Was the Pharus of Alexandria a touristic and historic monument or a practical working lighthouse?
Alexandrian coin depicting Emperor Commodus and a ship sailing towards the Lighthouse (177-192CE)
The lighthouse or Pharus of Alexandria was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom, on the island of Pharus on the western edge of the Nile. Construction began in the third century BCE, when Ptolemy I declared himself king of Alexandria after the death of Alexander the Great. It was finished during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, around 280–247BCE. It is estimated to have been at least 100m in overall height. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and was one of the tallest man-made structures in the world. The lighthouse was severely damaged by three earthquakes between the late 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century. The remnants of this landmark survived until 1480, when the remaining stones were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay. Over its history, the purpose of this magnificent tower was ambiguous. Was it built to be a lighthouse to guide incoming ships to the island safely? Or was it made to magnify the glory of the nation? Alexandria's importance in intercultural commerce during the time reached a new zenith in Egyptian history. Alexandria traded, directly or indirectly, in goods from parts of Europe, Persia, India and even China. It was the centre of the trading system at the time. Therefore, it was essential for the lighthouse to organise the incoming ships and avoid as many accidents as possible. The Mediterranean at that time was a very dangerous sea; the recorded accidents per year around the time was about 500, including shipwrecks and pirate attacks. As first century CE Roman writer Pliny the Elder wrote, ‘The object of it is, by the light of its fires at night, to give warning to ships of the neighbouring shoals, and to point out to them the entrance of the harbour.’
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