Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Posted on 2:34 PM by Sriram Ganesh
This lighthouse was built around 280 BC and was around 134 m in height. it was a huge building that had three parts, one built right on top of another. The lowest part was square and was 183.4 feet high. The middle was octagonal in shape and was 90 feet high. The highest part was a 24-foot-high cylinder. The total height, including the base, was 384 feet, which would be a 40-story building in modern times.
The Pharaohs Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II utilised the skills of Sostratus, the son of Dexiphanes, the Cnidian who was the architect of the Lighthouse. Sostratus was a wealthy Alexandrian courtier and a diplomat. Sostratus officially inaugurated the Lighthouse and the dedication on the monument, according to Strabo, read: “Sostratus the Cnidian, friend of the sovereigns, dedicated this, for the safety of those who sail the seas”.
Although the Lighthouse of Alexandria did not survive to the present day, it undoubtedly leave an impact in many respects. The monument has been used as a model for many prototypes along the Mediterranean, as far away as spain. And from a linguistic standpoint, it gave its name -- Pharos -- to all the lighthouses in the world
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No Response to "Lighthouse of Alexandria"
Leave A Reply