Pharos in Alexandria is one of the buildings of the Ancient World, which was mentioned in his famous list of “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” by Antipater of Sidon. The lighthouse was built in the early 3rd century BC: construction began by Ptolemy Soter, the ruler of Egypt, after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.
The scale of the lighthouse project and its immediate construction was impressive. Legends claim that the light from it was visible from the sea more than 50 km away.
Alexandria
Pharos (as it is usually called Alexandria Lighthouse) was built on island of the same name, located in the harbor of the future Alexandria. When Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt in 332 BC. BC, Pharos was a shrine and home to Proteus, god of the sea. When Alexander and his troops captured Memphis (the capital ancient egypt) and won, the Egyptian people were delighted and accepted him as their pharaoh.
When Alexander and his troops explored new territory, they discovered the small fishing village of Rakotis. Its strategic location (on the coast) attracted Alexander's attention and he declared that a new capital should be built there: Alexandria.
Huge and rich, this city in the future will become a stronghold for the development of all types of arts and will retain its memory in world history as the place where the oldest and largest library was created.
The new coastal area, in terms of geography, was elongated horizontally, like the rest of Egypt. The state did not have any landmarks that could help ships navigate the sea.
Thus, the decision to build a lighthouse was related to the needs of sailors. Later, the Alexandria Lighthouse will begin to perform a protective, defensive function.
Lighthouse project
The lighthouse of Alexandria was designed by the Greek architect Sostratus of Cnidus. It was built of light stone, which was reinforced with molten lead. This technology made it possible to protect the walls of the structure from violent sea waves.
The lighthouse consisted of three parts: the lower (square level) provided reliable support for the entire structure, an octagonal pillar rose in the middle of the lighthouse, top level It was a structure in the shape of a circle. A mirror was installed on the top of the lighthouse, which reflected the light of the sun during the day, and at night a fire was lit on the lighthouse.
Although many researchers refute this myth due to technological limitations, recent experiments have shown that fires could actually happen: the reflective abilities of the mirror would be quite enough.
Pharos in Alexandria existed unchanged until the earthquakes that occurred in 1303 and 1323. AD After natural disasters, only fragments remained of the legendary lighthouse.
In 1994, a team of archaeologists discovered the remains of the Alexandria Lighthouse in the harbor. Building materials left over from the destroyed Pharos were used in the construction of the Qait Bay fort, which has survived from the 15th century. AD to this day.
Interesting facts about the Alexandria Lighthouse
The construction of the lighthouse cost the ruler of Egypt 800 talents. In modern money, this is about three million dollars.
The height of the lighthouse was about 137 meters.
The lighthouse in Alexandria ranks third on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that have survived to this day. The first place is the Great Pyramids of Giza, the second is the mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
He repeatedly mentioned the Lighthouse of Alexandria in his writings.
Today the lighthouse is used as a symbol on the coat of arms and flag of the city of Alexandria.
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.
Alexandria Lighthouse
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 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 Lighthouse of Alexandria composed of Abu el-Andalussi - 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 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.
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 not able 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 Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Faros, located...
From Masterweb
22.05.2018 02:00The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the oldest engineering structures of mankind. It was built between 280 and 247 BC. e. on the island of Faros, located off the coast ancient city Alexandria (territory of modern Egypt). It was thanks to the name of this island that the lighthouse was also known as the Faros lighthouse.
The height of this grandiose structure, according to various historians, was approximately 120-140 meters. For many centuries, it remained one of the tallest structures on our planet, second only to the pyramids at Giza.
Beginning of lighthouse construction
The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, was conveniently located at the intersection of numerous trade routes. The city developed rapidly, everything came into its harbor more ships, and the construction of a lighthouse became an urgent necessity.
Some historians believe that, in addition to the usual function of ensuring the safety of seafarers, the lighthouse could have a related, no less important function. In those days, the rulers of Alexandria feared a possible attack from the sea, and such a colossal structure as the Alexandria Lighthouse could serve as an excellent observation post.
Initially, the lighthouse was not equipped with a complex system of signal lights; it was built several hundred years later. At first, signals were given to ships using smoke from a fire, and therefore the lighthouse was effective only during the daytime.
The unusual design of the Alexandria lighthouse
Such a large-scale construction was a grandiose and very ambitious project for those times. However, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in a very short terms- it lasted no more than 20 years.
For the construction of the lighthouse, a dam was quickly built between the mainland and the island of Pharos, through which the necessary materials were delivered.
It is simply impossible to talk briefly about the Alexandria Lighthouse. The huge structure was built from solid marble blocks, connected to each other for greater strength with lead brackets.
The lower, largest level of the lighthouse was built in the shape of a square with sides approximately 30 meters long. The corners of the base were designed strictly according to the cardinal directions. The premises located on the first level were intended for storing necessary supplies and housing numerous guards and lighthouse workers.
A reservoir was built at the underground level, the supply of drinking water of which should have been sufficient in case of even a prolonged siege of the city.
The second level of the building was made in the shape of an octagon. Its edges were oriented in exact accordance with the wind rose. It was decorated with unusual bronze statues, some of which were movable.
The third, main level of the lighthouse was built in the shape of a cylinder and topped with a large dome. The top of the dome was decorated with a bronze sculpture no less than 7 meters high. Historians still have not come to a consensus whether this was an image of the god of the seas, Poseidon, or a statue of Isis-Faria, the patroness of sailors.
How was the third level of the lighthouse arranged?
For that time, the true miracle of the Alexandria Lighthouse was the complex system of huge bronze mirrors. The light from the fire, which was constantly burning on the upper platform of the lighthouse, was reflected and greatly amplified by these metal plates. In ancient chronicles they wrote that the shining light coming from the Alexandria lighthouse was capable of burning enemy ships far out to sea.
Of course, this was an exaggeration of inexperienced guests of the city who saw this for the first time ancient miracle light - Alexandria lighthouse. Although in fact the light of the lighthouse was visible for more than 60 kilometers, and for ancient times this was a huge achievement.
A very interesting engineering solution for that time was the construction of a spiral staircase-ramp inside the lighthouse, along which the necessary firewood and combustible materials were delivered to the upper tier. Huge amounts of fuel were required to operate smoothly, so mule-drawn carts were constantly going up and down an inclined staircase.
The architect who built the miracle
At the time of the construction of the lighthouse, the king of Alexandria was Ptolemy I Soter, a talented ruler, under whom the city turned into a thriving trading port. Having decided to build a lighthouse in the harbor, he invited one of the talented architects of that time, Sostratus of Knidos, to work on it.
In ancient times, the only name that could be immortalized on a built structure was the name of the ruler. But the architect who built the lighthouse was very proud of his creation and wanted to preserve for posterity the knowledge of who really was the author of the miracle.
Risking the wrath of the ruler, he carved the inscription on one of the stone walls of the first level of the lighthouse: “Sostratus of Cnidia, son of Dextiphanes, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of seafarers.” Then the inscription was covered with layers of plaster and the required praises addressed to the king were carved on top of it.
Several centuries after construction, pieces of plaster gradually fell off, and an inscription appeared, preserving in stone the name of the man who built one of the seven wonders of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
First of its kind
In ancient times in different countries The flames and smoke of fires were often used as a warning system or to transmit signals of danger, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria became the first specialized structure of its kind in the whole world. In Alexandria they called it Pharos, after the name of the island, and all the lighthouses that were built after it also began to be called faros. This is reflected in our language, where the word “headlight” means a source of directional light.
The ancient description of the Alexandria Lighthouse contains information about unusual “living” sculptures and statues, which can be called the first simple automata. They turned, made sounds, and performed simple actions. But these were not chaotic movements at all, one of the statues pointed its hand at the Sun, and when the Sun set, the hand automatically lowered. Another figure had a clock mechanism built into it, which marked the beginning of a new hour with a melodious ringing. The third statue was used as a weather vane, showing the direction and strength of the wind.
The brief description of the Alexandria Lighthouse by his contemporaries failed to convey the secrets of the construction of these statues or the approximate diagram of the ramp along which fuel was delivered. Most of these secrets are lost forever.
Lighthouse destruction
The light from the fire of this unique structure showed the way to sailors for many centuries. But gradually, during the decline of the Roman Empire, the lighthouse also began to decline. Less and less money was invested in maintaining it in working condition, and the harbor of Alexandria was gradually becoming smaller due to the large amount of sand and silt.
In addition, the area where the Alexandria Lighthouse was built was seismically active. A series of strong earthquakes caused serious damage to it, and the disaster of 1326 finally destroyed the seventh wonder of the world.
Alternative version of destruction
In addition to the theory that explains the decline of the colossal structure with insufficient funding and natural disasters, there is another interesting hypothesis about the reasons for the destruction of the lighthouse.
According to this theory, the reason for everything was the enormous military importance that the lighthouse had for the defenders of Egypt. After the country was captured by the Arabs, Christian countries, and especially the Byzantine Empire, hoped to recapture the people of Egypt. But these plans were greatly hampered by the Arab observation post located at the lighthouse.
Therefore, a rumor was spread that somewhere in the building in ancient times the treasures of the Ptolemies were hidden. Believing, the Arabs began to dismantle the lighthouse in an attempt to get to the gold, and in the process damaged the mirror system.
After this, the damaged lighthouse continued to function for another 500 years, gradually deteriorating. Then it was finally dismantled, and a defensive fortress was erected in its place.
Possibility of recovery
The very first attempt to restore the Alexandria Lighthouse was made by the Arabs in the 14th century AD. e., but it was possible to build only a 30-meter semblance of a lighthouse. Then construction stopped, and only 100 years later the ruler of Egypt, Qait Bey, built a fortress in its place to protect Alexandria from the sea. At the base of this fortress, part of the foundation of the ancient lighthouse and almost all of its underground structures and reservoir remained. This fortress still exists today.
Often enthusiastic historians consider the possibility of recreating this famous building in its original condition. But there is one problem - there is practically no reliable description of the Alexandria Lighthouse or its detailed images, on the basis of which it would be possible to accurately restore its appearance.
Touch history
For the first time, some fragments of the lighthouse were discovered by archaeologists at the bottom of the sea in 1994. Since then, an expedition of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology has discovered an entire quarter of ancient Alexandria at the bottom of the harbor, the existence of which scientists had not previously guessed. The remains of many ancient structures remain underwater. There is even a hypothesis that one of the found buildings may be the palace of the famous Queen Cleopatra.
The Egyptian government approved a large-scale reconstruction of the ancient lighthouse in 2015. In the place where it was built in ancient times, they plan to build a multi-story copy of the great lighthouse. Interestingly, the project involves the construction of an underwater glass hall at a depth of 3 meters, so that all lovers ancient history could see the ruins of the ancient royal quarter.
Kievyan Street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255
Tower on Foros, salvation for the Greeks,
Sostratus Dexifanov,
The architect from Knidus erected
O Lord Proteus!
Posidippus .
Now we'll move to the delta Nila to see the seventh wonder of the world. But finding the seventh wonder of the world is a hopeless task. Lighthouse on the island Foros near Alexandria has long since disappeared without a trace.
| Lighthouse on the island of Foros |
The French call a lighthouse “ phare ", Spaniards and Italians " faro ", Greeks "Pharos", English " pharos".
During his conquest of the world, he not only destroyed cities, but also built them. He founded Alexandria near Issy, Troadian Alexandria, Alexandria near the Tigris (later Antioch), Bactrian Alexandria, Armenian Alexandria, Caucasian Alexandria, Alexandria“at the end of the world” and many others. In 332 BC. he founded Alexandria Egypt - the capital of the Hellenic world of Egypt. Previously, on the site of this Alexandria there was an old fishing settlement Rakotis. This is where I came from Memphis one day in the spring Alexander the Great together with its military leaders, historians, zoologists, botanists and dancers. Came here among these people Deinocrat- an architect known to us for Ephesus And Rhodes, he accompanied Alexander from Macedonia. In Ephesus, Deinocrates received his first task - to rebuild. But the “great day” of Deinocrates came only when Alexander conquered Egypt.The king saw not far from the island of Foros, next to the ancient Egyptian settlement Rakotis a natural harbor, on the shores of which there was a wonderful place for a port market, surrounded by fertile Egyptian lands and the proximity of the Nile. It was here that the king ordered Deinocrates to build Egyptian Alexandria, ordered and left, returned here 10 years later and in a golden sarcophagus (Alexander's sarcophagus was ordered by his military commander Ptolemy to be placed in royal palace in Alexandria, in that part of it that was called Sema and where the sarcophagi of all subsequent kings will subsequently stand).
Immediately after Alexander's departure, they began to build the city. After Alexander's death in Babylonia, Alexandria was chosen as his residence by the Macedonian commander Ptolemy, who captured Egypt (first ruling here on behalf of the unborn son of Alexander, and from 305 BC on his own behalf) and founded the last, no longer Egyptian dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs. And gradually the city became so famous for its grandeur and beauty that under the king Ptolemy X
II
and his sister Cleopatra(who treacherously tortured her two brothers, Ptolemy X
II And X
III
to free the throne for his son Ptolemy X
IV
whom she gave birth to Julius Caesar) the Romans wanted to capture it. Over time, the Romans annexed Alexandria, along with all of Egypt, to Roman Empire.
With the coming of the Macedonian commander Ptolemy to power in Egypt and his establishment in Alexandria, the capital of the last Egyptian kingdom, as well as the capital of the entire Hellenistic world, the era of ancient culture began, which is commonly called Alexandrian. The heyday of this culture, which is a synthesis of Greek culture with the culture of the eastern peoples, occurred during the reign of the first three Ptolemies: Ptolemy
ISotera(323-285 BC), Ptolemy
IIPhiladelphia(285 – 246 BC) and Ptolemy
IIIEvergeta(246 – 221 BC) Descendants of the Macedonian courtier Laga gained enormous power over millions of people. They were real pharaohs. Of course, they fought bloody wars with other heirs of the Great Alexander, but they also made a great contribution to the development of Hellenic culture. For example: Ptolemy I was one of those few rulers who understand that science brings the same glory as war and is also cheaper and less risky. It was under their dominance that two great structures were created.
In 308 BC, under Ptolemy I was opened here Alexandria musseion(“Temple of the Muses”) is one of the main scientific and cultural centers of the ancient world, and with it the no less famous Library of Alexandria, which contained almost 700 thousand volumes of Greek and oriental books (most of the books of which were acquired under Ptolemy II Philadelphia). During the musseion, scientists lived and worked, supported by the state. Ptolemy I Sauter himself was the author “The Campaigns of Alexander the Great”. Ptolemy's generosity attracted not only scientists, but also artists, sculptors, and poets to Alexandria. The Ptolemies made Alexandria a world scientific center.
The second magnificent building of the Ptolemies is the lighthouse on the islandPharos. He described it to us Straboin the seventeenth volume of his“Geographies”. This skyscraper of the ancient world was built on a rock in the middle of the sea and, in addition to its practical functions, it served as a symbol of the state.
As Strabo writes, he built it Sostratus from Knida, son Dexifana and “friend of kings” (the first two Ptolemies). Before the lighthouse, Sostratus had already built a “hanging boulevard” on the island of Knidos (a similar hanging structure). It is also known that Sostratus was an experienced diplomat.
The lighthouse of Alexandria stood for about 1,500 years, helping to navigate the Mediterranean "cybernetos", this is what the ancient Greeks called helmsmen. Under the Byzantines, in the 4th century, it was damaged by an earthquake and the fire went out forever. In the 7th century, under the Arabs, this structure served as a day lighthouse. At the end of the 10th century, the lighthouse survived another earthquake and what remained of it was fourth part. In the middle of the 13th century, it was no longer needed as a daylight: the shore was so close to the island that the Ptolemaic harbors turned into a sand quarry. And already at the beginning of the 14th century, the population began to dismantle it for building materials, just like the Roman one. The Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake in 1326. Today the island of Faros is completely connected to the mainland, and its outline has completely changed, and therefore the place where the lighthouse stood today has not yet been identified. high lighthouse in the world, disappeared without a trace.
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