One of the seven wonders of the world is the Lighthouse of Alexandria - a structure built on the island of Faros in the third century BC. The building is located near the famous Egyptian city of Alexandria, in connection with which he was given such a name. Another option may be the phrase "Faros lighthouse" - from the name of the island on which it is located.
Destination
The first wonder of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria - was originally intended to help lost sailors who want to get to the coast, safely overcoming underwater reefs. At night the paths were lit by flames and signal beams of light emanating from a huge fire, and during the day by pillars of smoke emanating from a fire located at the very top of this sea tower. The Lighthouse of Alexandria served faithfully for almost a thousand years, but was very badly damaged by an earthquake in 796 BC. After this earthquake, five more powerful and long lasting tremors were recorded in history, which finally disabled this magnificent creation of human hands. Of course, they tried to reconstruct it more than once, but all the attempts led only to the fact that from it remained a small fortress, which was built by the Sultan Kait Bey in the 15th century. It is this fortress that can be seen today. She is all that remains of this magnificent creation of man.
History
Let's go a little deeper into history and find out how this wonder of the world was built, because it is really exciting and interesting. How much has happened, what are the features of the construction and its purpose - we will tell you all about this below, do not be too lazy to read it.
Where is the lighthouse of Alexandria
The lighthouse was built on a small island called Faros, which is located off the coast of Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea. The entire history of this lighthouse was originally associated with the name of the great conqueror Alexander of Macedon. He was the creator of the first miracle of the world - a thing that all of humanity is proud of. On this island, Alexander the Great decided to establish a large port, which he actually did in 332 BC during his visit to Egypt. The construction received two names: the first - in honor of the one who decided to build it, the second - in honor of the name of the island on which it is located. In addition to the famous lighthouse, the conqueror decided to build the city of the same name - one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean Sea. It should be noted that in his entire life, Alexander the Great built about eighteen policies with the name "Alexandria", but this one went down in history and is known to this day. First of all, the city was erected, and only then its main attraction. Initially, the construction of the lighthouse was supposed to take 20 years, but there it was. The whole process took only 5 years, but, despite this, the construction saw the world only in 283 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great, during the government of Ptolemy II, king of Egypt.
Construction Features
Alexander the Great decided to approach the issue of construction very carefully. According to some sources, for more than two years he has been choosing a place to build the port. The conqueror did not want to create a city in the Nile River Delta, to which he found a very good replacement. The construction site was pitched twenty miles south, not far from the shrinking Lake Mareotis. Previously, there was a platform of the Egyptian city of Rakotis, which in turn slightly facilitated the entire construction process. The whole advantage of the location was that the port was able to receive ships from the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River, which was very profitable and diplomatic. This not only increased the conqueror's profits, but also helped him and his followers build strong ties with both merchants and sailors of the time. The city managed to create during the life of Macedon, but the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the development of Ptolemy of the first Soter. It was he who finalized the design and brought it to life.
Alexandrian lighthouse. Photo
Looking at the image, we will see that the lighthouse consists of several "layers". Three large marble towers stand on the basis of huge stone blocks, with a total weight of several hundred thousand tons. The first tower has the shape of a huge rectangle. Inside it are rooms intended for housing of soldiers and port workers. On top was a smaller octagonal tower. The spiral ramp was a transition to the upper cylindrical tower, inside which there was a large bonfire, which served as a source of light. The whole structure weighed several million thousand tons, excluding jewelry and appliances inside it. Because of this, the soil began to sag, which caused serious problems and required additional fortifications and construction work.
Start of fire
Despite the fact that the Faros lighthouse was built during 285 - 283 BC, it began to work only at the beginning of the first century BC. It was then that the entire system of signal lights was developed, working thanks to large bronze disks directing light into the sea. In parallel, the composition of gunpowder was invented, which emitted a huge amount of smoke - a way of indicating the way in the afternoon.
Height and range of outgoing light
The total height of the Alexandria Lighthouse is from 120 to 140 meters (the difference is the difference in ground height). Due to this arrangement, the light from the bonfire was visible at a distance of more than 60 kilometers in bright weather (there is evidence that the light was visible for calm for 100 kilometers or more) and up to 45-50 kilometers during a thunderstorm. The direction of the rays was due to the special construction in several rows. The first row was a tetrahedral prism, the height of which reached 60-65 meters, with a square base, an area of 900 square meters. It kept inventory and everything necessary to supply fuel and maintain "eternal" fire. The basis for the middle part was a large flat lid, the corners of which were decorated with large statues of Tritons. This room was an octagonal tower of white marble 40 meters high. The third part of the lighthouse is built of eight columns, on top of them there is a large dome, which is decorated with a large eight-meter bronze statue of Poseidon. Another name for the statue is Zeus the Savior.
"Eternal flame"
Maintaining fire was a difficult task. Every day more than a ton of fuel was required so that the fire could burn with the necessary strength. The tree, which was the main material, was delivered in specially equipped carts along a spiral ramp. Carts dragged mules, which required more than a hundred on one climb. In order for the light from the fire to spread as far as possible, behind the flame, at the foot of each column, huge bronze sheets were placed, with which they directed the light.
Additional purpose
According to some manuscripts and preserved documents, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was not only a source of light for lost sailors. For soldiers, it became an observation point, for scientists - an astronomical observatory. Accounts say that there was a large number of very interesting technical equipment - hours of various shapes and sizes, a weather vane, as well as many astronomical and geographical instruments. Other sources say there is a huge library and a school in which they taught elementary disciplines, but this does not have any significant evidence.
Death
The death of the lighthouse occurred not only due to several powerful earthquakes, but also due to the fact that the bay was almost no longer used, because it was very silted. After the port became unsuitable for operation, the bronze plates with which the light was sent to the sea were melted into coins and jewelry. But that was not the end. The complete destruction of the lighthouse occurred in the 15th century during one of the most powerful earthquakes that ever occurred off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After that, the remains were restored several times and served as a fortress, as well as a home for the few inhabitants of the island.
In modern world
Today the Faros lighthouse, whose photo can be very easily found, is one of the few architectural monuments lost in history and time. This is what is still of interest to both scientists and ordinary people who like centuries-old things, because many events, literary works and scientific discoveries that are important for the entire development of the world are associated with it. Alas, not much is left of the 7 wonders of the world. The Lighthouse of Alexandria, or rather only part of it, is one of those structures that humanity can be proud of. True, all that was left of him was just the lower tier, which served as a warehouse and place of residence for the military and workers. Thanks to many reconstructions, the structure was not completely destroyed. It was remade into something like a small castle-fortress, inside which the remaining inhabitants of the island lived. This is what you can see when you visit the island of Faros, which is quite popular among tourists. After complete construction and cosmetic repairs, the lighthouse has a more modern look, which makes it a modern building with a long history.
