The lighthouse partially cracked and was damaged during the earthquakes of 796 and 951, in addition to structurally collapsing in the earthquake of 956 and again in those of 1303 and 1323.[5] The high number of earthquakes is due to the boundary between two tectonic plates: the African-Arabian and the Red Sea, 350 and 520 kilometers respectively from the lighthouse. Documentary evidence reveals that the 956 earthquake was the first to structurally damage the building above 20 meters. After the earthquake, the placement of an Islamic-style dome is evident after the fall of a sculpture that crowned the monument. However, the most destructive earthquake was that of 1303 that originated on the island of Crete.[16] Finally, the rubble disappeared in 1480, when the Sultan of Egypt Qaitbey built a fort on the platform where the lighthouse was located using these stones.

The century writer Al-Masudi writes about a legend about the destruction of the lighthouse, according to which during the rule of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Málik (r. 705-715), the Byzantine Empire sent a eunuch who converted to Islam and gained the caliph's trust, allowing him to search for treasure at the base of the lighthouse. This exhaustive search destroyed the foundation and caused the lighthouse to collapse, so the eunuch fled on a boat.[17]​.

Legend has it that the inhabitants of the island of Pharos were shipwrecked; Hence, Ptolemy I Soter ordered the construction of the lighthouse to help guide ships to port at night.[18]​.

Pharos became the etymological origin of the word "lighthouse" in Greek (φάρος), many Romance languages ​​such as French (phare), Italian and Spanish (faro), Romanian (far) and Portuguese (farol), and even some Slavic languages ​​such as Bulgarian (far).[5]​.

In 1968 the lighthouse was rediscovered. UNESCO subsidized an expedition of marine archaeologists to the site, led by Honor Frost. The director confirmed the existence of ruins that were part of the lighthouse, although, due to the absence of specialized archaeologists and the fact that the area was being militarized, the exploration was paralyzed.[19]​.

A team of French archaeologists led by Jean-Yves Empereur rediscovered the remains of the lighthouse in late 1994 in the eastern port of Alexandria. Empereur worked alongside cinematographer Asma el-Bakri, who used a 35mm camera to take the first underwater photographs of collapsed columns and statues. Empereur's most relevant discoveries consisted of granite blocks weighing between 49 and 60 tons in mass often broken into pieces, 30 sphinxes, 5 obelisks and columns with inscriptions belonging to the reign of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). Cataloging of more than 3,300 items was completed by Empereur and his team in late 1995 using a combination of photography and cartography. Likewise, thirty-six pieces of granite blocks and other artifacts currently displayed in museums in Alexandria were restored.[20] In the early 1990s, underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio began an exploration on the opposite side of the port where Empereur had worked. In addition, satellite images have shown the existence of new archaeological remains such as piers, homes and temples that have ended up on the seabed due to earthquakes and other natural disasters.[21] It is possible to dive and observe the ruins. UNESCO is currently working with the Government of Egypt on an initiative to add the Bay of Alexandria, including the remains of the lighthouse, to a list of submerged World Heritage sites.[22]​.

In May 2015, the Government of Egypt and the Governorate of Alexandria approved the reconstruction of the lighthouse. The project, estimated at around 40 million dollars, has the support of several countries of the European Union (France, Germany, Italy and Greece) to include the Lighthouse in the ambitious Medistone project, conceived to recreate and preserve the architectural monuments of the Ptolemaic era.[23]​[24]​.

• - Ágora "Ágora (film)"), a 2009 film directed by Alejandro Amenábar in which the Lighthouse of Alexandria is recreated.

• - The Lighthouse of Alexandria, drawing by Sidney Barclay") from the 19th century.

• - Reconstruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse in Shanghai (China).

• - Map of the Egyptian city of Alexandria around 30 BC.

• - Painting by Maerten van Heemskerck (1498–1574) showing an artistic vision of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

• - Reconstruction of the view from the first floor of the Lighthouse at the entrance to the port.

• - Virtual reconstruction based on a 2013 study.

• - Small-scale replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria called Lighthouse of Taposiris Magna, located in Abusir (ancient Taposiris Magna), 48 kilometers southeast of Alexandria, next to the remains of a temple to Osiris.

• - Statue of Ptolemy II originally erected at the door of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, recovered from the waters by the Center for Alexandrian Studies and currently located in front of the Library of Alexandria.

Literature

• - Towards Integrated Management of Alexandria's coastal Heritage Unesco Document.

The lighthouse partially cracked and was damaged during the earthquakes of 796 and 951, in addition to structurally collapsing in the earthquake of 956 and again in those of 1303 and 1323.[5] The high number of earthquakes is due to the boundary between two tectonic plates: the African-Arabian and the Red Sea, 350 and 520 kilometers respectively from the lighthouse. Documentary evidence reveals that the 956 earthquake was the first to structurally damage the building above 20 meters. After the earthquake, the placement of an Islamic-style dome is evident after the fall of a sculpture that crowned the monument. However, the most destructive earthquake was that of 1303 that originated on the island of Crete.[16] Finally, the rubble disappeared in 1480, when the Sultan of Egypt Qaitbey built a fort on the platform where the lighthouse was located using these stones.

The century writer Al-Masudi writes about a legend about the destruction of the lighthouse, according to which during the rule of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Málik (r. 705-715), the Byzantine Empire sent a eunuch who converted to Islam and gained the caliph's trust, allowing him to search for treasure at the base of the lighthouse. This exhaustive search destroyed the foundation and caused the lighthouse to collapse, so the eunuch fled on a boat.[17]​.

Legend has it that the inhabitants of the island of Pharos were shipwrecked; Hence, Ptolemy I Soter ordered the construction of the lighthouse to help guide ships to port at night.[18]​.

Pharos became the etymological origin of the word "lighthouse" in Greek (φάρος), many Romance languages ​​such as French (phare), Italian and Spanish (faro), Romanian (far) and Portuguese (farol), and even some Slavic languages ​​such as Bulgarian (far).[5]​.

In 1968 the lighthouse was rediscovered. UNESCO subsidized an expedition of marine archaeologists to the site, led by Honor Frost. The director confirmed the existence of ruins that were part of the lighthouse, although, due to the absence of specialized archaeologists and the fact that the area was being militarized, the exploration was paralyzed.[19]​.

A team of French archaeologists led by Jean-Yves Empereur rediscovered the remains of the lighthouse in late 1994 in the eastern port of Alexandria. Empereur worked alongside cinematographer Asma el-Bakri, who used a 35mm camera to take the first underwater photographs of collapsed columns and statues. Empereur's most relevant discoveries consisted of granite blocks weighing between 49 and 60 tons in mass often broken into pieces, 30 sphinxes, 5 obelisks and columns with inscriptions belonging to the reign of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). Cataloging of more than 3,300 items was completed by Empereur and his team in late 1995 using a combination of photography and cartography. Likewise, thirty-six pieces of granite blocks and other artifacts currently displayed in museums in Alexandria were restored.[20] In the early 1990s, underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio began an exploration on the opposite side of the port where Empereur had worked. In addition, satellite images have shown the existence of new archaeological remains such as piers, homes and temples that have ended up on the seabed due to earthquakes and other natural disasters.[21] It is possible to dive and observe the ruins. UNESCO is currently working with the Government of Egypt on an initiative to add the Bay of Alexandria, including the remains of the lighthouse, to a list of submerged World Heritage sites.[22]​.

In May 2015, the Government of Egypt and the Governorate of Alexandria approved the reconstruction of the lighthouse. The project, estimated at around 40 million dollars, has the support of several countries of the European Union (France, Germany, Italy and Greece) to include the Lighthouse in the ambitious Medistone project, conceived to recreate and preserve the architectural monuments of the Ptolemaic era.[23]​[24]​.

• - Ágora "Ágora (film)"), a 2009 film directed by Alejandro Amenábar in which the Lighthouse of Alexandria is recreated.

• - The Lighthouse of Alexandria, drawing by Sidney Barclay") from the 19th century.

• - Reconstruction of the Alexandria Lighthouse in Shanghai (China).

• - Map of the Egyptian city of Alexandria around 30 BC.

• - Painting by Maerten van Heemskerck (1498–1574) showing an artistic vision of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

• - Reconstruction of the view from the first floor of the Lighthouse at the entrance to the port.

• - Virtual reconstruction based on a 2013 study.

• - Small-scale replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria called Lighthouse of Taposiris Magna, located in Abusir (ancient Taposiris Magna), 48 kilometers southeast of Alexandria, next to the remains of a temple to Osiris.

• - Statue of Ptolemy II originally erected at the door of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, recovered from the waters by the Center for Alexandrian Studies and currently located in front of the Library of Alexandria.

Literature

• - Towards Integrated Management of Alexandria's coastal Heritage Unesco Document.