The lighthouse was built to
ensure that ships could safely
pass the reefs on the way to
Alexandria Bay. At night, they
helped in the reflection of the
flames, and in the afternoon a pillar of smoke. Lighthouse
stood for nearly a thousand
years, but in 796 AD was
heavily damaged by the
earthquake . Later came to
Egypt, the Arabs tried to
restore it, and to the XIV
century.
height
of
the
lighthouse was about 30 m. At
the end of the XV century
Sultan Qaitbay built a fortress
on the site of the lighthouse
that stands today.
The total height of the
lighthouse - 120-140 meters,
its light was visible at a
distance of 60 km. The lower
part is a four-sided prism 60
meters high with a square
base. Indoors store different
tools and flat roof decorated
on corners huge statues
Triton. It was a tower, lined
with white marble. The top
part of the lighthouse was
built in the form of a
cylindrical colonnade - 8
columns bore dome, topped
by 8 -meter-high bronze
statue of the lord of the seas
Poseidon.
To maintain the flame
required a large amount of
fuel. Wood brought a
spiral ramp on carts pulled
by mules. The flame was a
bronze plate, the light is
directed into the sea. In
2008 it was suggested that
the Lighthouse of
Alexandria served as the
ancient Greek scientist for
one of the first definitions
of the radius of the Earth.
By the XII century BC
Alexandria Bay has
become so muddy that
the ships could no
longer use it. The
lighthouse fell into
decay. Bronze plate
serves as a mirror was
melted into coins. In
the XIV century
lighthouse was
completely destroyed
by an earthquake.