Foundation "Russian Lighthouse Society". Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Faros Lighthouse - the tallest structure of the ancient world Pharos Lighthouse interesting facts 7 wonders of the world
The history of the seventh Wonder of the World - the Lighthouse of Alexandria - is associated with its foundation in 332 BC. Alexandria, a city that was named after the great Roman commander Alexander the Great. It should be noted that throughout his career, the conqueror founded about 17 cities with similar names, but only the Egyptian project managed to survive to this day.
Foundation of the city in honor of the great commander
Macedonian selected the site for the founding of Egyptian Alexandria very carefully. He did not like the idea of a location in the Nile Delta, and so the decision was made to set up the first construction sites 20 miles to the south, near the marshy Lake Mareotis. Alexandria was supposed to have two large harbors - one was intended for merchant ships coming from outside Mediterranean Sea, and the second is for ships traveling along the Nile.
After the death of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, the new ruler of Egypt. During this period, Alexandria became a prosperous Trading port. In 290 BC. Ptolemy ordered the construction of a huge lighthouse on the island of Pharos, which would illuminate the path for ships sailing in the city’s harbor in the dark and in bad weather.
Construction of a lighthouse on the island of Faros
The construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria dates back to the 4th century BC, but the system of signal lights itself appeared only in the 1st century BC. The creator of this masterpiece of engineering and architectural art is considered to be Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. The work lasted a little over 20 years, and as a result, the Alexandria Lighthouse became the first building of this type in the world and the most tall building the ancient world, not counting, of course, the Gisean pyramids.
The height of the Alexandria Lighthouse was approximately 450-600 feet. Moreover, the structure was absolutely unlike any other architectural monument available at that time. The building was a three-tiered tower, the walls of which were made of marble slabs held together with lead mortar. The most Full description The Lighthouse of Alexandria was compiled by Abu el-Andalussi - the famous Arab traveler - in 1166. He noted that the lighthouse, in addition to performing purely practical functions, served as a very noticeable landmark.
The fate of the great Lighthouse
Faros lighthouse illuminated the way for seafarers for more than 1,500 years. But strong tremors in 365, 956 and 1303 AD. severely damaged the building, and a powerful earthquake in 1326 finally destroyed one of the greatest architectural structures peace. In 1994, the remains of the Alexandria Lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists, and subsequently the image of the structure was more or less successfully restored using computer modeling.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a structure built on the island of Pharos in the third century BC. The building is located near the famous Alexandria, which is why it was given this name. Another option could be the phrase “Faros Lighthouse” - from the name of the island on which it is located.
Purpose
The first wonder of the world - the Alexandria Lighthouse - was originally intended to help lost sailors who wanted to get to the shore, safely overcoming the underwater reefs. At night, the path was illuminated by flames and signal rays of light emanating from a huge fire, and during the day by columns of smoke emanating from a fire located at the very top of this sea tower. The lighthouse of Alexandria served faithfully for almost a thousand years, but was very badly damaged by an earthquake in 796. After this earthquake, five more very powerful and long-lasting tremors were recorded in history, which finally disabled this magnificent creation of human hands. Of course, they tried to reconstruct it more than once, but all attempts only led to the fact that what remained of it was a small fortress, which was built by Sultan Qait Bey in the 15th century. It is this fortress that can be seen today. She is all that remains of this magnificent creation of man.
Story
Let's delve a little deeper into history and find out how this wonder of the world was built, because it is really fascinating and interesting. How much has happened, what are the features of the construction and its purpose - we will tell you about all this below, just don’t be lazy to read.
Where is the Alexandria Lighthouse located?
The lighthouse was built on a small island called Faros, which is located off the coast of Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea. The whole history of this lighthouse is initially associated with the name of the great conqueror Alexander the Great. It was he who was the creator of the first wonder of the world - a thing that all humanity is proud of. On this island, Alexander the Great decided to establish a large port, which he actually did in 332 BC during his visit to Egypt. The structure received two names: the first - in honor of the one who decided to build it, the second - in honor of the name of the island on which it is located. In addition to such a famous lighthouse, the conqueror decided to build a city of the same name - one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean Sea. It should be noted that throughout his life, Alexander the Great built about eighteen policies with the name “Alexandria,” but this particular one went down in history and is known to this day. The city was built first, and only then its main attraction. Initially, the construction of the lighthouse was supposed to take 20 years, but that was not the case. The whole process took only 5 years, but despite this, the construction saw the world only in 283 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great - during the government of Ptolemy II - the king of Egypt.
Construction Features
I decided to approach the construction issue very carefully. According to some sources, he spent more than two years choosing a place to build a port. The conqueror did not want to create a city in the Nile, for which he found a very good replacement. The construction site was set up twenty miles to the south, not far from the drying up Lake Mareotis. Previously, there was a platform for the Egyptian city of Rakotis, which in turn made the entire construction process a little easier. The whole benefit of the location was that the port was able to receive ships from both the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River, which was very profitable and diplomatic. This not only increased the conqueror's profits, but also helped him and his followers build strong ties with both the merchants and sailors of the time. The city was created during the lifetime of Macedonian, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria was developed by Ptolemy the first Soter. It was he who finalized the design and brought it to life.
Alexandrian lighthouse. Photo
Looking at the image, we will see that the lighthouse consists of several “layers”. Three large marble towers stand on the base of huge stone blocks, weighing several hundred thousand tons in total. The first tower has the shape of a huge rectangle. Inside there are rooms intended for housing soldiers and port workers. On top was a smaller octagonal tower. The spiral ramp was a transition to the upper cylindrical tower, inside of which there was a large fire, which served as a light source. The entire structure weighed several million thousand tons, not including the decorations and instruments inside it. Because of this, the soil began to subsidence, which caused serious problems and required additional fortifications and construction work.
Start of fire
Despite the fact that the Pharos lighthouse was built during 285 - 283 BC, it began to work only at the beginning of the first century BC. It was then that the entire system of signal lights was developed, working thanks to large bronze disks that direct the light into the sea. In parallel with this, a composition of gunpowder was invented that emitted a huge amount of smoke - a way to indicate the way during the day.
Height and range of outgoing light
The total height of the Alexandria lighthouse is from 120 to 140 meters (the difference is the difference in ground height). Thanks to this arrangement, the light from the fire was visible at a distance of more than 60 kilometers in bright weather (there is evidence that in calm weather the light was visible 100 kilometers or more) and up to 45-50 kilometers during a thunderstorm. The direction of the rays was due to a special formation in several rows. The first row was a tetrahedral prism, the height of which reached 60-65 meters, with a square base with an area of 900 square meters. Equipment and everything necessary to supply fuel and maintain the “eternal” fire were stored here. The basis for the middle part was a large flat lid, the corners of which were decorated big statues Tritonov. This room was an octagonal tower made of white marble 40 meters high. The third part of the lighthouse is built of eight columns; on top of them there is a large dome, which is decorated with a large eight-meter bronze statue of Poseidon. Another name for the statue is Zeus the Savior.
"Eternal flame"
Maintaining fire was a difficult task. More than a ton of fuel was required every day so that the fire could burn with the necessary strength. Wood, which was the main material, was delivered in specially equipped carts along spiral ramp. The carts were pulled by mules, which required more than a hundred for one lift. In order for the light from the fire to spread as far as possible, huge bronze sheets were placed behind the flame, at the foot of each column, with the help of which they directed the light.
Additional purpose
According to some manuscripts and surviving documents, the Alexandria Lighthouse served not only as a source of light for lost sailors. For soldiers it became an observation post, for scientists - astronomical observatory. Accounts say what was there a large number of very interesting technical equipment - clocks of various shapes and sizes, a weather vane, as well as many astronomical and geographical instruments. Other sources speak of the presence of a huge library and a school where elementary disciplines were taught, but this does not have any significant evidence.
Death
The death of the lighthouse occurred not only due to several powerful earthquakes, but also due to the fact that the bay almost ceased to be used, since it was very silted. After the port became unusable, the bronze plates used to direct the light into the sea were melted down into coins and jewelry. But this was not the end. The complete destruction of the lighthouse occurred in the 15th century during one of the most powerful earthquakes ever to occur off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After this, the remains were restored several times and served as a fortress, as well as a home for the few inhabitants of the island.
In modern world
Today, the Faros Lighthouse, a photo of which can be very easily found, is one of the few architectural monuments lost in history and time. This is something that still interests both scientists and ordinary people who like centuries-old things, because many events, literary works and scientific discoveries that are important for the entire development of the world are associated with it. Alas, not much remains of the 7 Wonders of the World. The Alexandria Lighthouse, or rather only part of it, is one of those buildings that humanity can be proud of. True, all that remains of it is just the lower tier, which served as a warehouse and place of residence for the military and workers. Thanks to many reconstructions, the structure was not completely destroyed. It was converted into something like a small castle-fortress, inside which the remaining inhabitants of the island lived. This is exactly what you can see when you visit the island of Faros, which is quite popular among tourists. After complete construction and cosmetic repairs, the lighthouse has more modern look, which makes it a modern structure with a centuries-old history.
Future plans
The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the sites protected by UNESCO. Thanks to this, various repairs are carried out annually in order to protect the fortress from destruction. There was even a time when they talked about completely restoring its previous appearance, but this was never done, because then the lighthouse would have lost its status as one of the wonders of the world. But you should definitely see it if you are interested in history.
Island and lighthouse
The lighthouse was built on small island Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Alexandria. This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e. The building was named after the island. It must have taken 20 years to build and was completed around 280 BC. e. , during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt.
Three towers
The Faros lighthouse consisted of three marble towers standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this tower was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper tower.
Guide light
The upper tower was shaped like a cylinder, in which a fire burned, which helped the ships reach the bay safely.
Polished bronze mirrors
Large amounts of fuel were required to maintain the flame. The wood was transported along a spiral ramp on carts drawn by horses or mules. Behind the flame were bronze plates that directed the light into the sea.
Death of the lighthouse
By the 12th century AD. e. Alexandria Bay became so filled with silt that ships could no longer use it. The lighthouse fell into disrepair. The bronze plates that served as mirrors were probably melted down into coins. In the 14th century, the lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake. A few years later, the Muslims used its remains to build the military fortress of Qait Bay. The fortress was subsequently rebuilt several times and still stands on the site of the world's first lighthouse.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what “Faros lighthouse” is in other dictionaries:
- (Alexandria Lighthouse), lighthouse on east coast O. Pharos within the boundaries of Alexandria, the Hellenistic capital of Egypt; one of the Seven Wonders of the World (see SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD). The builder of this miracle of technology, the first and only lighthouse in the entire Greek world... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
A marble tower built on the island of Pharos by Ptolemy Philadelphus, which was 300 cubits high and consisted of several floors, gradually tapering upward. A fire was lit at its top at night, visible far out to sea. Construction of this tower... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
See Art. seven wonders of the world. (Source: “Art. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Edited by Prof. Gorkin A.P.; M.: Rosman; 2007.) ... Art encyclopedia
Lighthouse- Lighthouse, UK. LIGHTHOUSE, a tower-type structure, usually installed on the shore or in shallow water. Serves as a navigation reference for ships. It is equipped with so-called beacon lights, as well as devices for giving sound signals,... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
LIGHTHOUSE, a tower-type structure, usually installed on the shore or in shallow water. Serves as a navigation reference for ships. It is equipped with so-called beacon lights, as well as devices for sending sound signals, radio signals (radio beacon) ... Modern encyclopedia
Lighthouse- After the transformation of Alexandria into the most revived. sea center The trade of Ptolemaic Egypt should have relied on the arrival of a significant number of ships at night. This necessitated the construction of M., since the kindling... ... Dictionary of Antiquity
Lighthouse- after the transformation of Alexandria into the most revived. sea center The trade of Ptolemaic Egypt should have been expected to arrive there at night. number of ships. This necessitated the construction of M., since lighting fires on... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary
Lighthouse, a tower-type structure that serves as a landmark for identifying shores, determining the location of a ship and warning about navigational hazards. M. are equipped with light-optical systems, as well as other technical signaling means: ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Lighthouse of Alexandria (Faros)- a lighthouse on Pharos Island near Alexandria in Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Built in 285-280. BC. Sostratus of Knidos in order to make it safe for ships to enter the Alexandria harbor. It was a three-tiered tower with a height of... ... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.
A tower-like structure located in or near navigable waters. It serves as a visible landmark during the day and emits a continuous light or flashes of light at night to alert sailors to hazards and assist them in identifying... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
Books
- 100 Great Wonders of the World, Ionina Nadezhda Alekseevna. The Great Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Pharos Lighthouse, the Parthenon, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior... The world still writes legends about them, admiringly...
The Seven Wonders of the World is a list of the most famous attractions of the ancient world. The Lighthouse of Alexandria is rightly called one of them - it is the last of the classical wonders of antiquity. Basic information and Interesting Facts information about this structure, its creation, functions and sad fate can be found on the Internet (as well as photos of the recreated lighthouse), but impressions of historical place seen with your own eyes cannot be compared with anything.
The history of the lighthouse on the island of Pharos is firmly connected with the foundation in 332 AD of one of the most beautiful cities the ancient world - Alexandria, named after the great conqueror Alexander the Great. Over the course of his campaigns, he managed to found about 17 cities with the same name, but only Alexandria in Egypt managed to survive to this day.
Founding of Alexandria
Alexander the Great took an extremely responsible approach to choosing the location for the future city. He did not want to locate it in the Nile Delta, so he decided to start construction a little further south, near Lake Mareotis. It was planned that Alexandria would have two ports - one for merchant ships coming from the Mediterranean Sea, the other for ships sailing from the Nile River.
After the death of the great Alexander, the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, the pharaoh of Egypt who ruled at that time. This was a time of prosperity for Alexandria - it became the largest shipping port. In 290 BC, Ptolemy ordered the construction of a huge lighthouse on the island of Pharos, which would make it easier for sailors at night and in bad weather.
Construction of the Faros lighthouse
Construction of the Alexandria Lighthouse began in the 4th century BC. It is believed that this masterpiece of architectural thought was built by Sostratos, a native of Cnidia. Construction work continued for more than 20 years. The Lighthouse of Alexandria is the first building of its type in the world and the tallest structure of the ancient world. This is the answer to the question why the Faros Lighthouse is one of the seven wonders of the world. This magnificent skyscraper was a symbol of power and might, prosperity and greatness, like a light in the darkness.
The height of the Alexandria Lighthouse is about 600 feet, or 135 meters. At the same time, it looked somewhat different than most architectural monuments of that time. It was a three-tiered building with a square base, the walls of which were built from slabs of marble connected to each other by mortar with the addition of lead.
We bring to your attention interesting facts about the Alexandria Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
- At the top of the lighthouse there was a fire, the reflections of which were directed into the sea using specially polished metal plates.
- The light from the lights of the Alexandria Lighthouse was visible at a distance of more than 60 km.
- The Faros lighthouse also served as an outpost and observation tower - its height made it possible to see enemy ships long before they approached the city.
- At the top of the structure, in addition to metal reflective plates, there were also interesting technical devices of that time - clock mechanisms, weather vanes and much more.
- After the construction was completed, Sostratus of Knidos carved his name into one of the walls, and then covered it with plaster and wrote the name of Ptolemy I Soter on it. The architect understood perfectly well that the plaster would wear off over time, but the stone would preserve the name of the real creator of the lighthouse for centuries.
The lighthouse of Alexandria was most fully described many years later - already in 1161 AD - by the Arab traveler Abu el-Andalussi. He noted the most significant facts and mentioned that in addition to its main function, the lighthouse also served as a very visible and popular attraction.
The fate of the Alexandria lighthouse
The lighthouse on the island of Faros illuminated the path of sailors for one and a half millennia. But, unfortunately, he was powerless against the forces of nature. Quite strong tremors in 356, 956 and 1303 AD caused severe damage to it, and the earthquake of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria. His remains were dismantled by the Muslims to build their fortress. They were discovered many centuries later - in 1994, and later the image of the structure was restored using computer modeling. But such photos are still not able to convey the greatness and power that the Faros lighthouse possessed.
A hundred years after the destruction, a powerful fort was erected on the site of the Alexandria lighthouse, protecting Alexandria from the sea. It has been preserved and exists in our time - now the Alexandria Historical Museum is located inside it.
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 prosper and became a major center of maritime trade. Soon, an urgent need arose for the construction of the Alexandria Lighthouse.
Alexandrian lighthouse. Information and interesting facts
The island of Pharos, located 1290 meters from Alexandria, was chosen as the location 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 Dexiphanes from Cnidus.
To ensure the supply of building materials to the island, a dam was built. The construction itself was completed at lightning speed by the standards of the ancient world, taking only six years (285-279 BC). The new building immediately “knocked out” the walls of Babylon from the list of classical wonders of the world, and took pride of place there to this day. The height of the Alexandria Lighthouse, according to contemporaries, reached 120 meters. The light projected from the tower of the Alexandria Lighthouse was visible up to 48 kilometers away.
The lighthouse had three tiers.
The first tier had a square shape with sides of 30.5 meters, oriented to the cardinal points. Overall height this tier was 60 meters. The corners of the tier were occupied by statues of tritons. The room itself was intended to house workers and guards, storerooms for fuel and food.
The middle tier of the Faros lighthouse had an octagonal shape with edges oriented according to the prevailing winds here. The upper part of the tier was decorated with statues, some of which functioned as weather vanes.
The upper tier of a cylindrical shape played the role of a lantern. It was surrounded by eight columns covered with a cone dome. The top of the dome of the Faros lighthouse was decorated with a seven-meter statue of Isis-Faria (guardian of seafarers). The 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 Alexandria Lighthouse. Some suggest that delivery was carried out using lifting mechanisms along an internal shaft, while others say that the ascent was carried out using mules along a spiral ramp.
The lighthouse also had an underground part where supplies of drinking water for the garrison were located. It is worth mentioning that the lighthouse also served as a fortress guarding sea route to Alexandria. The Faros lighthouse itself was even surrounded by a powerful fence with bastions and loopholes.
In the 14th century, the wonder of the world, the Faros lighthouse, was destroyed by an earthquake. Currently about appearance The seventh wonder of the world is evidenced only by images on Roman coins and the remains of ruins. For example, research in 1996 made it possible to find the remains of the Alexandria lighthouse at the bottom of the sea.
Lighthouse on Roman coins
A hundred years after the destruction, Sultan Qait Bey built a fort in its place. And now there are initiators who want to reconstruct the Faros Lighthouse, in the place where it was originally located - on the island of Faros. But the Egyptian authorities do not yet want to consider these projects, and the Qait Bay fortress continues to guard the site of the former great structure of antiquity.
Kite Bay Fortress
