Lighthouse of Alexandria

Lighthouse of Alexandria. • Where is the Lighthouse of Alexaandria Located? • Why was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Built? • Who Built It? • The Construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria • Who was the Archetict of the Lighthouse of Alexandria? • Is the Lighthouse of Alexandria still standing? • The Comedown of The Lighthouse of Alexandria. • The Rediscovery of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the first Lighthouse in the World and is also one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria commenced in 290 BC, and took twenty Years to complete. At the time the Lighthouse was the tallest Building in the World standing at approx.. four hundred feet, with the exception of the Great Pyramid, the Lighthouse was so very important as it guided the Merchant Ships in the busy Port of Alexandria, as the Sailors had difficulty in avoiding the Coral Reefs, Rocks and Shallow Waters, and at the top of the Lighthouse there was a vast Statue of Posedon the Greek God of the Sea. It is still unknown what was exactly used to Light the fire at the top of the Lighthouse, however whatever was used the effect of the light could easily be seen from many miles away. The Lighthouse of Alexandria which is also referred to as the Pharos of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Untill the Eiffel Tower in Paris was constructed in 1889 the Lighthouse was the tallest structure in the World. Confirmed by Historians the construction of the Lighthouse was necessary as it promised a safe return to the Great Harbor for the Sailors crossing the Medittereanean Sea. However for the Archetect it meant so much more as it was the tallest building on Earth, and for the Scientists it was a fascinating mystery. It was a very imposing piece of architecture that had become on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Lighthouse was applied similar to the Sun by day and fire by night, to make sure that the Sailors could navigate the dangerous waters with safety. The Lighthouse stood until 1323 AD, when a powerful Earthquake destroyed it, however the Sultan Qayetbay fortified the place as part of his Coastal defenses and construced his Castle upon the Site. Where is the Lighthouse of Alexandria Located? At one time it was located on the Southeast Corner of the Island of Pharos in the City of Alexandria on the North Coast of Egypt. Why was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Built? The Lighthouse was built so that it could guide thousands of Ships safely into the Harbor. Throughout the Daytime a reflective mirror on the top level of the Lighthouse would reflect the Sunlight to guide the Ships, in the Nightime a fire was used instead, it is believed that it was so effective that it could be seen from One Hundred Miles out to Sea. Who Built it? It was built during the reign of Ptolemy II, and finalized during the reign of Ptolemy through 280 -247 BC. The Construction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed in the Third Century BC, once Alexander the Great died soon after leaving Egypt under the Greek administration, Ptolemy I Sofer made himself King in 305 BC. Throughout his reign , Ptolemy commanded the construction of the Lighthouse . The tall construction was concluded during Ptolemy’s successor son’s reign Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Twelve Years in total were needed to finalize the whole construction and a total of Eight Hundred talents of Silver meaning Money was used. The Lighthouse stood at Three Hundred Feet Tall, the only taller man made construction at that time would have been the Pyramids of Giza.. Quite a bit of the information in respect of the building of the Lighthouse of Alexandria remains still just speculation after the Tower collapsed due to a powerful Earthquake in 1323 AD, The Lighthouse was constructed from Large Blocks of light colored Stone, and was made up of three tapering tiers. The first was a lower Square Section with a Central Core, the Middle was an octangonal Section, and the top a Circular Section. Who was the Archetect of the Lighthouse of Alexandria? The Archetect Sostratus of Cnidus constructed the Lighthouse, who was a very powerful man, and a close relation to King Ptolemy I and his Son. Is the Lighthouse of Alexandria still standing? Unfortunatley the Lighthouse is no longer standing , however it did stand for approx.. One Thousand Five Hundred Years. It survived many Egyptian regimes and conflicts, including the one that resulted in the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. The Comedown of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. During two Earthquakes in 796 and 951, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was partially damaged but remained standing, however following three more Earthquakes in 1303 and 1323, the Lighthouse finally collapsed. The most destructive Earthquake is known to be the one in 1303 which originated from the Greek Island of Crete. The last remaining remnants of the Lighthouse disappeared in 1480 when the Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay , ordered the Building of a Medieval Fort on the Foundation where the Lighthouse once stood. The Rediscovering of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. During an archeological expedition in 1968 which was sponsored by UNESCO , the Lighthouse of Alexandria was rediscovered beneath the Water in the Area of the Medittereanean Sea in the City of Alexandria, Egypt. The expedition was led by Honor Frost to the Site of the Lighthouse. Frost confirmed the exsistance of ruins representing part of the Lighthouse. The Zone was Military that ended up putting the exploration on hold. In 1994, the French Archeologist Jeans-Yves Empereur uncovered the physical remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria on the floor of Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor. Fortunately a Cinematographer was able to capture the images of the Columns and Statues found beneath the Water. Many of the findings consisted of vast Blocks of Granite which weighed forty to sixty tones each, thiry Statues of Sphinxes and five Obelisks columns with carvings dating back to Ramses II reign in 1279 – 1213 BC. In future Years many other expeditions continued to find remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and to the Day it is possible for Divers to view the Underwater remains submerged by the Earthquakes. The UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage is currently trying to work with the Government of Egypt to add the Bay of Alexandria to a list of the World Heritage of submerged Sites. In 2016 , the Ministry of State of Antiquities in Egypt made a plan to turn the Submerged Ruins of Ancient Alexandria which included those of the Lighthouse of Alexandria into an Underwater Museum.