Updated 3 July, 2025 - 17:32 Gary Manners
Massive Blocks from the Lighthouse of Alexandria Recovered from the Sea
PrintMore than two millennia after it guided sailors into the bustling harbor of Alexandria, the legendary Lighthouse or Pharos of Alexandria, the ancient world's most famous beacon, has partially emerged from the depths of the Mediterranean. In an unprecedented archaeological mission, 22 of the lighthouse's largest stone blocks have been hoisted from the seabed, marking a dramatic new phase in the digital resurrection of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Led by French archaeologist and architect Isabelle Hairy of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), the team recovered colossal architectural elements including lintels, jambs, thresholds, and base slabs, many weighing between 70 and 80 tonnes. Among the recovered materials is a previously unknown structure, a pylon featuring an Egyptian-style doorway built using Hellenistic techniques, which scholars say may provide new insights into the fusion of Greek and Egyptian architecture during the Ptolemaic period.
- Can You Name the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
- The Pharos Lighthouse Of Alexandria – Second Sun And Seventh Wonder Of The Ancient World
Huge stone blocks from the Lighthouse of Alexandria lifted from the seabed. (© GEDEON Programs / CEAlex /CNRS)
A Giant Puzzle for the Digital Age
The underwater recovery is part of the ongoing "PHAROS" project, an ambitious international initiative combining underwater archaeology, historical research, and cutting-edge technology. Initiated by CNRS's permanent research unit in Egypt - the Centre d'études Alexandrines (CEAlex) – the operation is carried out in cooperation with Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and supported by La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, which has backed the digital reconstruction efforts for the past three years.Over the past decade, more than 100 lighthouse blocks have already been digitally scanned underwater using photogrammetry. These new surface-recovered blocks will undergo similar treatment and be passed to volunteer engineers with Dassault Systèmes, who will digitally analyze and virtually reassemble the structure.
"Thanks to scientific simulation and immersive virtual worlds, we aim to reconstruct the Lighthouse as it once stood - explorable by anyone, anywhere," La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, June 24, 2025
- The Magnificent Projects of Nebuchadnezzar II, the Bible’s Greatest Villain
- Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures – Part I
Introducing the Knossos Game, also known as Zatrikion—a captivating relic from ancient times, dating back to approximately 1600 BCE. Experience the timeless allure of this ancient masterpiece. Order your set today and take part in a game once reserved for royalty! Order now from the Ancient Origins Shop.
The end goal is a full digital twin of the lighthouse, complete with historically accurate architectural features. This model will allow researchers to test construction and hypotheses on why the lighthouse collapsed, and offer virtual access to the towering marvel as it once loomed 100 meters over Alexandria's coast.
Virtual reconstruction of the monumental door of the Alexandria Lighthouse. (Isabelle Hairy / Centre d’Etudes Alexandrines)
Piecing Together the Past
Originally constructed at the beginning of the 3rd century BC under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, the Lighthouse of Alexandria remained a vital maritime landmark until it was heavily damaged by earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 AD. According to the PHAROS project, its remains were later quarried for building materials until the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay erected a fortress atop the site in 1477.The PHAROS initiative also brings together a diverse team of historians, numismatists, and archaeologists to collate ancient texts, coins, and depictions of the lighthouse from late antiquity to the 15th century. These records serve as a critical supplement to the incomplete physical remains.
An Underwater Dream Realized
The lifting operation marks the culmination of 30 years of underwater research that began with the 1995 discovery of the lighthouse ruins by archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur, also of CNRS's CEAlex. For decades, the colossal stones lay scattered off the coast of Alexandria's Eastern Harbor - an evocative but inaccessible reminder of a lost world.Now, with technology bridging past and present, the stones are coming back to solid ground.
As engineers prepare to digitally reconstruct the monument piece by piece, the dream of virtually walking through its hallowed halls edges closer to reality.
Top image: Huge stone blocks from the Lighthouse of Alexandria lifted from the seabed. Source: © GEDEON Programs / CEAlex /CNRS
By Gary Manners
