Archaeologists find remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World | World | News
Archaeologists made a fascinating discovery when they found the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World on the ocean floor.
For centuries, the lighthouse was the tallest man-made structure in the world.
The ruins were buried in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt and were excavated to digitally reconstruct the monument to reveal what the extraordinary structure might have looked like.
The operation was called Project Pharos, an initiative that brought together the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), led by archaeologist Isabelle Hairy, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Dassault Systèmes Foundation.
The blocks come from the lighthouse’s main entrance and include lintels, door jambs and thresholds.
Large paving slabs weighing 77 to 88 tonnes each were also discovered.
The history of the Lighthouse of Alexandria dates back to B.C. It dates back to the beginning of the 3rd century.
It was designed by the Greek architect Sostratus of Knidos and stood more than 300 meters high on the island of Pharos at the entrance to the port of Alexandria in Egypt.
It served as a vital navigation tool for ships traveling in the Mediterranean.
For more than 1,600 years this landmark stood for sailors until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1303.
Centuries later, the stones from the lighthouse were reused in the construction of Qaitbay Castle, which currently stands on the same site.
The recovery of the blocks is part of a project to virtually rebuild the monument using state-of-the-art technology.
Each discovered piece will be scanned using high-precision photogrammetry so a detailed three-dimensional model can be created.
The blocks will be analyzed and then incorporated into the digital reconstruction, similar to a puzzle.
The project is the last of the research carried out to digitize the architectural pieces under water.
The discovery will be added to a digital database containing a wide range of historical sources, including ancient coins, mosaics and written accounts by contemporary historians.
It is hoped that this reconstruction will create the most accurate representation of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
