A ruler in Egypt had offered to pay an annual salary of nearly USD 36 million (in current valuation) for switching on and off the lights of a lighthouse! However, no one dared to accept his offer!

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, often called the Pharos of Alexandria, was constructed by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (BCE 280-247). As the overall height of the lighthouse was around 100mt (or 330ft), it had been considered as one of the tallest man-made structures in the world for many centuries. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was also one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, wanted a keeper for the lighthouse as all the lights of that lighthouse needed to be switched on throughout the night. He had also offered luxurious accommodation and other facilities to the person who would accept the job of the keeper. His sole responsibility was to guide ships at night in the midst of rough seas. A video of that lighthouse in Alexandria recently went viral. After watching the video, netizens have opined that it is not possible for any person to stay in the lighthouse even for a day!

Many believe that it could have been the hardest job in the world to serve as the keeper of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, as the person had to face the stormy nights all alone, and to ensure that its lights were always on. Tidal waves often completely covered the lighthouse, endangering the life of the keeper. Perhaps, no one had accepted the offer because of the difficult conditions and loneliness.

The architecture of the lighthouse, too, was wonderful to look at. Once, Captain Moresius, a famous sailor, had encountered a storm near Alexandria. As the area was filled with massive hidden rocks, his ship met with an accident and capsized. The significant loss of life and property in that accident prompted the ruler of Ancient Egypt to ensure safe navigation of ships. He instructed an architect to build a tower in the middle of the sea in order to provide light and guide ships away from the dangerous rocks. The lighthouse was built on the Island of Pharos in the port of Alexandria around 300 years ago. A large fire was lit inside the greatest engineering marvel of its time and the light was magnified through lenses to reach far distances. Later, an automatic lighting system was installed at the lighthouse.

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Three earthquakes severely damaged the lighthouse between AD 956 and AD 1323 and it became an abandoned ruin. The lighthouse survived in part until 1480, when the last of its remnant stones were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay on the site. A team of French archaeologists carried out an underwater (re)search at the Eastern Harbour of Alexandria and discovered some remains of the lighthouse on the sea floor in 1994! In 2016, the Egyptian Ministry of State of Antiquities decided to turn the submerged ruins of ancient Alexandria, including those of the Pharos, into an underwater museum!

The lighthouse still remains a civic symbol of the city of Alexandria. One can find a stylised representation of the lighthouse on the flag and seal of the Governorate of Alexandria and on many public services of the Egyptian city, including the seal of Alexandria University.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das