Off the coast of Alexandria, divers and cranes have returned to a site that has rested underwater for centuries. Large boulders linked to the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria are being pulled from the seafloor as part of new archaeological work. Known as the Lighthouse, this building once stood at the entrance to the city’s harbor and is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Thirty years after the underwater ruins were first discovered in 1995, researchers are now picking out some of the building fragments to study in detail. The work is part of the PHAROS project, a French-led project to document, scan and digitally reconstruct lighthouses using recovered blocks and debris from beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
Egypt Excavation uncovers twenty-two lighthouse blocks lifted from the seabed
Dassault Systèmes FoundationTo support the technical aspects of the project, 22 of the largest surviving blocks have been lifted. Some weigh between 70 and 80 tons. These works include monumental lintels, door frames, thresholds and large base panels. Among the discoveries was a previously unknown part of the tower, which features an Egyptian-style doorway dating from the Hellenistic period. The scale of the stone gives a sense of the original quality of the lighthouse. Each block was studied on land before further analysis.
Excavation work in Egypt has lifted 22 lighthouse blocks from the seabed (Photo credit: GEDEON Programs / CEAlex)
digital reconstruction aims to virtually recreate the lighthouse
Recycled elements will be scanned and processed using photogrammetry. They will join more than 100 blocks that have been digitized underwater over the past decade. Engineers working with the Dassault Systèmes Foundation will analyze the data and try to reposition each part in a virtual environment.The aim was to test different hypotheses about how the lighthouse was built and ultimately how it collapsed. The team plans to create a digital twin of the structure through simulation. The model allows viewers to explore a detailed reconstruction of the lighthouse without having to physically recreate it.
Digital reconstruction aims to recreate the lighthouse virtually (Photo credit: Isabelle Hairy – Center d’Etudes Alexandrines)
French and Egyptian agencies lead excavations
The excavation was carried out by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) through its permanent unit in Egypt, under the jurisdiction of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The project has received financial support from the Dassault Systèmes Foundation for the past three years.Researchers also collect ancient texts, coins and visual depictions of lighthouses. These sources help fill in the gaps left by the fragmented remains. After it ceased operations in 1303, much of the structure was dismantled, and the stone was reused in 1477 when the fortress of Ketbe was built.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria shaped ancient maritime trade
The lighthouse was built in the early third century BC during the reign of Ptolemy I and is believed to be about 100 meters high. It guided ships along the difficult coastline and became a symbol of the city’s place in Mediterranean trade. No ancient lighthouse of similar size survives today. Alexander’s current work is no longer about spectacle, but about the reconstruction of patients. Little by little, the outlines became clearer, although still incomplete.
