Pharos of Alexandria

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reconstruction drawing by archaeologist Hermann Thiersch
City map of ancient Alexandria
with the island of Pharos to the west

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was, according to tradition, the first lighthouse in general and to the 20th century with about 115 to 160 meters the tallest lighthouse ever built. After the small island of Pharos, where he stood, he has also been called Pharos of Alexandria since ancient times ( ancient Greek ὁ Φάρος Ἀλεξανδρεύς o. Ἀλεξανδρινός , Latin Pharus Alexandrinus or Turris Pharia ).

The Alexandria lighthouse was the youngest of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Originally, the Wonders of the World included the city ​​walls of Babylon . Since they had disintegrated in Hellenistic times, they were replaced by the lighthouse in the list.

Location

Pharos was a small island near the Egyptian coast, 25 kilometers west of the Canopian arm of the Nile . Homer already mentioned them in his Odyssey (4,354–359). According to legend, the Greek king and Troy opponent Menelaus ( ancient Greek Μενέλαος ) landed on the island, which at that time had no known name. He asked a man on the island about their names and owners. The Egyptian replied Per aa ( ancient Egyptian for " Pharaoh "). The king only understood Pharos , which means “cloth” in ancient Greek ( φᾶρος “cloth, sail”) - this is how the island got its name.

To protect the ports of Alexandria , the island was connected to the mainland by the seven stadiums (1316 m) long Heptastadion dam - built by Dexiphanes from Knidos, the father of the lighthouse architect. The dam and the island formed the eastern boundary of the Eunostus port ( ὁ Εύνοστος Λιµήν , Eunostòs Limên "the safe return port") and at the same time the western boundary of the "great port" ( ὁ Μέγας Λιµήν , Mégas Limên ) of Alexandria. The tower was built east of the actual island of Pharos in the entrance of the large harbor, which was obstructed by several reefs. He was standing on a reef between the two main passages.

Since the area lacked natural landmarks , and the busy ships had to come in and out at night, it was found necessary to mark the entrance to the port, as it could hardly be made out against the background when visibility was poor. It has never been fully clarified whether King Ptolemy I Soter or his builder Sostratos himself initiated the building. The fact that his name has been passed down as an architect, but not clearly the founder, suggests that Sostratos, who was also a merchant and diplomat , as an extremely wealthy man, was at least one of the founders of the extraordinary building.

construction time

The tower was built by Sostratos of Knidos from about 299 to 279 BC. Built by order of Ptolemy I , who provided 800 talents (21,000 kg) of silver (value 2016: approx. 8.9 million euros). The construction was only completed under the rule of Ptolemy II . Eusebius of Caesarea mentioned Pharos for the year 282 BC. BC, which speaks for its completion by 282 at the latest and corresponds to a construction time between 17 and 20 years. The workers were mostly slaves , apart from the highly specialized workers. The Macedonian Poseidippos (316–250) from Kassandreia (Potideia) was an eyewitness to the inauguration ceremony, and information about this can be found in his writings. He names Zeus Soter as the "saving gods" and Proteus as the ruling god of the island.

architecture

platform

The tower stood on an approx. 190 m long and equally wide, large stone platform made of granite , which was also adorned with statues of gods - including the first rulers of the Ptolemy dynasty . It is not certain whether the foundation slab on the three sides of the lake sloped down like a quay wall to the sea or was still surrounded by the island floor. According to some sources, it was surrounded by a covered colonnade, as was the access ramp to the entrance of the Pharos, according to the tradition of ancient writers (Strabo, Pliny, Lukian of Samosata ) and coin images.

Lower section

The first section of the unusual structure is said to have been a truncated pyramid made of limestone between 55 and 65 meters high, tapering towards the top, with a square base area of ​​30 m on a side at the base . Marble , which is often mentioned as a building material, could not be detected in all of Alexandria from this period. Some researchers consider marble cladding. The heavy stone blocks were bonded with lead as a joint material, which gave the structure a certain elasticity , which paid off in the face of the earthquakes and the waves that the tower was exposed to despite the breakwater . The walls were structured and provided with exposed window openings to illuminate the rooms. That gave it the appearance of a high-rise building, but it was due to the architecture, otherwise the tower would not have received this stability and lifespan with the resources at the time.

The massive base section with a circular inner shaft was full of storage, storage and lounges (~ 50) for craftsmen and mechanics, inside there was a spatially separated ramp on the inner shaft wall for the transport of materials with donkey-drawn carts or pack donkeys. The shaft continued up to the lantern and allowed fuel and other necessary items to be lifted up to the fireplace using a cable hoist.

A protruding frieze closed the lower plinth at the top. This made it resemble an Egyptian figurine. The top of the substructure was accessible to the public, as was the roof platform of the octagon . The view from about 60 or 100 m height was a unique experience for the people of that time, as there were no elevations of this height apart from mountains.

Upper sections

An octagonal structure with a height of about 30 meters and a side length of 11 meters rose on the cuboid substructure . On this was the lanterna in the form of a 9 meter high column (cylinder). Bucina blowing tritons adorned the ledge between the second tower section and the lantern as well as the four corners of the substructure. The actual light source with the beacon was located above the circular column . The crowning glory was a 7 to 8 meter high statue of Poseidon . According to other sources, it was a statue of " Zeus Soter" - with which Zeus can be counted among the "saving gods" of the dedication, also because Zeus was the progenitor of the Ptolemies through Heracles .

The light source was possibly a metal concave mirror constructed by Archimedes by day and an oil or pitch fire by night. The beacon is said to have been visible from a distance of 300 stadiums (56.4 km, 1 stadium = 188 m) at night .

Total height

The tower was estimated to be 115 to 160 meters (300 Egyptian cubits ) high when completed . After the two great pyramids of Giza, it was the third tallest building on earth for its entire lifespan (at a maximum of 145 m). If the height was more than 152 m, it was even the tallest building (see also the list of the tallest structures of its time ).

Decay and remodeling

Central part of the Kait Bay Fortress
Kait Bay Fortress (entire complex)

Ammianus Marcellinus and others report a seaquake south of Crete on July 21, 365 AD , which is said to have hit Alexandria and the tower badly. Other information relates to the year 769 with an earthquake that is said to have caused severe damage to the tower. Reconstruction is said to have been attempted.

The final statue of the gods was probably removed after the earthquake in the 4th century - or at the end of the same century, when Emperor Theodosius I banned the old cults (for example the gladiatorial games and the oracle of Delphi ) and in some cases massively against temples and figures of gods proceeded. By the time of the Arab conquerors at the latest, the statue of gods no longer existed.

Ahmad ibn Tulun , the 868-884 as Sultan ruled in Egypt, the top floor to a mosque rebuilt with a round dome can have, as on a mosaic in the Chapel of San Zenone (Zenonkapelle) of the church of Santa Prassede to Venice to is seen, which represents the lighthouse and the evangelist Mark . Nonetheless, Benjamin of Tudela and al-Idrisi , who visited Alexandria in the 12th century, saw the tower functioning as a lighthouse.

Another two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 largely destroyed the tower. Individual sources also mention 1375. The rubble was left in the sea. Finally, Kait-Bay , the Sultan of the Mamelukes in power at the time , had the rubble removed. The stones were built into his fortress, the Qāitbāy Citadel , on the coast in 1480 .

Presentation and description

The lighthouse on Alexandrian coins,
2nd century AD

The representations of Pharos on Alexandrian coins from the 2nd century AD sometimes differ considerably from one another. The threefold structure of the building described in later Arabic sources can only be seen on a few pieces.

Al-Mas'udi visited the lighthouse around 940 and described it in his book Muruǧ aḏ-ḏahab (947). Other Arab scholars such as al-Idrisi (visited the tower in 1115), Yusuf ibn al-Sheikh (1165), Ibn Jubair (around 1184), Abu el-Haggag el Andalousi (around 1222) and Ibn Battuta (14th century) as well the Jewish traveler Benjamin von Tudela (around 1170) saw the Pharos partly still in function and also described it. They have given us more precise measurements and descriptions.

Ibn Jubair reported: "One of the greatest of the miracles that we have seen ourselves is the lighthouse that Allah founded with the hands of those on whom he has imposed this compulsory labor ... as a guide for the travelers". Ibn Battuta witnessed the final decline. When he visited Alexandria for the second time in 1349, it was no longer possible to climb the tower because of the excessive damage caused by the earthquake of 1323. After repairs, the tower had not had its full height since the late 11th century.

The last mention and description of the tower came from the year 1435 by Cyriacus of Ancona . In the Renaissance period, the tower and the other wonders of the world were the subject of numerous, more imaginative than realistic depictions by artists such as Maarten van Heemskerck , Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Antonio Tempesta .

Attempts at reconstruction

The German archeology professor and connoisseur of ancient and Islamic architecture, Hermann Thiersch, has dealt in detail with the reconstruction of this unique building. In 2009 there were reports that a real reconstruction of the Pharos in Alexandria was being considered.

  • Reconstruction model of the Pharos (after Hermann Thiersch) in Changsha , China

  • Graphic reconstruction of the lighthouse based on an extensive study from 2006

  • 3D reconstruction of the Alexandria lighthouse

The builder's inscription

Although Pliny the Elder reports that Ptolemy II allowed Sostratos to put his own name on the building because of the special relationship, the following story is told by other ancient authors such as Lucianos of Samosata : In order to immortalize himself, the builder Sostratos has an inscription in huge letters (approx. 35–50 cm high) carved into the stone on the upper east side of the square substructure, which all sailors drove around and was thus seen, and laid out with lead. He had the writing covered with plaster , in which the name of Ptolemy I was then inscribed, who as the initiator or at least financier of the building only allowed his own name as an inscription. With the weather, the plaster disappeared over time and the engraved letters with Sostratos' name, still seen by Al-Mas'udi in the 10th century, appeared:

ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ ΔΕΞΙΦΑΝΟΥ ΚΝΙΔΙΟΣ

ΤΟΙΣ ΘΕΟΙΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΣΙΝ

ΥΠΕΡ ΤΩΝ ΠΛΩΙΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ
German:

Sostratos the Knidier, Dexiphanes' [son]
To the saving gods

For the seafarers [erected] 
In Roman sources the text in Latin is:
SOSTRATUS DEXIPHANI FIL. CΝΙDIUS

DEIS SERVATORIBUS

PRO NAVIGANTIBUS

With the "saving gods" the initiator of the building, King Ptolemy I Soter ("the savior") and his wife Eurydice could be meant. Zeus Soter , the father of the gods , to whom the tower is said to have been consecrated according to Poseidippus of Kassandreia, comes into consideration. Against the interpretation as Castor and Polydeukes (Pollux) speaks that the twin gods did not play a significant role in Ptolemaic Egypt.

The Pharos as the archetype of the lighthouse

The lighthouse of Alexandria as an Arab shadow play figure, made in 1872 (inscription above the door 1289 AH). Title character of the Egyptian shadow play of the same name . 150 cm high

The Pharos of Alexandria was the first lighthouse in the world. Based on his model, lighthouses were built around the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast in ancient seafaring , although they were much lower. Examples are the lighthouses of Ostia , Ravenna , Boulogne-sur-Mer (stood until 1644) and La Coruña (still exists today).

Previously there had been “fire towers” ​​- round towers (also multi-level) with fire loading, for example in Piraeus or as a navigation mark and reporting station in the North Aegean ( Thasos ). Due to their low height of a few meters, they are more likely to be classified as beacons or light columns.

The term "Pharos" has been adopted as the word for "lighthouse" in most Romance languages :

"The lighthouse of Alexandria" is the title of a famous Arabic shadow play that was written in Cairo in the second half of the 13th century and continued until the 16th and 17th centuries. Century was performed. At the end of the 19th century the piece was revived in a modified version in Egypt. The piece and the toy figure modeled on the lighthouse show that a pre-Islamic monument that was built for strategic reasons could take on a religious significance and was still considered a shining symbol of Islam in the 19th century.

See also

swell

In the ancient

Modern literature

  • Egon Bauer: The Seven Wonders of the World. Approved special edition Orbis, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-572-01273-2 .
  • Kai Brodersen : The seven wonders of the world. Legendary art and buildings of antiquity (= Beck'sche Reihe Wissen Volume 2029). 5th revised edition. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-45329-5 .
  • Peter A. Clayton, Martin J. Price (eds.): The seven wonders of the world (= Reclam library volume 1701). Reclam, Leipzig 2000, ISBN 3-379-01701-9 .
  • Werner Ekschmitt : The Seven Wonders of the World. Their edification, destruction and rediscovery. 10th, revised edition. von Zabern, Mainz 1996, ISBN 3-8053-0784-5 .
  • Hermann Thiersch : Pharos. Antiquity, Islam and Occident. A contribution to the history of architecture. Teubner, Leipzig / Berlin 1909, digitized .

Web links

Commons : Pharos of Alexandria  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Korana Deppmeyer: The lighthouse of Pharos - a late wonder of the world ( Memento from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 445 kB). In: Frankfurter Electronic Rundschau for Antiquity. Volume 3, 2006, pp. 2 & 8.
  2. ↑ Herodotus , Histories . Volume 2: The Egyptian Logos.
  3. ↑ Egon Bauer: The Seven Wonders of the World. Munich 2001, p. 134.
  4. ^ Franck Goddio: Sunken civilizations: Alexandria . On: franckgoddio.org ; last accessed on June 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ Eusebius of Caesarea , Chronikon (world history).
  6. ^ Strabon , Geographika (geography). XVII, 1, 8.
  7. ↑ Pliny , Natural History (nat. Hist.). V, 31, 128.
  8. ↑ The lighthouse of Pharos - a late wonder of the world ( PDF ( Memento from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ))
  9. ^ Hermann Thiersch: Pharos. Antiquity, Islam and Occident. A contribution to the history of architecture. Leipzig / Berlin 1909.
  10. ↑ Pliny, Natural History (nat. Hist.). XXXVI, 18.
  11. ↑ Lucianos of Samosata : Hippias. Volume 2.
  12. ^ Doris Behrens-Abouseif: The Islamic History of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. In: Muqarnas. Volume 23, 2006, pp. 1–14, here p. 12.

Coordinates: 31 ° 12 ′ 51 ″  N , 29 ° 53 ′ 6 ″  E