It's no easy feat to restore the seventh wonder of the ancient world, but then along came modern-day Egyptian exceptionalism, with its mega projects to obscure political and economic ills. The Pharos of Alexandria is now slated for resurrection, after its demise in a powerful earthquake more than 600 years ago.
Pharos of Alexandria. Wikicommons.
Today, the lighthouse icon adorns everything from the Alexandria governorate flag, to the crest of Alexandria University, to public service logos, to wall paintings on elementary schools. One might argue its symbolic force arises from its invisibility—Alexandria’s cultural strength lies in the imagination. Reconstructing it might skew that imaginary past. But that’s the least of its problems.
