Foundation "Russian Lighthouse Society". Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse - interesting historical facts 7 of the wonders of the world Faros lighthouse

Alexandrian lighthouse– assistance to seafarers, challenge to the sea elements. This seventh wonder of the world arose thanks to skillful human hands and died due to the vagaries of nature. The Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse, 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 until the last, withstanding three earthquakes and collapsing during the fourth. This is how the tallest structure in the ancient world perished.

Faros Island is an ideal location for the Alexandria Lighthouse

The glorious Egyptian city of Alexandria during the time of the ruler Ptolemy Soter quickly grew into a large trading city. Lines of ships with various goods reached out to him. But to get to the local port, they had to maneuver between treacherous reefs, of which there were a lot on the approach to Alexandria. Bad weather increased the risk of shipwreck.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was located on the island of Pharos, near the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

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 traveling far from the shore. "Lighthouse! This is what we need,” it dawned on Ptolemy one of the sleepless nights.

The Pharos lighthouse was a landmark for ancient sailors heading 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 there was the island of Pharos, and God himself ordered the construction of a lighthouse there. The construction of the Alexandria lighthouse was entrusted to the engineer Sostratus, a resident of Cnidia. Construction began immediately, and a dam was even built between the mainland and the island. Work on the Faros lighthouse lasted approximately from 5 to 20 years and was completed at the end of the 3rd century. BC. True, the system of signal lights itself appeared only 100 years later.

The power and beauty of the Faros lighthouse

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

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

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

A spiral-shaped ramp was built inside the Faros lighthouse to deliver firewood and oil to the top

The eight faces of the second stage of the Faros 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 weather vanes. 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 seafarers, Isis-Faria.

Sostratos was proud of the lighthouse for good reason

At that time, humanity did not yet know electricians, and to signal the sailors, a giant fire was lit at the very top of the Alexandria lighthouse. Its light intensified, reflected in the 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, the direction of the ships was indicated by powerful tongues of flame, during the day - by clouds of smoke. To keep the fire burning, the Romans established an uninterrupted supply of firewood to the top of the Alexandria lighthouse. They were pulled out on carts drawn by mules and horses. For this purpose, a flat road in the shape of a spiral was built inside the Faros Lighthouse - one of the first ramps in the world. Although some scientists claim that firewood was dragged to the top using lifting mechanisms.

Drawing of the Faros lighthouse by archaeologist G. Thiersch (1909)

Interesting to know. The Alexandria lighthouse was surrounded by a powerful fence with loopholes, so it could serve as a fort and 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 also a fort and could withstand a protracted siege

Sostratus of Knidos was very proud of his brainchild. He was disgusted by the idea that descendants would not know the name of the creator of the Alexandria Lighthouse. Therefore, on the wall of the first tier, the engineer carved the inscription: “Sostratus of Cnidia, son of Dextiphanes, dedicated to the savior gods 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 scraped the name of the vain Ptolemy Soter. Pieces of clay fell off very quickly, and even during the life of the Faros lighthouse, travelers could read the name of its true creator.

Decline and destruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse

Alarming signals about the destruction of the Pharos lighthouse began to appear during the fall of the Roman Empire. It was not maintained in proper condition, and the once majestic structure began to fall into disrepair. 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 mirror plates of the Alexandria Lighthouse were stolen and melted down - it is assumed that they “dispersed” throughout the world in the form of coins and ended up in the collections of numismatists.

The only images that give an idea of ​​the architecture of the Faros lighthouse are embossed designs on ancient Roman coins

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

Modern reconstruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse building

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

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

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

The Faros lighthouse will be revived!

For many centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was considered the most tall building on the ground. Therefore it is classified as 7 ancient wonders of the world. The lighthouse, or rather, all that remained of it, was discovered in 1994 - some fragments of the building were found at the bottom of the sea - archaeologists rejoiced at this message from the historical past. And in May 2015, the Egyptian government decided to re-build the Faros Lighthouse - on the same spot where the original was once built.

A smaller building of the Alexandria Lighthouse was built in one of the Chinese parks for entertainment and recreation.

Volumetric reconstruction of the Faros lighthouse to scale

It is not yet known when construction will begin. The biggest difficulty when trying to build an exact copy of the structure is the lack of “lifetime” images of the Alexandria Lighthouse, so the architects will have to puff, relying only on information from descriptions in several written Arabic sources and photographs of the ruins. The appearance of the Faros lighthouse was reconstructed using computer modeling - about appearance The seventh wonder of the world is evidenced only by ruins and its images on Roman coins.

A cardboard model of the Alexandria Lighthouse, 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 the Egyptian city of Abusir. It was built in the same period as the Alexandria Lighthouse. People even call the tower the Abusir Lighthouse. Historians suggest that it was specially built as a smaller copy of the Faros lighthouse.

The lighthouse of Alexandria was described by ancient historians and travelers, including the “father of history” Herodotus. The most Full description The Pharos lighthouse was compiled in 1166 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 on the landscape (3D modeling)

• The Faros lighthouse remains a symbol of the city of Alexandria today. His stylized image adorns the city flag. Moreover, a drawing of the Alexandria Lighthouse appears on the seals of many government institutions, 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 Faros Lighthouse are strikingly similar to the New York Empire State Building skyscraper.
• A replica of the Alexandria lighthouse built in Chinese amusement park Window of the World.
• It is assumed that in the first attempts to determine the radius of the Earth, ancient Greek scientists used the Alexandria (Pharos) lighthouse.

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Alexandrian lighthouse

Faros (Alexandria) lighthouse - one of the seven wonders of the world - was located on east coast the island of Pharos within the boundaries of Alexandria and was the first and only lighthouse at that time gigantic size. The builder of this structure was Sostratus of Cnidus.

It has long been known that there are remains of a lighthouse underwater in the Faros area. But the presence at this place naval base prevented any research from being carried out. Only in 1961, Kemal Abu el-Sadat discovered statues, blocks and marble boxes in the water. On his initiative, a statue of the goddess Isis was removed from the water. In 1968, the Egyptian government approached UNESCO with a request for an examination. An archaeologist from Great Britain was invited, who presented a report on the work done in 1975. It contained a list of all finds. Thus, the significance of this site for archaeologists was confirmed.

In 1980, a group of archaeologists from different countries began excavations on the seabed in the Faros area. This group of scientists, in addition to archaeologists, included architects, topographers, Egyptologists, artists and restorers, as well as photographers. As a result, hundreds of fragments of the lighthouse were discovered at a depth of 6–8 meters, occupying an area of ​​more than 2 hectares. In addition, studies have shown that on the seabed there are objects more ancient than the lighthouse. Many columns and capitals made of granite, marble, and limestone belonging to different eras were recovered from the water.

Of particular interest to scientists was the discovery of the famous obelisks, called “Cleopatra’s needles” and brought to Alexandria by order of Octavian Augustus in 13 BC. e. Subsequently, many of the finds were restored and exhibited in museums in different countries.

Alexandria, the capital of Hellenistic Egypt, was founded in the Nile River delta by Alexander the Great in 332–331 BC. e. The city was built according to a single plan developed by the architect Dinohar, and was divided into blocks with wide streets. The two widest of them (30 meters wide) intersected at right angles.

Alexandria was home to many magnificent palaces and royal tombs. Alexander the Great was also buried here, whose body was brought from Babylon and buried in a golden sarcophagus in a magnificent tomb by order of King Ptolemy Soter, who thereby wanted to emphasize the continuity of the traditions of the great conqueror. At a time when other military leaders were fighting among themselves and dividing Alexander's huge power, Ptolemy settled in Egypt and made Alexandria one of the richest and most beautiful capitals of the Ancient World.

The glory of the city was greatly facilitated by the creation by Ptolemy of the Museion (“abode of the Muses”), where the king invited prominent scientists and poets of his time. Here they could live and engage in scientific research entirely at the expense of the state. Thus, Museyon became something of an academy of sciences. Attracted favorable conditions, scientists flocked here from different parts of the Hellenistic world. Funds were generously allocated from the royal treasury for various experiments and scientific expeditions.

Scientists were also attracted to the Museion by the magnificent Library of Alexandria, which collected about 500 thousand scrolls, including works by the outstanding playwrights of Greece Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. King Ptolemy II allegedly asked the Athenians for these manuscripts for a while so that the scribes could make copies of them. The Athenians asked for a huge deposit. The king paid without complaint. But he refused to return the manuscripts.

A famous scientist or poet was usually appointed as the keeper of the library. For a long time, this post was occupied by the outstanding poet of his time, Callimachus. Then he was replaced by the famous geographer and mathematician Eratosthenes. He was able to calculate the diameter and radius of the Earth and made only a minor error of 75 kilometers, which, given the capabilities available at that time, does not detract from his merits.

Of course, the king, providing hospitality and financial support to scientists and poets, pursued his goals: to increase the glory of his country in the world as a scientific and cultural center and, thereby, your own. In addition, poets and philosophers were expected to praise his virtues (real or imaginary) in their works.

Natural sciences, mathematics and mechanics were widely developed. The famous mathematician Euclid, the founder of geometry, lived in Alexandria, as well as the outstanding inventor Heron of Alexandria, whose work was long ahead of its time. For example, he created a device that was actually the first steam engine. In addition, he invented many different machines driven by steam or hot air. But in the era of the general spread of slave labor, these inventions could not find application and were used only for the entertainment of the royal court.

The most brilliant astronomer Aristarchus of Samos, long before Copernicus, stated that the Earth is a ball that rotates around its axis and around the Sun. His ideas only caused a smile among his contemporaries, but he remained unconvinced.

The developments of Alexandrian scientists found application in real life. An example of outstanding achievements of science was the creation of the Alexandria Lighthouse, which in ancient times was considered one of the wonders of the world. In 285 BC. e. The island was connected to the shore by a dam - an artificially formed isthmus. And five years later, by 280 BC. e., the construction of the lighthouse was completed.

It was a three-story tower about 120 meters high. The lower floor was built in the form of a square with four sides, each of which was 30.5 meters in length. The edges of the square were facing the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, west - and were made of limestone. The second floor was made in the form of an octagonal tower, lined with marble slabs. Its edges were oriented in the direction of the eight winds. The third floor, the lantern itself, was crowned with a dome with a bronze statue of Poseidon, the height of which reached 7 meters. The dome of the lighthouse rested on marble columns. Leading up spiral staircase was so comfortable that everything necessary materials, including fuel for the fire, was lifted up on donkeys. A complex system of metal mirrors reflected and amplified the light of the lighthouse, and it was clearly visible to sailors from afar. In addition, the same system made it possible to monitor the sea and detect enemy ships long before they appeared within sight.

Bronze statues were placed on the octagonal tower that forms the second floor. Some of them were equipped with special mechanisms that allowed them to serve as weather vanes indicating the direction of the wind. Travelers talked about the miraculous properties of the statues. One of them allegedly always pointed her hand at the sun, tracing its path across the sky, and lowered her hand when the sun set. The other chimed every hour throughout the day. They said that there was even a statue that, when enemy ships appeared, pointed to the sea and uttered a warning cry. All these stories do not seem so fantastic if we remember the steam automata of Heron of Alexandria. It is quite possible that the scientist’s achievements were used in the construction of the lighthouse, and the statues could produce some mechanical movements and sounds when a certain signal was received.

Among other things, the lighthouse was also impregnable fortress with a powerful garrison. In the underground part, in case of a siege, there was a huge tank with drinking water.

The Faros lighthouse had no analogues in Ancient world neither in size nor in technical data. Before this, ordinary fires were usually used as beacons. It is not surprising that the Lighthouse of Alexandria, with its complex system of mirrors, colossal dimensions and fantastic statues, seemed to all people a real miracle.

The builder of this miracle, Sostratus of Cnidus, carved the inscription on the marble wall: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphanes of Cnidus, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of sailors.” He covered this inscription with a thin layer of plaster, on which he placed the praise of King Ptolemy Soter. When, over time, the plaster fell off, the name of the master who created the magnificent lighthouse appeared to the eyes of those around him.

Alexandrian lighthouse

Although the lighthouse was located on the eastern shore of the island of Pharos, it is more often called the Alexandrian lighthouse rather than the Faros lighthouse. This island is mentioned in Homer's poem "Odyssey". In Homer's time it was located in the Nile Delta, opposite the small Egyptian settlement of Rakotis. But by the time the lighthouse was built, according to the Greek geographer Strabonne, it had moved significantly closer to the shores of Egypt and was one day’s journey from Alexandria. With the start of construction, the island was connected to the coast, effectively turning it from an island into a peninsula. For this purpose, a dam was artificially built, which was called Heptastadion, since its length was 7 stages (a stage is an ancient Greek measure of length, which is equal to 177.6 meters). That is, translated into our usual measurement system, the length of the dam was approximately 750 meters. The main harbor, the Great Harbor of Alexandria, was located on the Pharos side. This harbor was so deep that a large ship could anchor off the shore.

The tower is an assistant to sailors who have lost their way.

Here at night I light the bright fire of Poseidon.

The muffled wind was about to collapse,

But Ammonius strengthened me again with his labors.

After the ferocious waves they stretch out their hands to me

All sailors, honoring you, O shaker of the earth.

Nevertheless, the lighthouse stood until the 14th century and even in a dilapidated state reached a height of 30 meters, continuing to amaze with its beauty and grandeur. To date, only the pedestal, which is built into the medieval fortress, has survived from this famous wonder of the world. Therefore, there are practically no opportunities for archaeologists or architects to study the remains of this grandiose structure. Now there is an Egyptian military port on Pharos. And on the western side of the island there is another lighthouse, which in no way resembles its great predecessor, but also continues to show the way for ships.

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Unfortunately, the earthquake almost completely destroyed the building, but despite this, there were no fewer people wanting to see the lighthouse.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The lighthouse is also called Faros lighthouse, due to its location on the island of Faros on the coast of Alexandria in Egypt. The city received its name from Emperor Alexander the Great. He approached the location of the city very thoughtfully. At first it will seem unusual that Macedonsky did not choose the Nile Delta, where two important strategic routes pass. However, if Alexandria were built on the Nile River, harmful sands and silt would clog its harbor. Thus, the most the best option, because high hopes were placed on the city.

Macedonian planned to create the largest trading city here, where goods from all over the world would be delivered. Well, of course for this important center a harbor was needed. Many famous designers of that time created a project according to which a dam was built connecting the island and the mainland. Thus, two harbors were obtained, receiving ships from both the Nile and the sea.

The emperor’s dream came true only after his death, when Ptolemy I ascended the throne. It was he who made Alexandria the largest trading port city in all of Greece. With the growth and development of navigation, the island increasingly needed a lighthouse. Its construction would secure the navigation of ships at sea, and also attract more sellers and buyers.

Among the sparse landscape, the lighthouse would stand out with its lights, creating a powerful landmark for the lost. According to historians, Alexander the Great also planned to turn the lighthouse into a defensive structure in case of attacks from the sea. Therefore, the plans were to build a huge patrol point.

Construction of the Alexandria Lighthouse

Of course, the construction of such a large-scale facility required large financial and labor resources. Finding them in such a difficult time was not easy. But Ptolemy solved this problem by bringing from conquered Syria huge number Jews who became slaves at construction sites. At this time, several other important events for the state take place. Ptolemy signs a peace agreement with Demetrius Poliorcetes and celebrates the death of his blood enemy Antigonus.

In 285 BC. Led by the architect Sostratus of Knidos, the construction of the Pharos begins. To perpetuate his name, the architect creates an inscription saying that he is building this building for sailors. At the top, the inscription was covered with tiles with the name of Ptolemy. However, the secret has now been revealed.

Lighthouse structure

The Alexandria lighthouse had three tiers of a rectangular shape with a side of 30.5 meters. The edges of the lower tier were clearly turned to certain cardinal directions. Its height was 60 meters. The lower tier was decorated with tritons on the sides and was used by workers for personal purposes. Supplies of fuel and food were also stored here.

The middle tier was built in the shape of a polygon, the edges of which were directed towards the winds.

The third tier resembled a cylinder and directly served as a luminary. At the top there was a seven-meter sculpture of Isis-Faria, which sailors revered as their guardian. According to some sources, there was a statue of Poseidon at the top, but this fact has not been proven. Here a complex design of mirrors was created, which significantly increased the range of light. Fuel was supplied to the lighthouse via special ramps carried by mules. It was for ease of movement that the dam was built. The Alexandria lighthouse, in addition to its direct responsibility, served as the defense of the city. There was a military garrison here. For complete safety, thick walls and small towers were erected around the lighthouse.

In general, the entire structure was 120 meters high, becoming the tallest in the world.

The fate of the lighthouse

After a millennium, the structure began to collapse. This happened in 796 during a powerful earthquake. All that remains of the majestic structure are 30-meter-high ruins.

The Kite Bay military fort was later built from the wreckage, which now houses several museums inside? Museum of Marine Biology and History Museum.

The first (lower) tier of the lighthouse with a square base resembled a fortress or castle with towers installed in the corners. The towers were oriented to the cardinal points. The height of the tier reached approximately sixty meters. The flat roof of the lower tier served as the basis for the second tier. Statues of tritons were also installed on the roof here. Inside the first tier there was a garrison guarding the lighthouse and maintenance personnel, as well as the necessary equipment and supplies of water and food in case of a siege.

II (middle) tier

The second (middle) tier with an octagonal base rose another forty meters. A ramp was presumably built inside the second tier, along which fuel for the signal fire was raised to the third (upper) tier.

III (upper) tier

On the third cylindrical tier, columns were installed to support the dome of the lighthouse. On the site among the columns a signal fire was lit. The light of the signal light was reflected and amplified by a whole system of polished bronze plates.

A huge golden statue of Poseidon was installed on the dome of the lighthouse. It seemed that Poseidon guarded Faros lighthouse, peering intently into their sea expanses.