Where did the Alexandria lighthouse stand? Lighthouse of Alexandria: brief description of the report. Design features of the Alexandria lighthouse
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 developed into a thriving 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. dark time days 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. the building was severely damaged and powerful earthquake 1326 finally destroyed one of the greatest architectural structures in the world. 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.
Titles and naming
Original title (local):
Φάρος της ΑλεξάνδρειαςEnglish name:
Lighthouse Alexandria
Year of start of work, restructuring:
one of the 7 wonders of the world, was built in the 3rd century BC. e. in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, so that ships could safely pass the reefs on the way to the Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 AD. e. was severely damaged by the earthquake. Subsequently, the Arabs who came to Egypt tried to restore it, and by the 14th century. the height of the lighthouse was about 30 m. At the end of the 15th century. Sultan Qait Bey erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.
Year started: approximately 283 BC.
Coordinates: 31°12′51″ n. w. 29°53′06″
- Model (photo and video)
- See the Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse in the program “I want to believe!
- About the lighthouse in the Ukrainian program
During the time of the first Ptolemies, a lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos. According to ancient and medieval authors, he was taller than herself high pyramid. But at the time Strabo visited it, the lighthouse was no longer very different from other structures. It was half destroyed. Its highest part had collapsed, and its remains lay near the tower, which had been covered with a temporary wooden roof, "and lived in it several watchmen."
The construction of lighthouses began in ancient times and was connected, first of all, with the development of navigation. At first these were just fires located on high banks. Then there are artificial structures. The Alexandria Lighthouse was built in 283 BC. e., the construction of this gigantic, for those times, structure lasted only 5 years. But before we begin to describe this wonder of the world, we should learn a little about the geography and history of the area where it was built.
Alexandria
Alexandria, founded in 332 BC, is located in the Nile Delta, on the site of the Egyptian town of Rakotis. It was one of the first cities of the Hellenistic era, built according to a single plan. In Alexandria there was a sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, there was also a museum - the abode of muses, a center of arts and science. So this is how an etymological thread is laid from the muses to modern word"museum". Museyon is at once an academy of sciences, a dormitory for scientists, a technical center, a school, and the world’s greatest library, which contained up to half a million scrolls. A passionate scribe and a vain man, King Ptolemy II suffered because the library did not have some unique manuscripts of Greek playwrights. He sent an embassy to Athens so that the Athenians would borrow the scrolls for a while to copy. Arrogant Athens demanded a fabulous deposit - 15 talents, almost half a ton of silver. Ptolemy accepted the challenge. The silver was delivered to Athens, and the agreement had to be reluctantly fulfilled. But Ptolemy did not forgive such distrust of his bibliophilic inclinations and his word of honor. He left the deposit to the Athenians and the manuscripts to himself. But that's not the point...
The harbor of Alexandria, perhaps the busiest and busiest in the whole world, was uncomfortable. The port in this harbor was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt in 332 BC. e. The city flourished due to maritime trade. But by the 12th century AD. e. Alexandria Bay became so filled with silt that ships could no longer use it. From then on, the period of decline of Alexandria began, about which very little is known today...
Present-day Alexandria has more than 2 million inhabitants, it stretches for 25 kilometers along a sand spit that once cut sea bay, forming a large salt Lake. But modern Alexandria has completely different outlines. In the north-west, where there is now an elongated peninsula with a densely populated Arab quarter and the magnificent Abu al-Abbas Mosque, in ancient times there was a sea, or rather, two sea piers - the Grand Pier and the Pier of Happy Return. From the sea side they were covered by the rocky island of Pharos, which served as a natural pier.
History of the building
The Nile carries a lot of silt; very skillful pilots were required in the shallow water among the rocks and shoals. To ensure the safety of navigation, it was decided to build a lighthouse on the island of Pharos, on the approach to Alexandria. In 285 BC, the island was connected to the mainland by a dam, and the architect Sostratus of Knidos began work. Construction took only five years: Alexandria was an advanced technical center and the richest city of the then world, the builders had a huge fleet, quarries and the achievements of Museyon academicians at their disposal.
This structure, just like the pyramids, arose from the sweat and labor of slaves, and during construction the whips of the overseers also whistled. But it had two fundamental differences: firstly, the lighthouse on the island of Foros brought “public benefit”, and secondly, at the time when this last miracle of the ancient world was created, technology had reached considerable heights. The Archimedes screw and pulley, lifting devices, and various construction tools were already known. The main building materials for the lighthouse were limestone, marble, and granite. The construction was led by the famous Greek architect Sostratus of Knidos. At the end of the work, he carved the inscription on the stone of the structure: “Son of Dexiphanes Sostratus - to the guardian gods, for the benefit of those who swim.” Sostratus covered this inscription with cement and on top indicated the name of Ptolemy Soter, who was ruling at that time. Sostratus did not hope to live until the time when the plaster crumbled, and it was not in his interests to find out the ruler’s reaction to this act. After all, having done this, he risked violating the decrees of the Ptolemies. However, soon the cement crumbled, and everyone saw the first inscription. Possidip, a contemporary of Sostratus, sang it in verses that have survived the lighthouse and brought to us the name of its creator.
And this name was widely known in the ancient world. Modern scientists have found that structures like “ hanging gardens» Semiramis, there were several, and one of them was the “hanging promenade” on the island of Knidos. Its architect and engineer was Sostratos. He is credited with another grandiose construction: during the battles for Memphis, he allegedly diverted the waters of the Nile to capture the city.
Description of the lighthouse
The lighthouse turned out to be in the form of a three-story tower 120 meters high (the first and most dangerous “rival” Egyptian pyramids). At its base it was a square with a side of thirty meters, the first sixty-meter floor of the tower was made of stone slabs and supported a forty-meter octagonal tower, lined with white marble. On the third floor, in a round tower surrounded by columns, a huge fire was always burning, reflected by a complex system of mirrors. Firewood for the fire was delivered up a spiral staircase, so flat and wide that carts drawn by donkeys could drive along it to a hundred-meter height. The tower contained many ingenious technical devices: weather vanes, astronomical instruments, clocks. However, it is impossible to perceive this description, conveyed to us by one of the ancient inhabitants of Alexandria, as the only true one: each of those whose descriptions have reached us still tried to somehow embellish what they saw, since the Alexandria lighthouse was truly grandiose building for the world of that time.
Among other descriptions we find the following: “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." The common features of these two descriptions are visible. As a result, today the following description can be accepted as the most accurate and truthful.
The lighthouse had a height of 180 meters from base to top. This calculation was made based on the testimony of the historian Josephus. According to other descriptions, its height was only 120 meters. Ibn al-Sayha (11th century) gives the figure 130-140 meters. According to modern experts, from a purely practical point of view, such a height was unnecessary, even if we take into account that ancient lighthouses should have been higher due to the weakness of their fire. The greatest European lighthouse at the mouth of the Garonne near Bordeaux has a height of 59 meters above sea level. It was built by the Romans, taking the lighthouse on the island of Foros as a model. IN original form it survived until the 16th century, then it was rebuilt. The lighthouse on Cape Hatteras is 58 meters high, the lighthouse on the coral reefs off Florida is 48 meters high. None of the modern lighthouses reaches the height of Alexandria.
The Ptolemies built this fantastic skyscraper on a rock not only for practical purposes. First of all, the lighthouse was a symbol of the power of their empire, a symbol of wealth and greatness, like a light in the darkness. This structure had a base in the shape of a square with sides of 180-190 meters (other sources give other figures). On this foundation stood a palace with four towers at the corners. From its center rose a massive quadrangular tower 70-80 meters high, which gradually narrowed, ending in battlements. On this tower stood another, narrower, but also quite high, which ended in a stone platform. On this site there were columns in a circle supporting a cone-shaped tower, which was crowned by an 8-meter-high statue of the patron of the seas, Poseidon. According to some reports, at the top of the tower there was a statue of Zeus the Savior, and not his brother Poseidon.
At the top of the third tower, a fire was lit in a voluminous bronze bowl, the reflection of which, using a complex system of mirrors, was visible 100 miles away. A shaft ran through the entire lighthouse, around which a ramp and stairs rose. Carts drawn by donkeys drove along a wide and sloping ramp to the top of the lighthouse. Fuel for the lighthouse was delivered through the mine.
The tall lighthouse also served as an observation post. A complex system Reflectors were also used to view the sea, making it possible to detect enemy ships long before they appeared off the coast.
Death of the lighthouse
The inscription of Sostratus was seen by Roman travelers. At that time the lighthouse was still functioning. With the fall of the Roman Empire, it stopped shining, the upper tower, dilapidated over the centuries, collapsed, but the walls of the lower floor still stood for a long time.
The Alexandria lighthouse stood for 1,500 years, helping the Mediterranean “cybernetos” (as the ancient Greeks called helmsmen) navigate. The lighthouse suffered from earthquakes and weathering of the stone, but during the times of the emperors Claudius and Nero it was restored. Its fire was extinguished forever during an earthquake in the 4th century. During Arab rule in the mid-7th century, it served only as a daylight. During the time of the first Mamluk sultans (mid-13th century), the mainland moved so close to the island that the piers were covered with sand and it was no longer needed as a daylight lighthouse. At the very beginning of the 14th century, it was dismantled into stones, and a medieval Turkish fortress was erected on the ruins of the lighthouse. The bronze plates that served as mirrors were probably melted down into coins. This fortress was subsequently rebuilt more than once and still stands on the site of the world's first lighthouse.
In the 1960s, while exploring coastal waters, an unknown Italian diver, descending to a shallow depth near the Sultan's fortress, found two marble columns. During further work, a statue of the goddess Isis of Pharos, which once stood in a nearby temple, was raised from the bottom. In 1980, a group of archaeologists discovered the remains of the Faros lighthouse on the seabed. At the same time, at a depth of 8 meters, the ruins of the palace of the legendary Queen Cleopatra were discovered...
Fire visibility range:
Description of fire, sign
Height of the structure.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the tallest man-made structures for almost 1000 years and has survived almost 22 earthquakes! Interesting, isn't it?
In 1994, French archaeologists discovered several ruins in the waters off the coast of Alexandria. Large blocks and artifacts were discovered. These blocks belonged to the Alexandria Lighthouse. Built by the first Ptolemy, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called the Pharos Lighthouse, was the only ancient wonder with the actual purpose of helping sailors and ships enter the harbor. It was located on the island of Pharos in Egypt and was an excellent example ancient architecture. The lighthouse was a source of income and an important milestone for the city.
Story
◈ Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria in 332 BC.
◈ After his death, Ptolemy I Soter declared himself as pharaoh. He built a city and commissioned a lighthouse.
◈ Pharos was a small island connected to Alexandria by a causeway called Heptastadion.
◈ Alexander named 17 cities after himself, but Alexandria is the only city that has survived and flourished.
◈ Unfortunately, Alexander was unable to see this beautiful structure in his city since he died in 323 BC.
Construction
◈ The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built between 280 and 247 BC. This is about 12 - 20 years for construction. Ptolemy I died before its completion, so it was opened by his son Ptolemy of Philadelphia.
◈ The construction cost was about 800 talents, which is currently equivalent to 3 million dollars.
◈ The lighthouse was approximately 135 meters high. The lowest part was square, the middle was octagonal, and the top was round.
◈ Limestone blocks were used to build the lighthouse. They were sealed with molten lead to withstand strong waves.
◈ Spiral staircases led to the top.
◈ The huge, crooked mirror reflected light during the day, and at night there was a fire burning at the very top.
◈ The light of the lighthouse could be seen, according to various sources, at a distance of 60 to 100 km.
◈ Unconfirmed sources say that the mirror was also used to identify and burn enemy ships.
◈ 4 statues of the god Triton stood at the four corners on top and a statue of Zeus or Poseidon in the center.
◈ The designer of the lighthouse was Sostratus of Cnidus. Some sources also credit him with sponsorship.
◈ Legend says that Ptolemy did not allow Sostratus to write his name on the walls of the lighthouse. Even then, Sostratus wrote "Sostratus, son of Dectiphon, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of the seas" on the wall, and then put plaster on top and wrote the name of Ptolemy.
Destruction
◈ The lighthouse was heavily damaged during an earthquake in 956, and again in 1303 and 1323.
◈ Although the Lighthouse survived almost 22 earthquakes, it finally collapsed in 1375.
◈ In 1349, the famous Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited Alexandria, but was unable to climb the lighthouse.
◈ In 1480 the remaining stone was used to create the fort of Qite Bay on the same site.
◈ Now there is an Egyptian military fortress on the site of the lighthouse, so researchers cannot get there.
Meaning
◈ The monument has become an ideal model of a lighthouse and has important architectural significance.
◈ The word "Pharos" - lighthouse comes from the Greek word φάρος in many languages such as French, Italian, Spanish and Romanian.
◈ The lighthouse of Alexandria is mentioned by Julius Caesar in his works.
◈ The lighthouse remains a civic symbol of the city of Alexandria. His image is used on the flag and seal of the province, as well as on the flag of the University of Alexandria.
One of the most outstanding monuments ancient world is now underwater in ruins. But everyone can swim around the ruins with equipment.
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 founding in 332 AD of one of the most beautiful cities of 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 Alexandria Lighthouse is the first building of this type in the world and tallest building 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.
Egypt, 3rd century BC
On the island of Pharos at the mouth of the Nile River, near the city of Alexandria, the largest lighthouse of antiquity was built around 280 BC. The height of this three-tiered tower reached 135 m. At its top, in an open stone gazebo, a fire burned, showing the way for the ships. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. It was the world's first lighthouse, and it stood for 1,500 years.
This busy port was founded by Alexander the Great during his visit to Egypt. The building was named after the island. 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.The upper tower was shaped like a cylinder, in which a fire burned, which helped the ships reach the bay safely. At the top of the tower stood a statue of Zeus the Savior.
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 flames were bronze plates that directed the light into the sea. From ships it was possible to see this lighthouse at a distance of up to 50 km. By the 12th century AD. 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, Muslims used its remains to build a military fort. The fort was subsequently rebuilt several times and still stands on the site of the world's first lighthouse.
Alexandria Lighthouse on the map:
Information: travel. rin. ru