Lighthouse Lore - How it All Began... Lighthouses - Sentinels of the Sea

The duties of a sentinel are serious business....and we are not talking about the Sentinels of X-Men fame from Marvel Comics! Historically, sentinels were guards, a lookout, or a person keeping watch to protect, most often, this person was a soldier. In ancient times, sentinels were critical in battle because they provided advance notice of threats that could destroy an army...and they are still relevant.  With a nod to history, the soldiers who stand watch over the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetary, are called Sentinels. This is a cherished and honored duty and these Tomb Guards are chosen only after rigorous training and a demanding series of exams.

A Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

It is believed that the origin of the word sentinel dates to 1570s Italy and that the word stems from "sentina" meaning vigilance and, to hear and perceive.  So, it should be no surprise that lighthouses are often called the "sentinels of the sea" because they watch over the water in treacherous areas and are instrumental in guiding ships and their crews to safety. To those ancient seafaring men, long before GPS was invented, lighthouses were much more than just a lonely light shining from a tower; they were the difference between a successful voyage and one that ended in disaster. 

Enoshima Lighthouse referred to as Japan's Sea Candle is one of the most modern lighthouses in the world. It uses a high-powered LED projector and lights up in different colors.

Today's modern lighthouses are amazing wonders that combine so many skills from mathematics, optics, and architecture, to the latest technology. Most of the automated lighthouses have replaced rotating lenses with high-intensity lights that emit brief omnidirectional flashes much like those used to warn aircraft of tall structures. Lighthouses have come a long way! As a matter of fact, all the working lighthouses in the United States except the Boston Light which dates back to 1783, are automated. 

Ptolemy I 

The maritime heritage of lighthouses, of which Sheffield Island Lighthouse is a part goes back to the ancient world. The first known lighthouse was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was commissioned by one of Cleopatra's ancestors, Pharoah, Ptolemy I around 300 B.C. and completed by his son, Ptolemy II in 282 B.C. It was built on the island of Pharos, just outside the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt which was the most important Mediterranean trading city of the Roman Empire.

According to some ancient sources, the construction of the lighthouse was the work of Sostratus, a Greek architect and military engineer from Cnidus, a town in modern-day Turkey, that at the time, was under Ptolemaic control. On the other hand,  the Greek geographer, Strabo believed that Sostratus was the financial backer and that Ptolemy II allowed him to take credit for building it. Unfortunately, this debate has been lost to the mists of time, and we will never know who the architect actually was.

The Alexandria Lighthouse rose 330 feet on the very tip of the island of Pharos and was considered an astounding engineering wonder.  It was constructed so that it would face the two natural harbors of Alexandria, one called the Great Harbor, and the other with the ironic name, the Harbor of Fortunate Return. Linked to the mainland by a quarter-of-a-mile causeway called the Heptastadion, goods flowed easily and quickly into and out of the city.

A classic rendering of the Lighthouse of Alexandria 

The Alexandria Lighthouse has roughly a 1600-year history. That said, ancient writers didn't leave an exact description of the design of the lighthouse. Most sources agree that there was one tall white tower that could be seen for miles and that the lighthouse had three floors. It is believed that the first floor was rectangular, the middle was octagonal, the third floor was round, and that the top of the tower was crowned with a statue of Zeus Soter. Because wood is scarce in Egypt,  oil and not wood was most likely burned in the tower to light the way. According to ancient sources, there was a mirror made of polished bronze to reflect the flame far out to sea as an aid to safely guide vessels into the harbor.

The lighthouse disappears from historical records sometime during the 14th century, presumably destroyed by an earthquake. In its place, the Citadel of Qaitbay was built on the ruins of the lighthouse in the 15th century. Modern archeologists have found many stone fragments and ruins in the vicinity of the Citadel including a monumental figure of Ptolemy I and his queen, Berenice.

The Citadel of Quaitbay was built in the 15th century  (creative commons لا روسا)

Although the Alexandria Lighthouse at Pharos may not be the first lighthouse ever constructed, it is the first monumental one in recorded history. Lighthouses have been built over the centuries as navigational aids -- to show where there were hazardous shallows or submerged rocks, something that is as important today as it was in the ancient world.  Sheffield Island Lighthouse is proud to be part of this long maritime history that goes back to the ancient. world. 

Did You Know...

Perhaps the Lighthouse of Alexandria may not have been one of the most successful lighthouses when it came to guiding ships and their crews to safety. Marine archeologists have found more than 40 ancient wrecks in the area where the ancient harbor was located. 

It took more than twenty years to complete building the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Part of the lighthouse was discovered by a French archeologist. 

The city of Alexandria uses the symbol of the lighthouse on its national flag.