand and silt.

In addition, the area where the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built was seismically active. A series of strong earthquakes caused him serious damage, and the catastrophe of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world.

Alternative version of destruction

In addition to the theory explaining the decline of the colossal structure by insufficient funding and natural disasters, there is another one. interesting hypothesis about the reasons for the destruction of the lighthouse.

According to this theory, the great military importance that the lighthouse had for the defenders of Egypt was to blame. After the country was captured by the Arabs, the Christian countries, and above all the Byzantine Empire, expected to recapture Egypt from the people. But these plans were greatly hampered by the observation post of the Arabs, located on the lighthouse.

Therefore, a rumor spread that somewhere in the building in ancient times the treasures of the Ptolemies were hidden. Believing, the Arabs began to dismantle the lighthouse, trying to get to the gold, and in the process damaged the mirror system.

After that, the damaged lighthouse continued to function for another 500 years, gradually dilapidating. Then it was finally dismantled, and a defensive fortress was erected in its place.

Possibility of recovery

The very first attempt to restore the Lighthouse of Alexandria was made by the Arabs in the 14th century AD. e., but it turned out to build only a 30-meter likeness of a lighthouse. Then the construction stopped, and only 100 years later the ruler of Egypt, Kite-Bey, built a fortress in its place to protect Alexandria from the sea. At the base of this fortress, a part of the foundation of the ancient lighthouse and almost all of its underground structures and a reservoir remained. This fortress exists to this day.

Often enthusiastic historians consider the possibility of recreating this famous building in its original state. But there is one problem - there is practically no reliable description of the Lighthouse of Alexandria or its detailed images, on the basis of which it would be possible to accurately restore its appearance.

Touch history

For the first time, some fragments of the lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists at the bottom of the sea in 1994. Since then, the expedition of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology at the bottom of the harbor has discovered a whole quarter of ancient Alexandria, the existence of which scientists had no idea before. Remains of many ancient structures have been preserved under water. There is even a hypothesis that one of the found buildings may be the palace of the famous Queen Cleopatra.

The Egyptian government in 2015 approved a massive renovation of the ancient lighthouse. On the site where it was built in ancient times, they plan to build a multi-storey copy of the great lighthouse. It is interesting that the project provides for the construction of an underwater glass hall at a depth of 3 meters so that all lovers ancient history could see the ruins of the ancient royal quarter.

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Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Pharos, located off the coast of the ancient city of Alexandria (the territory of modern Egypt). It was because of the name of this island that the lighthouse was also known as Faros.

The height of this grandiose structure, according to various historians, was about 120-140 meters. For many centuries, it remained one of the tallest structures on our planet, second only to the pyramids at Giza.

Start of lighthouse construction

The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was conveniently located at the crossroads of numerous trade routes. The city developed rapidly, more and more ships entered its harbor, and the construction of a lighthouse became an urgent need.

Some historians believe that, in addition to the usual function of ensuring the safety of sailors, the lighthouse could have an adjacent, no less important function. At that time, the rulers of Alexandria feared a possible attack from the sea, and such a colossal structure as the Lighthouse of Alexandria could serve as an excellent observation post.

Initially, the lighthouse was not equipped with a complex system of signal lights; it was built several hundred years later. At first, signals were given to ships using smoke from a fire, and therefore the lighthouse was effective only in the daytime.

The unusual design of the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Such a large-scale construction for those times was a grandiose and very ambitious project. However, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in a very short time - it lasted no more than 20 years.

For the sake of building a lighthouse between the mainland and the island of Pharos, a dam was built in a short time, through which the necessary materials were delivered.

It is simply impossible to talk briefly about the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The huge structure was built from solid marble blocks, interconnected for greater strength with lead brackets.

The lower, largest level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a square with sides about 30 meters long. The corners of the base were designed strictly according to the cardinal points. The premises located on the first level were intended for storing the necessary supplies and for the residence of numerous guards and lighthouse workers.

A reservoir was built in the underground level, the reserves of drinking water of which should have been enough in case of even a long siege of the city.

The second level of the building was made in the form of an octagon. Its faces were oriented in exact accordance with the wind rose. It was decorated with unusual bronze statues, some of which were movable.

The third, main level of the lighthouse was built in the form of a cylinder and was crowned with a large dome on top. The top of the dome was decorated with a bronze sculpture at least 7 meters high. Historians have not yet come to a consensus whether it was an image of the god of the seas, Poseidon, or a statue of Isis-Faria, the patroness of sailors.

How was the third level of the lighthouse arranged?

For that time, the true miracle of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the complex system of huge bronze mirrors. The light from the fire, constantly burning on the upper platform of the lighthouse, was reflected and greatly amplified by these metal plates. In ancient chronicles, they wrote that the shining light coming from the lighthouse of Alexandria was capable of burning enemy ships far out to sea.

Of course, this was an exaggeration of the inexperienced guests of the city, who for the first time saw this ancient wonder of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Although in fact the light of the lighthouse was visible for more than 60 kilometers, and for ancient times this was a huge achievement.

A very interesting engineering solution for that time was the construction of a spiral staircase-ramp inside the lighthouse, through which the necessary firewood and combustible materials were delivered to the upper tier. A huge amount of fuel was required to run smoothly, so the mule-drawn wagons were constantly going up and down the sloping stairs.

The architect who built the miracle

During the construction of the lighthouse, the king of Alexandria was Ptolemy I Soter, a talented ruler, under whom the city turned into a prosperous trading port. Having decided to build a lighthouse in the harbor, he invited one of the talented architects of that time, Sostratus of Knidos, to work.

In ancient times, the only name that could be immortalized on a constructed structure was the name of the ruler. But the architect who erected the lighthouse was very proud of his creation and wanted to preserve for posterity the knowledge of who really was the author of the miracle.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the ruler, he carved an inscription on one of the stone walls of the first level of the lighthouse: "Sostratus from Cnidia, son of Dextifan, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of seafarers." Then the inscription was covered with layers of plaster and already on top of it the prescribed doxology to the king was carved.

A few centuries after the construction, pieces of plaster gradually fell off, and an inscription appeared that preserved in stone the name of the man who built one of the seven wonders of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

First of its kind

In ancient times, flames and smoke from bonfires were often used in different countries as a warning system or for transmitting danger signals, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the first specialized structure of its kind in the whole world. In Alexandria, it was called Pharos, after the name of the island, and all the lighthouses that were built after it were also called Pharos. This is reflected in our language, where the word "headlight" means a source of directional light.

An ancient description of the lighthouse of Alexandria contains information about unusual "living" sculptures-statues, which can be called the first simple automata. They turned, made sounds, performed simple actions. But these were not chaotic movements at all, one of the statues pointed to the Sun with its hand, and when the Sun set, the hand automatically lowered. A clock mechanism was mounted in another figure, which marked the beginning of a new hour with a melodious ringing. The third statue was used as a weather vane, showing the direction and strength of the wind.

A brief description of the lighthouse of Alexandria, made by his contemporaries, could not convey the secrets of the construction of these statues or the approximate scheme of the ramp through which fuel was delivered. Most of these secrets are lost forever.

Destruction of the lighthouse

The firelight of this unique building has shown the way to sailors for many centuries. But gradually, during the decline of the Roman Empire, the lighthouse also began to fall into disrepair. Less and less money was invested in its maintenance in working condition, besides, the harbor of Alexandria gradually became smaller due to the large amount of sand and silt.

In addition, the area where the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built was seismically active. A series of strong earthquakes caused him serious damage, and the catastrophe of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world.

Alternative version of destruction

In addition to the theory explaining the decline of the colossal structure due to insufficient funding and natural disasters, there is another interesting hypothesis about the reasons for the destruction of the lighthouse.

According to this theory, the great military importance that the lighthouse had for the defenders of Egypt was to blame. After the country was captured by the Arabs, the Christian countries, and above all the Byzantine Empire, expected to recapture Egypt from the people. But these plans were greatly hampered by the observation post of the Arabs, located on the lighthouse.

Therefore, a rumor spread that somewhere in the building in ancient times the treasures of the Ptolemies were hidden. Believing, the Arabs began to dismantle the lighthouse, trying to get to the gold, and in the process damaged the mirror system.

After that, the damaged lighthouse continued to function for another 500 years, gradually dilapidating. Then it was finally dismantled, and a defensive fortress was erected in its place.

Possibility of recovery

The very first attempt to restore the Lighthouse of Alexandria was made by the Arabs in the 14th century AD. e., but it turned out to build only a 30-meter likeness of a lighthouse. Then the construction stopped, and only 100 years later the ruler of Egypt, Kite-Bey, built a fortress in its place to protect Alexandria from the sea. At the base of this fortress, a part of the foundation of the ancient lighthouse and almost all of its underground structures and a reservoir remained. This fortress exists to this day.

Often enthusiastic historians consider the possibility of recreating this famous building in its original state. But there is one problem - there is practically no reliable description of the Lighthouse of Alexandria or its detailed images, on the basis of which it would be possible to accurately restore its appearance.

Touch history

For the first time, some fragments of the lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists at the bottom of the sea in 1994. Since then, the expedition of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology at the bottom of the harbor has discovered a whole quarter of ancient Alexandria, the existence of which scientists had no idea before. Remains of many ancient structures have been preserved under water. There is even a hypothesis that one of the found buildings may be the palace of the famous Queen Cleopatra.

The Egyptian government in 2015 approved a massive renovation of the ancient lighthouse. On the site where it was built in ancient times, they plan to build a multi-storey copy of the great lighthouse. It is interesting that the project provides for the construction of an underwater glass hall at a depth of 3 meters so that all lovers of ancient history can see the ruins of the ancient royal quarter.