What You Should Know About Pharos, the Ancient Alexandrian Lighthouse

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What You Should Know About Pharos, the Ancient Alexandrian Lighthouse

05 16, 2023

The ancient lighthouse of Alexandria

Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. A historic city, which is located in present-day Egypt. His generals then split up his dominion after his death. Egypt thus returned to Ptolemy I Soter (the savior, in Greek), who ordered the construction of a colossal building, intended to guide sailors sailing on the sea. Its construction began in 297 BC, and is completed about fifteen years later, under the reign of Ptolemy II.

The Alexandria Lighthouse, a propaganda work. But the lighthouse in Alexandria was not only built to allow sailors to locate themselves. Ptolemy 1st would have - especially - commissioned the Greek architect Sostrate of Cnide, to establish its power and grandeur, since its height is estimated at almost 130 meters. A monument of enormous size, which was added to the Pharaonic buildings already present in Alexandria, such as the Serapeum of Alexandria or the Library of Alexandria.

Why are the “lighthouses” called “lighthouses”? Because: the lighthouse of Alexandria. The latter was indeed located – when it was still standing – on the tip of the island of Pharos, the Latin Pharus. Hence its name. And since then, the word “lighthouse” has been used to refer to all buildings corresponding to this type of building.

The site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria extends under the waters of the Mediterranean at the eastern tip of the peninsula of Pharos, at the foot of the medieval fort of Qaitbay which, like the Lighthouse in its time, protected the entrance to the Great Port of Alexandria.

The archaeological site covers almost 1.6 hectares (2019 data). It is composed mainly of architectural blocks and fragments and hard stone statuary (granite, quartzite, grano-diorite, greywacke, marble, limestone, etc) imported mainly from southern Egypt, as well as the sealing lead, irons and bronzes that were used in the ancient buildings that stood at this location. It is at the tip of the islet that ended the eastern part of the ancient island of Pharos that was erected the Lighthouse, symbol of Alexandria, in front of the city, on the right hand side entering the Grand Port. This site now submerged covers about 3 hectares. It has plunged under the waters of the Mediterranean with the architectural ruins that it carried due to subsidence that affects the Alexandrian coasts since antiquity.

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Alexandria was a very special place long ago. People loved to visit because it had three amazing things. One was a really tall lighthouse that was one of the most amazing things in the world at that time. Another was a huge library with lots of books, the biggest library in the whole world back then. And the last thing was a special underground place called catacombs, which were very impressive and also very old.

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