Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called as the Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse built by Ptolemaic from 280 to 247 BC which was up to 120
to 137 meter tall. One of the 7th wonders of the ancient world, it was also
one of the tallest
artificial structure in the world for many centuries. It was badly damaged
by three earthquakes between 956 and 1323 AD.
It was the third longest
surviving ancient wonder until 1480, when the last of its particle stones were
used to build the Citadel
of Qaitbay on the site. In 1994, French archaeologists discovered some antiquities
of the lighthouse on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern safe haven. As of late
2015, the ministry of state of
Antiquities in Egypt
has planned, to turn submerged destruction of ancient Alexandria, including
those of the Pharos, into an underwater museum.
Construction of lighthouse Alexandria: The
lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed in the 3rd century BC after Alexander death due to fever, at his age of 32. The
first Ptolemy announced himself king in 305 BC, and commissioned its
construction shortly later on. The building was finished during the sovereignty
of his son, the second Ptolemy. It took twelve years to complete the
construction, at a total cost of 800 talents, and served as a template for all other lighthouses built
later in the world.
The light was produced by a heater at the top, and the tower was ordered to
have been built it mostly with the solid blocks of limestone. Starbo reported that Sostratus had a devotion engraved in metal letters
to the 'Saviour Gods'. Late on Pliny
the elder wrote that Sostratus was the architect, which is challenged. In the 2nd century AD the satirist Lucian wrote that Sostratus engraved his name
under plaster bearing the name of Ptolemy. It was so that when the plaster with
Ptolemy's name fell off, Sostratus's name would be visible in the stone.
Destruction: The lighthouse of Alexandria was badly
damaged due to the earthquake of 956 AD, and then again in 1303 and 1323 AD.
Finally the stocky residue disappeared in 1480, when the then Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, built a Medieval castle
on the larger platform of the lighthouse area using some of the fallen
stone. After the destruction it was several times built and reconstructed.
Height and description: Judith McKenzie writes
that the Arab description of the lighthouse is exceptionally dependable,
although it was repaired several times especially after earthquake destruction.
The height they give varies only fifteen per cent from 338 to 387 ft on a
base 98 by 98 square ft. The Arab authors indicate a tower with three
tapering tiers, which they described as square, octagonal and the circular,
with a substantial ramp.
The detail description of the lighthouse comes from
Arab traveler Abou Haggag Youssef Ibn Mohammed el-Balawi el-Andaloussi, who
visited Alexandria in 1166 AD.
It was constructed from the large blocks of light-colored stones, and was made up of three
stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle part with octagonal
section and a circular section at the top. At its apex was positioned a mirror
which helped in reflecting sunlight during the day. A fire was lit at night. A
statue of Poseidon or Zeus stood at top of the lighthouse. The
Pharos's masonry blocks were engaged and locked together using molten lead to
resist the pounding of the waves.
The
lighthouse remains the civic symbol of the city and government of Alexandria
with which the city is more or the less adjacent. The special kind of
representation of the light house appears in the flag, in the seal of many
public services offices and banks, government and in the seal of Alexandria
University also.
