Why was the Lighthouse of Alexandria needed? In the 3rd century BC, a lighthouse was built in Egyptian Alexandria so that ships arriving in the bay of the city could successfully bypass the coastal reefs. This structure consisted of three marble towers, the uppermost of which resembled

Radar beacon A radar beacon is a transceiver, a radio station for navigation purposes. A radar beacon works in conjunction with a radar station that is installed on an aircraft, ship or any other moving

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Who built the first lighthouse? Can you imagine a highway where there are no warning signs for damage, intersections, curves, nearby towns and centers? Naturally, sea routes require exactly the same signs, and the lighthouse is one of

The lighthouse was located on the island of Pharos, off the coast of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria. The history of the lighthouse is connected with the foundation of this city of Ancient Egypt. In fact, the city, compared to other ancient Egyptian cities, is not so ancient. He appeared in 332 BC. thanks to the famous conqueror of Ancient Egypt - Alexander the Great.

Very carefully Alexander the Great chose a place for the future city. He determined the settlement area not in the Nile Delta itself, but 20 miles to the south, although, it would seem, it was in the Delta that two major waterways intersect: along the sea and along the Nile River. And yet the city was founded a little away from the Delta, so that the waters great river did not clog the city harbor with silt and sand. Alexandria was conceived as the most important shopping mall at the intersection of river, sea and land routes of three continents. Such a center had to have its own well-defended harbor.

To equip such a harbor, it was necessary to carry out a number of serious engineering and construction works. The first task was the construction of a dam connecting the coast with the island of Pharos, as well as the construction of a pier protecting the harbor from sand and silt, which the numerous branches of the Nile Delta carry in abundance to the sea.

As a result, the city had two excellent harbors at once. One of them was intended for merchant ships arriving from mediterranean sea, the other accepted ships sailing along the Nile River.

In 323 BC. Alexander died, and soon after that the city passed into the possession of the new ruler of Egypt - Ptolemy I Soter.

During his reign, Alexandria turned into a rich and prosperous port city, and the construction of a lighthouse played an important role in this.

The task of the lighthouse was to ensure the safety of navigation in coastal waters, and thanks to this, the volume of trade carried out through the port of Alexandria increased. The coast of Egypt is characterized by a monotonous landscape - it is dominated by lowlands and plains, and for a successful voyage, sailors always needed an additional landmark: a signal fire in front of the entrance to the harbor of Alexandria. However, this task could be performed by a lighthouse much lower. Even a lighthouse with a height of 35 m (and this is the height of another Wonder of the World of antiquity - the Colossus of Rhodes) for these purposes would be somewhat excessive.

Most likely, one of the most important functions of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was to ensure security from attacks from the sea of ​​the capital of the Ptolemaic state. The greatest threat to Egypt could come from the sea, which was naturally protected from attacks by enemies on land by the desert.

It was to detect the enemy at a considerable distance from the coast that an observation post of considerable height was required. This was especially true in view of the absence of any natural hills near Alexandria on which such observation posts could be set up.

The construction of such a grandiose structure required significant intellectual, financial and labor resources, which would be difficult to attract in a turbulent war time. However, by the beginning of the III century. BC e. favorable conditions for the start of construction. At this time, having assumed the title of king, Ptolemy conquered Syria, taking a huge number of Jews as slaves to Egypt. Other important events were the conclusion of peace between Ptolemy Soter and Demetrius Poliorcetes in 299 BC, as well as the death of Ptolemy's worst enemy - Antigonus, and the division of his kingdom between the Diadochi.

It was after 299 BC. and began the construction of a lighthouse on the island of Pharos. It is rather difficult to name the exact date of construction. They call 290, 285, etc. years BC

Pharos Island in 285 BC It was connected by a dam to the mainland, which greatly facilitated the construction work.

The lighthouse on Pharos was completely different from most modern structures of this type - thin single towers. It looked more like a futuristic skyscraper.

To this day, accurate information about the size and design of the Lighthouse of Alexandria has not been preserved.

The height of the lighthouse ranged from 120 to 180 m. It was a three-tiered tower, the walls of which were made of marble blocks fastened with mortar mixed with lead.

The base of the lighthouse had a strong foundation in the form of a square of granite or limestone with a side length of about 180 - 190 m. On this site there was a palace or fortress with four towers at the corners. This lowest tier of the lighthouse looked like a massive parallelepiped. Along its walls inside there was an inclined entrance, along which a horse-drawn cart could climb up.

The second tier was erected in the form of an octagonal tower, and the third tier of the Lighthouse of Alexandria resembled a cylinder topped with a dome resting on columns. At the top of the dome, a huge statue of the god Poseidon, the ruler of the seas, proudly looked at the world. The fire burned in the area below him. Evidence has been preserved that from the ships it was possible to see the light of this lighthouse at a distance of sixty, or even a hundred km.

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.

A spiral staircase led along the walls to the top of the lighthouse, along which the attendants and visitors climbed to the platform where the signal fire was blazing. There was a massive concave mirror, most likely made of polished metal. It was supposed to reflect and enhance the light of the fire. According to sources, a bright reflected light at night showed the ships the way to the harbor, and during the day, a huge smoke column visible from afar rose up instead.

The lighthouse of Alexandria immediately upon completion of construction was recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world, becoming the subject of admiration for the entire ancient world. His silhouette was depicted on vessels, minted on coins, cast and carved in the form of souvenir figurines for Greek and Roman travelers. The lighthouse became the symbol of Alexandria. Strabo and Pliny the Elder described the lighthouse in enthusiastic tones.

For almost 1,000 years, the lighthouse of Alexandria has shown the way to ships. Earthquakes gradually destroyed it. In 1183, he still towered on the island, this year the traveler Ibn Jabar visited Alexandria. The grandiose building shocked him so much that he exclaimed: “Not a single description can convey all its beauty, there are not enough eyes to take a look at it, and there are not enough words to tell about the greatness of this spectacle!”. By the 12th century, the Alexandria Bay was so filled with silt that ships could no longer use it. The lighthouse fell into disrepair. In the XIV century, it was completely destroyed by an earthquake. The Mamluk Sultan Kayt Bey built a fortress on the foundation of the lighthouse in 1480, which received the name of its creator. This fortress still stands today.

about the Lighthouse of Alexandria

• The lighthouse was erected in the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great. The great commander founded at least 17 cities with the same name in various parts of his vast empire. Almost all of these cities disappeared without a trace. And only Egyptian Alexandria flourished for many centuries and prospers to this day.

• The lighthouse was designed by the architect Sostratus of Cnidia. Ptolemy II, who inherited the throne after his father Ptolemy Soter, wanted only his royal name to be engraved on the stones, and that he was revered as the creator of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Sostratus, proud of his creation, found a way to perpetuate his name. He carved the following inscription on a stone wall: "Sostratus, son of Dexiphon, a Cnidian, dedicated to the gods-saviors for the health of seafarers!" Then he covered this inscription with a layer of plaster, and wrote the name of Ptolemy on top. Centuries passed, and the plaster crumbled, revealing to the world the name of the true builder of the lighthouse.

• The Lighthouse of Alexandria, the seventh wonder of the world, is actually the eighth wonder. The walls of Babylon were considered the second wonder of the world before its construction. When the lighthouse was erected, contemporaries were so amazed by this outstanding building that the walls of Babylon were simply crossed out of the list of the Seven Wonders of the World and the lighthouse was included in it as the latest, newest miracle.

• The news of the Miracle spread all over the world, and the lighthouse began to be called by the name of the island of Pharos or simply Pharos. Later, the word "faros", as the designation of a lighthouse, was fixed in many languages ​​​​(French, Spanish, Romanian).

• And in Russian, the word "headlight" came from him.

The first (lower) tier of the lighthouse with a square base resembled a fortress or a castle with towers installed at the corners. The towers were oriented to the cardinal points. The height of the tier reached about sixty meters. The flat roof of the lower tier served as the basis for the second tier. Triton statues were also installed on the roof here. Inside the first tier there was a garrison guarding the lighthouse, and maintenance personnel, as well as the necessary equipment and supplies of water and food in case of a siege.

II (middle) tier

The second (middle) tier with an octagonal base rose another forty meters. Inside the second tier, a ramp was presumably built, along which fuel for signal fire was raised to the third (upper) tier.

III (upper) tier

Columns supporting the dome of the lighthouse were installed on the third cylindrical tier. A signal fire was lit on the platform among the columns. The light of the signal fire was reflected and amplified by a whole system of polished bronze plates.

A huge golden statue of Poseidon was installed on the dome of the lighthouse. There was an impression that Poseidon guarded faros lighthouse, peering intently at their sea expanses.

Tower on Foros, salvation for the Greeks,

Sostrat Deksifanov,

The architect from Knidos, erected,

Oh Lord Proteus!

Posidipp .

Now we'll move to the delta Nile to see the seventh wonder of the world. But to find the seventh wonder of the world is a hopeless business. lighthouse on the island Foros near Alexandria disappeared without a trace for a long time.

The French call the lighthouse " phare ", Spaniards and Italians" faro ", the Greeks" faros ", the British" pharos".

during his conquest of the world, he not only destroyed cities, but also built them. He founded Alexandria near issy, Alexandria of Troas, Alexandria near the Tigris (later Antioch), Alexandria of Bactria, Alexandria of Armenia, Alexandria of the Caucasus, Alexandria" on the edge of the world " and many others. In 332 B.C. he founded Alexandria of 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 he came from Memphis one day in the spring Alexander the Great along with their military leaders, historians, zoologists, botanists and dancers. Among these people arrived here Deinocrates- an architect known to us by 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 near the island of Foros, next to the ancient Egyptian settlement Rakotis a natural harbor, on the banks of which there was a wonderful place for a port market, around the fertile Egyptian lands and the proximity of the Nile. It was here that the king ordered Deinocrates to build the Egyptian Alexandria, ordered and left, returned here after 10 years and in a golden sarcophagus (the sarcophagus of Alexander, his commander Ptolemy ordered to put in royal palace in Alexandria, in that part of it which was called Sema and where the sarcophagi of all subsequent kings will subsequently stand).
Immediately after Alexander's departure, the city began to be built. After the death of Alexander 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 vacate the throne for his son Ptolemy X IV who 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 advent of the Macedonian commander Ptolemy to power in Egypt and his substantiation in Alexandria, the capital of the last Egyptian kingdom, as well as the capital of the entire Hellenistic world, the era of ancient culture, which is commonly called Alexandrian, began. The heyday of this culture, which is a synthesis of Greek culture with the culture of the Eastern peoples, falls on the domination of the first three Ptolemies: Ptolemy ISotera(323-285 BC), Ptolemy IIPhiladelphia(285 - 246 BC) and Ptolemy IIIEvergeta(246 - 221 BC) Descendants of a Macedonian courtier Laga gained enormous power over millions of people. They were real pharaohs. Of course, they waged 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 moreover, it is cheaper and less risky. It was under their rule that two great structures were created.

In 308 BC, under Ptolemy I was opened here Alexandria musseion(“Temple of the Muses”) - one of the main scientific and cultural centers of the ancient world, and with it the no less famous Library of Alexandria, in which there were almost 700 thousand volumes of Greek and Oriental books (most of the books of which were acquired under Ptolemy II Philadelphia). At the musseion, scientists lived and worked, who were supported by the state. Ptolemy I Soter himself was the author "Campaigns of Alexander the Great". The generosity of Ptolemy attracted to Alexandria not only scientists, but also artists, sculptors, and poets. The Ptolemies made Alexandria a world center of learning.

The second magnificent building of the Ptolemies is a lighthouse on the islandFaros. He described it to us Straboin the seventeenth volume"Geography". 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” (of the first two Ptolemies). Before the lighthouse, Sostratus had already built a "hanging boulevard" on the island of Knida (a similar hanging structure). It is also known that Sostratus was an experienced diplomat.
The lighthouse of Alexandria stood for about 1500 years, helping to navigate the Mediterranean "cybernetos", the ancient Greeks called the 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 remained from it part 4. In the middle of the 13th century, it was no longer needed as a lighthouse: the shore was so close to the island that the Ptolemaic harbors turned into a sand pit. Colosseum.And the destruction of the lighthouse was completed by an earthquake in 1326. Today, the island of Pharos is completely connected to the mainland, besides, its shape has completely changed, and therefore the place where the lighthouse stood today has not yet been identified.The lighthouse on the island of Pharos, the highest lighthouse in the world, disappeared without a trace.

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