Massive stone elements from the Lighthouse of Alexandria have been recovered from the seafloor, establishing the most complete physical return of the monument since its collapse.
Heavy architectural blocks lifted from Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor have brought a defining section of the lighthouse back into view for the first time in centuries.
Several came from the main entrance, including lintels, horizontal beams that span over doorways, plus upright side stones and threshold slabs.
Carving styles on the stone matched Egyptian traditions and Greek building habits, showing how designers blended two toolkits.
Long before the crane arrived, CNRS teams traced the lighthouse debris across a wide patch of harbor bottom.
Built in the early Hellenistic era, the Greek-ruled period after Alexander the Great, the lighthouse guided ships into Alexandria for centuries.
Future dives and careful conservation will decide how much of the lighthouse becomes a public experience, and how much stays underwater. »