16. The Pharos of Alexandria was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
Approximately three centuries before the beginning of the Common Era, the Egyptians at Alexandria built a lighthouse which stood more than 300 feet in height, making it one of the tallest structures in the world for many centuries. It stood for more than a millennium, which is difficult to grasp in an age where buildings such as football stadiums and office complexes are determined to be obsolete after fifty years or so. It was built over a period of about 12 years, its intent to light the entrance to the harbor at Alexandria, itself founded by the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great. At the top of the great tower, which was constructed of limestone blocks stood a furnace, from which flames could be seen for great distances by sailors in the eastern Mediterranean. The tower also contained a great mirror which could be used to reflect sunlight during the daytime hours as a guide to sailors.
In the tenth century the lighthouse was severely damaged by successive earthquakes, and eventually the remnants of its ruins were obscured. It became to many the subject of myth, until in 1968 it was rediscovered by a UNESCO expedition of marine archaeologists. What was left of the ruins of the lighthouse were discovered on the seabed in Alexandria’s harbor, and by late in the twentieth century some of the ruins had been recovered and were on public display. Other ruins remain in place, accessible to recreational divers. The ancient Pharos of Alexandria was one of the tallest lighthouses ever built, purportedly to guide sailors into Alexandria so that they could avoid the ship wreckers of the island of Pharos. More than two thousand years later people still resort to lighthouses, as navigational aids, architectural examples, ghoulish entertainment, or a simple visit to the past.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Hook Head Lighthouse”. John Eagle, Lighthouse Digest. October, 2001
“Smalls Lighthouse”. Trinity House, Lighthouses and light-vessels. Online
“Civil War High Commands”. David J. Eicher and John H. Eicher. 2001
“Eddystone Lighthouse”. Trinity House, Lighthouses and Light-vessels. Online
“Michael Faraday: His Life and Work”. Silvanus Thompson. 1901
“The Buildings of Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont”. Edited by Richard Guy Wilson. 2002
