Lighthouse of Alexandria
Alexandria Lighthouse is on the small island of Pharos in the Egyptian port of Alexandria and is the first of all lighthouses. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was one of the last of the original Seven Wonders to be destroyed after multiple earthquakes reduced most of the original structure to rubble and it was converted into a medieval fortress by the Sultan of Egypt around 1480.
Where is Alexandria Lighthouse
It was built on the small island of Pharos in the Egyptian port of Alexandria. Pharos was not actually a real island: it was connected to the mainland by a barrier called the Heptastadion. Thus, Alexandria had ports on both sides of the embankment. Alexandria was a thriving Greco-Roman city located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. It was founded by Alexander the Great and was home to a significant number of Greeks and Jews. It is known in the ancient world as an international center of culture and learning. The Alexandria Lighthouse was built in this city.
Where is Lighthouse of Alexandria Story
Lighthouse of Alexandria Story
The lighthouse was built by Ptolemy I (Soter) and his son, shortly after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in the 3rd century BC. It was built during the reign of Ptolemy (Philadelphus) to divert ships to Alexandria. However , it also undertook the purpose of permanently reminding the power and greatness of the kingdom .
It was an impressive architectural marvel, visible from the central city, which includes the tomb of Alexander, the museum, the temple of the Serapeum, and the magnificent library.
The lighthouse was built in three stages with shrinking dimensions and was 135 meters (440 feet) high with its base. It is the tallest of the lighthouses built in history. And it is the only artifact of the seven wonders of antiquity that is used for everyday life. It was made of white marble, admirably. Its base was a rock washed by the sea on all sides. The tower consisted of three stages: the lower square section in the center, the middle octagonal section and the upper circular section. A mirror was placed on top of it, reflecting sunlight during the day.
It was used as a lighthouse and landmark to aid sailors due to the dangerous waters of the Alexandria harbor. Although the Pharos performed both functions, it was built as a navigational aid to the port’s location rather than as a warning of dangerous shallows and submerged rocks. Because the shores on either side were low and harborless, full of reefs and shallows, a high and conspicuous sign was required to enable seafarers from the open sea to direct their course precisely to the port’s entrance.
The upper part of the lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 955 and the body of the lighthouse was destroyed by another earthquake in 1302. In 1477, the Egyptian Sultan Kaitbay built a medieval castle on the old site of the building, using some of the fallen stones. The ruins, lost for centuries, were rediscovered at the base of the Alexandria harbor in 1994 and can be visited today by diving. It was called “Pharos” because of the island on which it was built, and this word has settled in many languages as “lighthouse”.