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{{Infobox lighthouse |
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| name = Lighthouse of Alexandria |
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| image_name = Lighthouse - Thiersch.gif |
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| caption = Drawing by archaeologist Hermann Thiersch (1909). |
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| location = Pharos, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] |
| location = Pharos, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] |
||
| latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N |
| latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N |
||
Revision as of 18:36, 21 September 2010
suck it bitch quit erasing my stuff i put on i still c u in niellsville wisconsin(1909).
| location = Pharos, Alexandria, Egypt | latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N | longd= 29 | longm= 53 | longs= 06 | longEW= E | coordinates_type = region:EG_type:landmark_source:dewiki | coordinates_display = inline,title | yearbuilt = c. 280 BC | yearlit = | automated = | yeardeactivated = 1303/1323 | foundation = Stone | construction = Masonry | shape = | marking = | height = 120–140 m (390–460 ft) | elevation = | lens = | currentlens = | intensity = | range = 47 km (29 mi) | characteristic =
}} The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was a tower built between 280 and 247 BC on the island of Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt to guide sailors into the harbour at night. With a height variously estimated at between 120–140 m (390–460 ft) [1], it was for many centuries among the tallest man-made structures, and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
History
Pharos was a small island just off the coast of Alexandria, which was connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway named the Heptastadion, which formed one side of the city's harbor. The tower erected on the island guided mariners at night using fire and reflective mirrors, and acted as a landmark by day. It was said that the light could be seen from up to 29 miles (47 km) away, and legends claim that the light from Pharos could burn enemy ships before they reached shore.
Legend also holds that Ptolemy I Soter would not allow Sostratus to put his name on the tower, but the architect left the following inscription on the base's walls nonetheless:
Sostratus of Cnidus, son of Dexiphanes, to the Gods protecting those upon the sea. ΣΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ ΔΕΞΙΦΑΝΟΥ ΚΝΙΔΙΟΣ ΘΕΟΙΣ ΣΩΤΕΡΣΙΝ ΥΠΕΡ ΤΩΝ ΠΛΩΙΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ
These words were hidden under a layer of plaster, on top of which was chiseled another inscription honoring Ptolemy the king as builder of the Pharos. After centuries the plaster wore away, revealing the name of Sostratus.
The lighthouse was badly damaged in the earthquake of 956, and in the earthquakes of 1303 and 1323 was damaged to the extent that the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta reported no longer being able to enter the ruin. Even the stubby remnant disappeared in 1480, when the then- Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, built a medieval fort – the Citadel of Qaitbay – on the site of the lighthouse, using some of the fallen stone.
Description
Constructed from large blocks of light-coloured stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. Extant Roman coins struck by the Alexandrian mint show that a statue of a triton was positioned on each of the building's four corners. A statue of Poseidon stood atop the tower during the Roman period. The Pharos' masonry blocks were interlocked, sealed together using molten lead, to withstand the pounding of the waves. [2]
The fullest description of the lighthouse comes from the Arab traveller Abou Haggag Youssef Ibn el-Andaloussi, who visited the structure in 1165 AD:
The Pharos rises at the end of the island. The building is square, about 8.5 metres (28 ft) each side. The sea surrounds the Pharos except on the east and south sides. This platform measures, along its sides, from the tip, down to the foot of the Pharos walls, 6.5 metres (21 ft) in height. However, on the sea side, it is larger because of the construction and is steeply inclined like the side of a mountain. As the height of the platform increases towards the walls of the Pharos its width narrows until it arrives at the measurements above. ... The doorway to the Pharos is high up. A ramp about 183 metres (600 ft) long used to lead up to it. This ramp rests on a series of curved arches; my companion got beneath one of the arches and stretched out his arms but he was not able to reach the sides. There are 16 of these arches, each gradually getting higher until the doorway is reached, the last one being especially high.
Recent archaeological research
Divers discovered remains of the lighthouse in autumn 1994 on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour. Some of these remains were brought up and were lying at the harbour on public view at the end of 1995. An episode of the PBS television series Nova chronicled the discovery. [3] Subsequent satellite imaging has revealed further remains. It is possible to go diving and see the ruins.
Significance
Pharos became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in Greek (φάρος), and many Romance languages, such as French (phare), Italian (faro), Spanish (faro), Galician (faro), Portuguese (farol), and Romanian (far).
In 2008 it was suggested [4] that the Pharos was the vertical yardstick used in the first precise measurement of the size of the earth.
In popular culture
 |
- Architecture
- A well-preserved ancient tomb in the town of Abusir, 48 kilometres (30 mi) southwest of Alexandria, is thought to be a scaled-down model of the Alexandria Pharos. Known colloquially under various names – the Pharos of Abusir, the Abusir funerary monument and Burg al-Arab (Arab's Tower) – it consists of a 3-story tower, approximately 20 metres (66 ft) in height, with a square base, a hexagonal midsection and cylindrical upper section, like the building upon which it was apparently modelled. It dates to the reign of Ptolemy II (285–246 BC), and is therefore likely to have been built at about the same time as the Alexandria Pharos.
- The design of minarets in many early Egyptian Islamic mosques followed a similar three-stage design to that of the Pharos, attesting to the building's broader architectural influence. [5]
- A scale replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed in the Window of the World Cultural Park in Shenzhen, China.
- The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia was largely modeled after the most famous landmark of the city with which it shares a name.
- Film
- In the 2009 film Agora, the lighthouse appears in more than one long shot of Alexandria.
- In the 1963 epic film Cleopatra, the lighthouse appears briefly in the one long shot of Alexandria when Julius Caesar is approaching the city.
- Books
- The enduring memory of the lighthouse is reflected in literature. It was described at length in the Zhufan Zhi (諸蕃志, "Records of Foreign Peoples") by Zhao Rugua (1170–1228), a Chinese customs inspector for the port city of Quanzhou during the Song Dynasty. [6]
- Games
- The Egyptian lighthouse in Age of Mythology is modelled after the lighthouse of Alexandria, and provides extensive LOS in an area around it.
- The Lighthouse is used as one of the Seven Wonders in the boardgame Mare Nostrum.
- Final Fantasy XII included a location called The Pharos at Ridorana based on the Pharos at Alexandria.
- Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation included a level called Pharos, Temple of Isis in Alexandria location, based in a possible ruins of the great Pharos at Alexandria.
- World of Warcraft has a tower in the zone of Dragonblight which resembles the lighthouse of Alexandria with the "Dragon Aspect" Alexstrasza who is at the top of the tower.
Notes
- ^ Seven Wonders: The Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria. history.com. 2010-08-17.
- ^ Beaver, Patrick (1971). A History of Lighthouses. London: Peter Davies Ltd, pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-432-01290-7.
- ^ NOVA online - Treasures of the Sunken City
- ^ DIO volume 14 pages 3-12 and page 2 footnote.
- ^ Petersen A.: Dictionary of Islamic Architecture, page 188. Routledge, 1996.
- ^ Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3: Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Page 662.
External links
-
Media related to
Lighthouse of Alexandria at Wikimedia Commons
m Reverting possible vandalism by
205.213.121.58 to version by 1exec1. False positive?
Report it. Thanks,
ClueBot. (667799) (Bot) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
suck it bitch quit erasing my stuff i put on i still c u in niellsville wisconsin(1909). |
|||
{{Infobox lighthouse |
|||
| name = Lighthouse of Alexandria |
|||
| image_name = Lighthouse - Thiersch.gif |
|||
| caption = Drawing by archaeologist Hermann Thiersch (1909). |
|||
| location = Pharos, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] |
| location = Pharos, [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] |
||
| latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N |
| latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N |
||
Revision as of 18:36, 21 September 2010
suck it bitch quit erasing my stuff i put on i still c u in niellsville wisconsin(1909).
| location = Pharos, Alexandria, Egypt | latd = 31 | latm = 12 | lats = 51 | latNS = N | longd= 29 | longm= 53 | longs= 06 | longEW= E | coordinates_type = region:EG_type:landmark_source:dewiki | coordinates_display = inline,title | yearbuilt = c. 280 BC | yearlit = | automated = | yeardeactivated = 1303/1323 | foundation = Stone | construction = Masonry | shape = | marking = | height = 120–140 m (390–460 ft) | elevation = | lens = | currentlens = | intensity = | range = 47 km (29 mi) | characteristic =
}} The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was a tower built between 280 and 247 BC on the island of Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt to guide sailors into the harbour at night. With a height variously estimated at between 120–140 m (390–460 ft) [1], it was for many centuries among the tallest man-made structures, and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
History
Pharos was a small island just off the coast of Alexandria, which was connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway named the Heptastadion, which formed one side of the city's harbor. The tower erected on the island guided mariners at night using fire and reflective mirrors, and acted as a landmark by day. It was said that the light could be seen from up to 29 miles (47 km) away, and legends claim that the light from Pharos could burn enemy ships before they reached shore.
Legend also holds that Ptolemy I Soter would not allow Sostratus to put his name on the tower, but the architect left the following inscription on the base's walls nonetheless:
Sostratus of Cnidus, son of Dexiphanes, to the Gods protecting those upon the sea. ΣΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ ΔΕΞΙΦΑΝΟΥ ΚΝΙΔΙΟΣ ΘΕΟΙΣ ΣΩΤΕΡΣΙΝ ΥΠΕΡ ΤΩΝ ΠΛΩΙΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ
These words were hidden under a layer of plaster, on top of which was chiseled another inscription honoring Ptolemy the king as builder of the Pharos. After centuries the plaster wore away, revealing the name of Sostratus.
The lighthouse was badly damaged in the earthquake of 956, and in the earthquakes of 1303 and 1323 was damaged to the extent that the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta reported no longer being able to enter the ruin. Even the stubby remnant disappeared in 1480, when the then- Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, built a medieval fort – the Citadel of Qaitbay – on the site of the lighthouse, using some of the fallen stone.
Description
Constructed from large blocks of light-coloured stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. Extant Roman coins struck by the Alexandrian mint show that a statue of a triton was positioned on each of the building's four corners. A statue of Poseidon stood atop the tower during the Roman period. The Pharos' masonry blocks were interlocked, sealed together using molten lead, to withstand the pounding of the waves. [2]
The fullest description of the lighthouse comes from the Arab traveller Abou Haggag Youssef Ibn el-Andaloussi, who visited the structure in 1165 AD:
The Pharos rises at the end of the island. The building is square, about 8.5 metres (28 ft) each side. The sea surrounds the Pharos except on the east and south sides. This platform measures, along its sides, from the tip, down to the foot of the Pharos walls, 6.5 metres (21 ft) in height. However, on the sea side, it is larger because of the construction and is steeply inclined like the side of a mountain. As the height of the platform increases towards the walls of the Pharos its width narrows until it arrives at the measurements above. ... The doorway to the Pharos is high up. A ramp about 183 metres (600 ft) long used to lead up to it. This ramp rests on a series of curved arches; my companion got beneath one of the arches and stretched out his arms but he was not able to reach the sides. There are 16 of these arches, each gradually getting higher until the doorway is reached, the last one being especially high.
Recent archaeological research
Divers discovered remains of the lighthouse in autumn 1994 on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour. Some of these remains were brought up and were lying at the harbour on public view at the end of 1995. An episode of the PBS television series Nova chronicled the discovery. [3] Subsequent satellite imaging has revealed further remains. It is possible to go diving and see the ruins.
Significance
Pharos became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in Greek (φάρος), and many Romance languages, such as French (phare), Italian (faro), Spanish (faro), Galician (faro), Portuguese (farol), and Romanian (far).
In 2008 it was suggested [4] that the Pharos was the vertical yardstick used in the first precise measurement of the size of the earth.
In popular culture
|
- Architecture
- A well-preserved ancient tomb in the town of Abusir, 48 kilometres (30 mi) southwest of Alexandria, is thought to be a scaled-down model of the Alexandria Pharos. Known colloquially under various names – the Pharos of Abusir, the Abusir funerary monument and Burg al-Arab (Arab's Tower) – it consists of a 3-story tower, approximately 20 metres (66 ft) in height, with a square base, a hexagonal midsection and cylindrical upper section, like the building upon which it was apparently modelled. It dates to the reign of Ptolemy II (285–246 BC), and is therefore likely to have been built at about the same time as the Alexandria Pharos.
- The design of minarets in many early Egyptian Islamic mosques followed a similar three-stage design to that of the Pharos, attesting to the building's broader architectural influence. [5]
- A scale replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed in the Window of the World Cultural Park in Shenzhen, China.
- The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia was largely modeled after the most famous landmark of the city with which it shares a name.
- Film
- In the 2009 film Agora, the lighthouse appears in more than one long shot of Alexandria.
- In the 1963 epic film Cleopatra, the lighthouse appears briefly in the one long shot of Alexandria when Julius Caesar is approaching the city.
- Books
- The enduring memory of the lighthouse is reflected in literature. It was described at length in the Zhufan Zhi (諸蕃志, "Records of Foreign Peoples") by Zhao Rugua (1170–1228), a Chinese customs inspector for the port city of Quanzhou during the Song Dynasty. [6]
- Games
- The Egyptian lighthouse in Age of Mythology is modelled after the lighthouse of Alexandria, and provides extensive LOS in an area around it.
- The Lighthouse is used as one of the Seven Wonders in the boardgame Mare Nostrum.
- Final Fantasy XII included a location called The Pharos at Ridorana based on the Pharos at Alexandria.
- Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation included a level called Pharos, Temple of Isis in Alexandria location, based in a possible ruins of the great Pharos at Alexandria.
- World of Warcraft has a tower in the zone of Dragonblight which resembles the lighthouse of Alexandria with the "Dragon Aspect" Alexstrasza who is at the top of the tower.
Notes
- ^ Seven Wonders: The Pharos Lighthouse at Alexandria. history.com. 2010-08-17.
- ^ Beaver, Patrick (1971). A History of Lighthouses. London: Peter Davies Ltd, pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-432-01290-7.
- ^ NOVA online - Treasures of the Sunken City
- ^ DIO volume 14 pages 3-12 and page 2 footnote.
- ^ Petersen A.: Dictionary of Islamic Architecture, page 188. Routledge, 1996.
- ^ Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3: Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Page 662.
External links
-
Media related to
Lighthouse of Alexandria at Wikimedia Commons