Lighthouse of Alexandria: brief description of the report. Alexandria (Faros) lighthouse - interesting historical facts What is the Alexandria lighthouse

In 332 BC. Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. In 290 BC. Ruler Ptolemy I. ordered the construction of a lighthouse on the small island of Pharos as quickly as possible as a symbol of the city and a coastal landmark.

Pharos was located near the coast of Alexandria - it was connected to the mainland by a huge artificial dam (dam), which was also part of the city harbor. The coast of Egypt is distinguished by the monotony of its landscape - it is dominated by plains and lowlands, and sailors have always needed an additional landmark for successful navigation: a signal light before entering the harbor of Alexandria. Thus, the function of the building on Pharos was determined from the very beginning. Actually, the lighthouse, precisely as a structure with a system of mirrors reflecting sunlight and signal lights on the top, dates back to approximately the 1st century AD. e., which dates back to the times of Roman rule. However, the Alexandria Lighthouse, which served as a coastal sign for sailors, was erected in the 4th century BC.

The lighthouse was created by the architect Sostratus of Cnidia. Proud of his creation, he wanted to leave his name on the foundation of the structure, but Ptolemy II, who inherited the throne after his father Ptolemy Soter, forbade him to perform this free act. The pharaoh wanted only his royal name to be engraved on the stones, and that he be revered as the creator of the Alexandria lighthouse. Sostrato, being an intelligent man, did not argue, but simply found a way to circumvent the ruler’s order. First, he knocked out the following inscription on the stone wall: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphon, a Cnidian, dedicated to the savior gods for the health of seafarers!”, after which he covered it with a layer of plaster, and wrote the name of Ptolemy on top. Centuries passed, and the plaster became cracked and crumbled, revealing to the world the name of the true builder of the lighthouse.

Construction dragged on for 20 years, but in the end the Lighthouse of Alexandria became the world's first lighthouse, and the tallest structure of the ancient world, not counting the Great Pyramids of Giza. Soon the news of the Miracle spread throughout the world and the lighthouse began to be called by the name of the island of Faros or simply Pharos. Afterwards, the word “faros”, as a designation for a lighthouse, became established in many languages ​​(Spanish, Romanian, French)

In the 10th century, two detailed descriptions of the Alexandria lighthouse were compiled: by travelers Idrisi and Yusuf el-Shaikh. According to them, the height of the building was 300 cubits. Since such a measure of length as a “cubit” had different sizes among different peoples, when translated into modern parameters, the height of the lighthouse ranges from 450 to 600 feet. Although I think the first number is more true.

The lighthouse on Pharos was not at all like most modern structures of this type - thin single towers, but rather resembled a futuristic skyscraper. It was a three-story (three-tiered) tower, whose walls were made of marble blocks held together with lead-laced mortar.

The first floor was over 200 feet high and 100 feet long. Thus, the lowest tier of the lighthouse resembled a massive parallelepiped. Inside, along its walls, there was an inclined entrance along which a horse-drawn cart could climb up.

The second tier was built in the shape of an octagonal tower, and the top floor of the lighthouse resembled a cylinder topped with a dome resting on columns. The top of the dome was decorated with a huge statue of the god Poseidon, the ruler of the seas. There was always a fire burning on the platform below him. It is said that the light of this lighthouse could be seen from ships at a distance of 35 miles (56 km).

At the very bottom of the lighthouse there were many service rooms where equipment was stored, and inside the two upper floors there was a shaft with a lifting mechanism that allowed fuel for the fire to be delivered to the very top.

In addition to this mechanism, a spiral staircase led along the walls to the top of the lighthouse, along which visitors and staff climbed to the platform where the signal fire burned. According to sources, a massive concave mirror, probably made of polished metal, was also installed there. It was used to reflect and intensify the light of a fire. They say that at night the ships were guided to the harbor by a bright reflected light, and during the day by a huge smoke column visible from afar.

Some legends say that the mirror on the Pharos lighthouse could also be used as a weapon: supposedly it was capable of focusing the sun's rays in such a way that it burned enemy ships as soon as they appeared in the field of view. Other legends say that it was possible to see Constantinople on the other side of the sea, using this mirror as a magnifying glass. Both stories seem too implausible.

The most complete description of it was left by the Arab traveler Abu Haggag Yusuf ibn Mohammed el-Andalussi, who visited Pharos in 1166. His notes read: " The Alexandria Lighthouse is located at the very edge of the island. Its plinth has a square base, the length of the sides is approximately 8.5 meters, while the northern and western sides are washed by the sea. The height of the eastern and southern walls of the basement reaches 6.5 meters. However, the height of the walls facing the sea is much greater, they are more vertical and resemble a steep mountain slope. The stonework of the lighthouse here is especially strong. I must say that the part of the building that I described above is the most modern, since it was here that the masonry had dilapidated the most and needed restoration. On the side of the plinth that faces the sea is an ancient inscription, which I cannot read, because the wind and sea waves have worn away the stone base, causing the letters to partially crumble. The dimensions of the letter "A" are slightly less than 54 cm. And the upper part of the "M" resembles a large hole in the bottom of a copper boiler. The sizes of the remaining letters are similar.

The entrance to the lighthouse is at a considerable height, because an embankment 183 meters long leads to it. It rests on a series of arches, the width of which is so great that my companion, standing under one of them and spreading his arms to the sides, could not touch its walls. There were sixteen arches in total, and each of them was larger than the previous one. The very last arch is especially striking in its size".

How did the world's first lighthouse end up at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea? Most sources say that the lighthouse, like other ancient structures, fell victim to earthquakes. The lighthouse on Pharos stood for 1500 years, but tremors in 365, 956 and 1303 AD. e. seriously damaged it. And the earthquake of 1326 (according to other sources, 1323) completed the destruction.

The story of how most of the lighthouse was turned into ruins in 850 thanks to the intrigues of the Emperor of Constantinople seems completely unreliable. Since Alexandria competed very successfully with the above-mentioned city, the ruler of Constantinople conceived a cunning plan to destroy the lighthouse on Pharos. He spread rumors that a treasure of fabulous value was hidden under the foundation of this building. When the caliph in Cairo (who was at that time the ruler of Alexandria) heard this rumor, he ordered the lighthouse to be demolished in order to find the treasures hidden under it. Only after the giant mirror was broken and two tiers had already been destroyed did the caliph realize that he had been deceived. He tried to restore the building, but his attempts were unsuccessful. Then he rebuilt the surviving first floor of the lighthouse, turning it into a mosque. However, no matter how colorful this story is, it cannot be true. After all, travelers who visited the Faros lighthouse already in 1115 AD. e. indicate that even then he still remained safe and sound, properly performing his function.

Thus, the Lighthouse still stood on the island when the traveler Ibn Jabar visited Alexandria in 1183. What he saw shocked him so much that he exclaimed: “No description can convey all its beauty, there are not enough eyes to look at it, and there are not enough words to tell about the greatness of this spectacle!”
Two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 destroyed the lighthouse on Pharos so much that the Arab traveler Ibn Batuta was no longer able to get inside this structure. But even these ruins have not survived to this day: in 1480, Sultan Qait Bey, who ruled Egypt at that time, erected a citadel (fort) on the site of the lighthouse. The remains of the lighthouse's masonry were taken for construction. Thus, the lighthouse became part of the medieval fort of Qite Bay. However, the blocks from which the Alexandria Lighthouse was once built can still be distinguished in the stone walls of the fort - due to their gigantic size.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In 285 BC. e. The island was connected to the shore by an artificial dam about 750 meters long. The construction of the lighthouse was entrusted to the famous architect Sostratus of Knidos. He set to work with enthusiasm, and five years later the three-story tower, about 120 meters high, was completed. The first floor in the form of a square was made of large slabs. Its walls, about 30.5 meters long, faced the four cardinal directions - north, east, south and west. The second floor was an octagonal tower, lined with marble slabs and oriented in the direction of the eight main winds. The round lantern of the third floor was crowned with a dome, on which stood a seven-meter bronze statue of the god of the seas, Poseidon.

Alexandrian lighthouse.

Alexandrian lighthouse

In 332-331. BC. King Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in the Nile Delta, which became the capital of Hellenistic Egypt. The city was remarkable because it was built according to a single plan. The richest quarter was Brucheyon - a quarter of palaces, gardens, parks and royal tombs. Here was also the tomb of Alexander the Great, whose body was brought from Babylon, where he died in 323 BC. The fame of Alexandria was greatly promoted by the world-famous Museion (temple of the muses), a place for scientific studies and an educational refuge for scientists working in various branches of science. Museion became the center of scientific life in the brilliant Egyptian capital, something like an academy of sciences.

Alexandria Lighthouse on Faros Island

Mathematics and mechanics developed especially successfully in Alexandria. Such outstanding scientists as the mathematician Euclid, who outlined the foundations of geometry in his work “Elements,” and the inventor Heron of Alexandria, who was far ahead of his time, lived and worked here. He created various machines and built a device that was, in fact, a real steam engine.

Sometimes the creations of scientists captured the imagination of their contemporaries. One of these miracles was Alexandrian lighthouse. It was built on a rock rising on the eastern shore of the island of Pharos. Due to shoals, underwater rocks, sediments and sediments on the seabed, ships approached the harbors of Alexandria very carefully.

Height of Alexandria Lighthouse

In 285 BC. e. The island was connected to the shore by an artificial dam about 750 meters long. The construction of the lighthouse was entrusted to the famous architect Sostratus of Knidos. He set to work with enthusiasm, and five years later the three-story tower, about 120 meters high, was completed.

• The first floor in the form of a square was made of large slabs. Its walls, about 30.5 meters long, faced the four cardinal directions - north, east, south and west.
• The second floor was an octagonal tower, lined with marble slabs and oriented in the direction of the eight main winds.
• The round lantern of the third floor was crowned with a dome, on which stood a seven-meter bronze statue of the god of the seas, Poseidon.

The dome rested on eight polished granite columns. The lighthouse fire burned here. Its light intensified, reflecting in a system of metal mirrors. Sailors saw him from afar, 60 kilometers away. Fuel for the fire was carried upstairs on donkeys along a gentle spiral staircase.

Some researchers believe that there was an elevator inside the building that lifted firewood and people serving Alexandrian lighthouse.

The lighthouse was also a fortress. There was a large garrison here. In the underground part of the tower, in case of a siege, there was a huge tank for drinking water. Alexandrian lighthouse it also served as an observation post - an ingenious system of mirrors made it possible to observe the sea from the top of the tower and detect enemy ships long before they sailed to the city.

The octagonal tower was decorated with numerous bronze statues that served as weather vanes or were equipped with various mechanisms. Travelers talked about the statues and miracles.

One of them seemed to always point her hand at the Sun along the entire path of its movement across the sky and lowered her hand when it set. The other chimed every hour day and night. There was also a statue that pointed its hand to the sea if an enemy fleet appeared on the horizon, and uttered a warning cry when enemy ships approached the harbor.

Lighthouse of Alexandria - wonder of the world

The Faros lighthouse stood until the 14th century. By 1326, when it was finally destroyed by an earthquake, the height of the lighthouse was no more than 30 meters, that is, a quarter of its original height. But even in this form, this monument of ancient architecture aroused the admiration of Arab authors (in 640, Alexandria was conquered by the Arabs).

The remains of the high pedestal of the tower have survived to this day, but for architects and archaeologists they are completely unacceptable, since they turned out to be built into a medieval Arab fortress.

In ancient times, the word “faros” began to be used to refer to all lighthouses. The memory of the miracle of construction technology has reached us in the word “headlight”.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Alexandrian lighthouse (Faros lighthouse) - a lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC. e. on the island of Pharos near the Egyptian city of Alexandria, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

History of construction

The lighthouse was built so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. At night they were helped in this by the reflection of flames, and during the day by a column of smoke. The lighthouse stood for almost a thousand years, but in 796 AD. e. was heavily 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, the Sultan of Qait Bay erected a fortress on the site of the lighthouse, which still stands today.

The lighthouse was built on the small island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea near 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. Its construction was supposed to take 20 years, and it was completed around 283 BC. e. , during the reign of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. The construction of this gigantic structure lasted only 5 years. Architect - Sostratus of Cnidus.

The Faros lighthouse consisted of three marble towers standing on a base of massive stone blocks. The first part of the tower was rectangular and contained rooms in which workers and soldiers lived. Above this part was a smaller, octagonal tower with a spiral ramp leading to the upper part. The upper part of the tower was shaped like a cylinder in which a fire burned.

Guide light

Death of the lighthouse

Research

In 1968, under the auspices of UNESCO, the ruins of the lighthouse were explored by the famous underwater archaeologist Honor Frost: much later, in 1997, for this expedition she received the medal “For innovative underwater archeology in Egypt” from the French government.

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Literature

• Shishova I. A., Neihardt A. A. Seven wonders of the ancient world
• . Peter A. Clayton

Notes

An excerpt characterizing the Alexandria Lighthouse

The Battle of Borodino, with the subsequent occupation of Moscow and the flight of the French, without new battles, is one of the most instructive phenomena in history.
All historians agree that the external activities of states and peoples, in their clashes with each other, are expressed by wars; that directly, as a result of greater or lesser military successes, the political power of states and peoples increases or decreases.
No matter how strange the historical descriptions are of how some king or emperor, having quarreled with another emperor or king, gathered an army, fought with the enemy army, won a victory, killed three, five, ten thousand people and, as a result, conquered the state and an entire people of several millions; no matter how incomprehensible it may be why the defeat of one army, one hundredth of all the forces of the people, forced the people to submit, all the facts of history (as far as we know it) confirm the justice of the fact that greater or lesser successes of the army of one people against the army of another people are the reasons or, according to at least significant signs of an increase or decrease in the strength of nations. The army was victorious, and the rights of the victorious people immediately increased to the detriment of the vanquished. The army suffered defeat, and immediately, according to the degree of defeat, the people are deprived of their rights, and when their army is completely defeated, they are completely subjugated.
This has been the case (according to history) from ancient times to the present day. All Napoleon's wars serve as confirmation of this rule. According to the degree of defeat of the Austrian troops, Austria is deprived of its rights, and the rights and strength of France increase. The French victory at Jena and Auerstätt destroys the independent existence of Prussia.
But suddenly in 1812 the French won a victory near Moscow, Moscow was taken, and after that, without new battles, not Russia ceased to exist, but the army of six hundred thousand ceased to exist, then Napoleonic France. It is impossible to stretch the facts to the rules of history, to say that the battlefield in Borodino remained with the Russians, that after Moscow there were battles that destroyed Napoleon’s army.
After the Borodino victory of the French, there was not a single general battle, but not a single significant one, and the French army ceased to exist. What does it mean? If this were an example from the history of China, we could say that this phenomenon is not historical (a loophole for historians when something does not fit their standards); if the matter concerned a short-term conflict, in which small numbers of troops were involved, we could accept this phenomenon as an exception; but this event took place before the eyes of our fathers, for whom the issue of life and death of the fatherland was being decided, and this war was the greatest of all known wars...
The period of the 1812 campaign from the Battle of Borodino to the expulsion of the French proved that a won battle is not only not the reason for conquest, but is not even a permanent sign of conquest; proved that the power that decides the fate of peoples lies not in the conquerors, not even in armies and battles, but in something else.
French historians, describing the position of the French army before leaving Moscow, claim that everything in the Great Army was in order, except for the cavalry, artillery and convoys, and there was no fodder to feed horses and cattle. Nothing could help this disaster, because the surrounding men burned their hay and did not give it to the French.
The won battle did not bring the usual results, because the men Karp and Vlas, who after the French came to Moscow with carts to plunder the city and did not personally show heroic feelings at all, and all the countless number of such men did not carry hay to Moscow for the good money that they They offered it, but they burned it.

Let's imagine two people who went out to duel with swords according to all the rules of fencing art: fencing lasted for quite a long time; suddenly one of the opponents, feeling wounded - realizing that this was not a joke, but concerned his life, threw down his sword and, taking the first club he came across, began to swing it. But let us imagine that the enemy, having so wisely used the best and simplest means to achieve his goal, at the same time inspired by the traditions of chivalry, would want to hide the essence of the matter and would insist that he, according to all the rules of art, won with swords. One can imagine what confusion and ambiguity would arise from such a description of the duel that took place.
The fencers who demanded fighting according to the rules of art were the French; his opponent, who threw down his sword and raised his club, were Russians; people who try to explain everything according to the rules of fencing are historians who wrote about this event.
Since the fire of Smolensk, a war began that did not fit any previous legends of war. The burning of cities and villages, retreat after battles, Borodin’s attack and retreat again, abandonment and fire of Moscow, catching marauders, rehiring transports, guerrilla warfare - all these were deviations from the rules.

The Alexandria Lighthouse, which stood on the eastern shore of the island of Pharos, is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In the distant past, the city harbor of Alexandria was shallow and rocky, so in order to protect ships from harm, a stone lighthouse was built on the approach to the city. The first and only Pharos or Alexandria lighthouse on Greek soil was built by Sostratus of Knidos. Construction began in 283 BC. e. and lasted only 5 years. In the time of Ptolemy, the lighthouse erected was higher than the tallest pyramid. For its construction, Sostratus of Cnidus used all the latest inventions and achievements of Alexandrian scientists. He immortalized his name on the marble wall of the majestic structure. The inscription read: “Sostratus, son of Dexiphanes of Cnidus, dedicated to the savior gods for the sake of sailors,” he buried it under a layer of plaster, on top of which he wrote praises to King Ptolemy Soter. But time put everything in its place and the world learned the true name of the architect and builder of one of the wonders of the world, after a thin layer of plaster fell off the wall. The lighthouse was a grandiose three-tiered structure, 120 meters high. Its lower floor had four faces facing the parts of the world (north, east, west and south), the eight faces of the second tier had the directions of the eight main winds, the top third floor was a lighthouse dome with a majestic seven-meter statue of Poseidon.

One of the statues that adorned the lighthouse tower showed the time of day with the direction of her hand, so during the solstice in the sky she held her hand up, as if pointing to the sun; after sunset, sailors could see the statue with her hand down. Another statue chimed every hour day and night, another indicated the direction of the blowing wind. Scientists came up with a complex system of metal mirrors for the lighthouse, which helped to amplify the light of the fire so that sailors could see it from afar. All this is unique and fantastic for that time period. It is not for nothing that the Lighthouse of Alexandria was included in one of the seven wonders of the world. The territory of the lighthouse was surrounded by a fortress wall, behind which there was an entire military garrison.

The lighthouse regularly performed its duties until the 14th century. With the fall of the Roman Empire, it ceased to shine. Having stood for 1,500 years, the lighthouse survived severe earthquakes and the effects of natural forces in the form of wind and rain. During this long period, enormous even for a stone, it began to collapse. Its fire went out forever, unable to withstand the earthquake (IV century). The upper tower, which had decayed over centuries, collapsed, but the walls of the lower floor still stood for a long time.

Even when it was half destroyed, its height was about 30 m. In the middle of the 13th century, the mainland came very close to the island and the lighthouse was no longer needed at all. At the beginning of the 14th century, it was dismantled into stones, and a medieval Turkish fortress was built on its ruins, which still stands on the site of the world's first lighthouse.

Currently, only the base of the lighthouse has been preserved, which is entirely built into the medieval fortress. In 1962, in coastal waters, at a depth of 7 m, scuba divers discovered the remains of the Alexandria lighthouse. A cracked column and the famous statue of Poseidon, which crowned the dome of the lighthouse, were raised from the bottom of the sea.

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 a wonderful example of 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 of the ancient world now lies underwater in ruins. But everyone can swim around the ruins with equipment.