Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Seven Wonders #6)

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Starting point is 00:04:11 I am delighted to have your company tonight, as we return to one of our best-loved series of 2025. It's so wonderful to read all of your kind feedback about our episodes and I hope tonight's is just as enjoyable and sleep inducing as ever for you. In just a few minutes we'll continue our series exploring the seven wonders of the ancient world. We're heading to ancient Egypt to the illustrious city of Alexandria. We'll travel back in time two thousand years to the third century BCE. We'll take a peaceful boat ride around the city's great harbour and see the famed lighthouse of Alexandria. Thank you to Joe for writing this wonderful series and I'm so glad to be the one narrating it for you all.

Starting point is 00:05:23 But first, let's take a few minutes to relax, to gradually unwind and move closer towards rest. I invite you to find a comfortable position, and as soon as you're ready, to close your eyes. Now, move your awareness up and down the body, and explore sensations with an attitude of curiosity. Tune in to the way the body is feeling. just observe what's there without any judgment

Starting point is 00:06:22 I'd like you to locate an area of stillness the part of the body that feels most comfortable and at peace Take your time to find the sweet spot and keep your attention there once you've found it. Next, we might imagine breathing into this area, directing our inhalation towards the point of stillness. You might like to picture this feeling as a colour and to see it expanding with each cycle of breath. You can inhale slowly and hold for a moment before exhaling gently. for a second or so longer.

Starting point is 00:07:47 Feel the body sink down into the mattress, becoming more relaxed with each passing moment. There's nothing left to do now, but follow my voice. The breath and the body can fade into the background. Imagine that you're standing beside the water of a harbour, its surface flickering with luminous daylight. This is where our story begins. It's a lovely afternoon. It's a lovely afternoon.

Starting point is 00:09:01 peaceful and warm. The sun shines yellow gold in an azure sky. A handful of clouds look like candy floss. It's as if they've been spun into unique, fluffy shapes. The feeling of sunshine is soothing on the skin. as is the breeze that flows over the water. Each inhalation brings cool, refreshing air. The same air wafts through the fabric of your lightweight tunic and across your feet

Starting point is 00:09:54 in your slip-on sandals. You are dressed in the fashions of ancient Egypt at the tail end of the era of Ptolemaic rule. The water of the harbour is blue-green, its shade changing slightly in places where it's deeper or more shallow. In some parts, it's cobalt, rich and opaque. Elsewhere, it's pastel blue like a watercolour painting. A few wooden ships are out on the water, their elegant frames shaped like upturned smiles. Large canvas sails flutter on their masts, while men row with oars, moving the ships across the

Starting point is 00:11:04 harbour. A large cargo vessel sails off in the distance, taking goods from Egypt across the Mediterranean Sea. Elsewhere, three fishing boats entering convoy, gliding smoothly through the water. You've come to the shores of ancient Alexandria, the illustrious city on the northern coast of Egypt. It's named after its founder, Alexander the Great, who established the capital city in 332 BCE. When your visit takes place in the 3rd century BCE, it's a thriving city full of music and colour. The Library of Alexandria has made it a centre for learning, attracting scholars of every discipline,

Starting point is 00:12:25 from philosophy to science. The library is said to contain over 40,000 scrolls, and the most comprehensive records of history so far. These are stored within a stunning and grand building, as much a palace as it is a library. The city is also home to an actual palace, where Egypt's great pharaohs live in splendor. Ptolemy the second is the current ruler and the second to reign in the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Starting point is 00:13:20 His father had been general to Alexander the Great before he founded what would become Egypt's final dynasty. The line will end in fewer than 300 years with the death of Cleopatra, Egypt's most famous queen. Ptolemy I was a Macedonian Greek, and this is reflected in the kingdom he ruled over. Alexandria is as Greek as it is Egyptian, in music, food, customs and culture. There's a Jewish synagogue and a Greek bathhouse, an avenue of sphinxes, and a temple of Zeus. It's the kind of place where you might walk on mosaic tiles, past golden columns of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Alexandria really is a place like no other,

Starting point is 00:14:40 an ancient melting pot of different styles and cultures. Though much of its fame is owed to its lighthouse, a stunning masterpiece of ancient engineering. You can see it now across the water, the lighthouse or pharos of Alexandria. It's the tallest human-made structure in the ancient world, a title it will hold for the next few centuries. The lighthouse sits on the island of Farros in the city's great harbour at its eastern side. It's at the western edge of the Nile Delta, where the famed Nile River drains out into the sea. The lighthouse is the reason for your visit.

Starting point is 00:15:52 today. It's why you're waiting on the long stone jetty. You're going to take a boat ride and cruise around the water with a dozen or so other people. There is an elderly couple and one young family and a few solo travellers like you. All are dressed in the fashions of the time, lightweight tunics that flutter in the breeze. The group is very quiet, even the children. Their faces wear expressions of dreamy contemplation. Most eyes are fixed on the lighthouse across the water, soaring upwards towards blue sky and clouds. It's the kind of structure that would provoke a reaction,

Starting point is 00:17:07 even if it were constructed in the 21st century. But in ancient Alexandria, in the 3rd century BCE, it's the kind of spectacle that might render one speechless. Its polished stone surface gleams in the sunlight, sparkling like the water that surrounds its island. Its colours are a mix of soft pastels, including golden beige sandstone and what looks like pink granite.

Starting point is 00:17:58 The lighthouse rises in three distinct tears, like a giant wedding cake, only tapered towards the middle. The lower base is walled within a large square base, while the second middle tier is shaped like an octagon. The uppermost level forms a circular tower and is topped by a statue that looks out across the harbour. On its high-up pedestal, it seems godlike and otherworldly behind a thin veil of fluffy white cloud.

Starting point is 00:18:52 You scan your eyes up and down its walls, all the while, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. You feel that you could stand here and gaze for many hours, watching patterns ripple across the surface of the water and basking in the majesty of the lighthouse. It's as you're studying the water, that you notice the cruise boat making its way towards you on the jetty. Small waves spill out around its sides, forming concentric circles on the blue-green water. The ship is a kind of early tour boat, an ancient version of a luxury yacht.

Starting point is 00:19:59 It looks to have been designed for cruising the harbour, seeming better suited to a lake than the sea. Its glossy wooden frame is a rich reddish-brown, maybe cedar or walnut imported from abroad. The wood is peppered with gold embellishment. that shine like stars. Where the frame of the boat curves upwards at either end, the wood has been sculpted to curl back towards itself. These curls have been painted in bronze and gold and resemble the horns of great brass trumpets,

Starting point is 00:20:59 Two pairs of men stand at either end of the boat, dressed in knee-length white tunics. They propel it along, using large wooden paddles, their ends etched to look like giant leaves. The large wooden oars must be heavy to carry, you think. But you wouldn't guess it from looking at the men. In their capable hands, the heavy wood looks nearly weightless. Their movements are smooth in unison with one another. between the man, instead of a sail, there's the frame of a gazebo above rows of seating. A lone passenger relaxes on cushions here. His face, a picture of blissful contentment.

Starting point is 00:22:19 The man's smile widens as the boat approaches, and he waves to towards you as if greeting an old friend. When the ship pulls in, he proclaims that he'll be your guide today and gives you all a warm welcome, inviting you to come on board. The group remains hushed as each person boards the ship, though the quiet is punctuated with murmurs of admiration. You couldn't want for a more stylish vessel or a more relaxing way of viewing the Great Lighthouse.

Starting point is 00:23:15 You study its details as you wait to board. Like the city of Alexandria, the boat is a beautiful fusion, a blend of styles, both Greek and Egyptian. The embellishments on its sides are gold-painted scarabs, one of the most important symbols in Egyptian culture. Scarab beetles represent the life cycle from birth to death to reincarnation in the afterlife. A geometric pattern below the roof of the gazebo is distinctly Greek, but has a similar meaning. interlocking straight lines resemble waves, an unbroken pattern, symbolizing the eternal flow of life. The motif takes its name from the Meander River, the way it twists and turns across the landscape. The line of water has been painted a shade of sapphire that contrasts with the white background.

Starting point is 00:24:52 The same motif runs around the edge of the boat, though here it's unpainted and simply etched into the wood. decide that you like this even better, admiring it as you find a seat near the middle of the vessel. Your tour guide sits on the front right bench, though he's turned in his seat to face the group behind him. Once everyone has settled, he introduces himself. He introduces himself as Sotillon, it will be his pleasure to tell you all about the lighthouse. There's something about Sotion that you like straight away, and you sense that is well suited to the role of tour guide. He's friendly and warm, and seems genuine. and unpretentious. He is the kind of person who lights up a room. Better still, his voice is smooth as

Starting point is 00:26:20 butter, entirely audible, yet soft and strong. Words melt on the ears above the washing of the breeze and the splashing of oars as the boat leaves the jetty. Your seat is remarkably comfortable thanks to the cushions at your back and beneath you. The navy blue fabric feels as smooth as velvet and its colour reminds you of the deep, lapis ocean. The fabric moulds around your body as you lean back and make yourself comfortable. You rest a forearm on the boat side and admire the pretty patterns, tracing your fingers across geometric waves.

Starting point is 00:27:27 The scent of polished cedar wood is rich yet subtle, nearly imperceptible, against the salty sea air. Still, it's lovely, woody and aromatic, with the faintest hint of zesty citrus. The air tastes like a drink of homemade lemonade, and you bask in its sweetness. The patterns on the water are mesmerizing to look at. You can take them in while listening to your tour guide. Sotion is keen to tell you all about the lighthouse, the crowning jewel of this ancient metropolis. The lighthouse was commissioned by Ptolemy the Fast, known as Ptolemy the Savior, soon after founding the kingdom.

Starting point is 00:28:51 to Sotion, it was rumoured at the time that the residents of Pharas were what are known as wreckers. They would intentionally lure ships onto the rocks and pillage the remains of those that were shipwrecked. Ptolemy wanted to dispel these rumors, whether the stories were true or not, and what better way than to build a lighthouse on Farros to guide ships safely into the harbour? You can see the lighthouse now across the water, seeming to grow taller by the minute as you voyage closer. In the harbour look tiny in comparison.

Starting point is 00:29:55 The people on those boats appear even smaller. There's something very humbling about its size. You feel as small as a droplet of water near this mighty structure. beige sandstone glitters in the sunlight, its façade flashing behind the sail of a fishing boat. The boat's canvas sail is a shade of ivory, which further highlights the colours of the sandstone. Your view from the boat looks almost like an oil painting. though the lighthouse of Alexandria adds something otherworldly. In the 3rd century BCE, it's almost unbelievable.

Starting point is 00:31:06 Nothing of its kind has ever been seen before. That isn't to say that there haven't been other lighthouses. As Sotion explains, they've been around for some time. It isn't known when the first one was erected, but it may be as far back as 2000 BCE. They were certainly a feature of the Greco-Roman era, but on a much smaller scale than we see today. The 8th century poet Homer referenced a lighthouse in southern Greece, which he believed to be the earliest built.

Starting point is 00:32:01 The Greek poet Leshees, writing a few years later, described another in Anatolia, or present-day Takia. Sotian has heard tell that. of a lighthouse in Athens, erected by a great statesman in the 5th century BCE. It was a small stone column in the port of Piraeus, just a few meters tall, with a fire at its top. The pharos of Alexandria is enormous by comparison, which Sotion presumes is what Ptolemy had wanted. As much as it serves as a functioning lighthouse, it's also a symbol of its owner's wealth and status.

Starting point is 00:33:11 It draws the gaze of each and every person long before their ships enter the harbour. No sailor or tourist is ever so weary that they don't pause and marvel at this gorgeous building. Tion lives here, so he sees it every day, and he still takes the time to admire the lighthouse. The novelty of its beauty has yet to wear off. It's as lovely today as when he first saw it. He's only sorry that the Pharaoh passed away before he could see the building finished. Instead, it was his son, Ptolemy II, who oversaw the completion of what his father had started. He would surely have been amazed by the finished lighthouse.

Starting point is 00:34:27 such a testament to what humans can achieve. You can't help but smile as you listen to Sotion. His passion is infectious and his warmth far reaching. His love of Alexandria is evident in every sentence, and his gratitude and positivity are wonderfully uplifting. The tourists listen quietly, their expressions easy. They glance between the face of the tour guide and the marvellous surroundings in the city's Great Harbour. There's something very sweet about the expressions of awe, especially on the faces of the older tourists. A man in his 70s sits grinning beside his wife,

Starting point is 00:35:41 as wide-eyed as the young boy a few seats behind him. Elsewhere, a woman leans back into the cushions. Her eyes are closed as if she's savoring the moment. Her plaited brown hair is held up with pretty hair clits, with a few curls left loose to dance in the breathes. Tassel earrings sway gently from her ears. They clink and jingle like tiny little bells. You shut your eyes and take in the sounds as comfortable as can be on your cushioned seat.

Starting point is 00:36:48 are soothed by the rhythm of your own gentle breath, the way it rises and falls. In and out, in a constant rhythm, as endless as the waves that lap against your boat. is forgotten as you ride across the harbour, and when you open your eyes, you're much closer to the lighthouse. The enormous structure dominates the landscape, seeming more impressive with each passing moment. So Tion points out the cost of the building. 8,000 talents of silver altogether. That's a total weight of over 2,000 tonnes of silver

Starting point is 00:37:55 and the modern equivalent to more than $300 million. Its exact height is a matter of debate, but it's likely over a hundred meters tall. Bear in mind that other lighthouses of this era are typically around two or three meters in height. the seven monuments that will be called ancient wonders, the lighthouse of Alexandria is the second tallest. It's small and double the size of the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and about 20 meters shorter than the Great Pyramid. The lighthouse had been completed by two by 246 BCE, and took 12 years from start to finish. It was made of granite, as well as limestone

Starting point is 00:39:12 and sandstone, from desert quarries to the east of the city. Two of Sotillon's uncles had worked at the quarries, mining the stone and cutting it to size. They worked in teams to shape it into blocks, before tying it to wooden sledges and heaving it across the land. It's hard to imagine the amount of effort and skill that would have been required to build to build such a structure. And all without the aid of modern technology, it really is a remarkable accomplishment. You scan your eyes up and down its walls as the boat cruises slowly around its base.

Starting point is 00:40:21 So Teon provides a relaxing commentary, you can listen in comfort while gazing out at the lighthouse. The base, he explains, is accessible by ramp and wide enough to let two horsemen through at once. The walled-in square base is 900 meters large, while the building above it is four stories high. A wide spiral staircase rises up from the base, providing access to rooms on different floors. There are 18 rooms on the second, 13 on the third, and 17 rooms on the fourth and final level. The walls are tapered, leaning inwards towards the middle, a technique used to make the building more stable. Each section on the outside looks more elegant than the last, from the square base to the

Starting point is 00:41:49 octagonal middle, and then the circular upper floor that's topped by a statue. The face of the statue is visible only briefly through a gap in the clouds that still blanket the figure. A white marble face looks strong and regal, either a god or a king gazing out to sea. When it comes to the subject of the statue's identity, your tour guide becomes suspiciously vague. detect a hint of childlike mischief in his face, as if he's revelling in the mystery of the sculpture. Smiling, he says that it could be Zeus, king of the Greek gods, Lord of the sky, and thunder. Or perhaps it's Poseidon, God of the Sea, the day of the sea, the deity that sailors pray to for protection on the waves.

Starting point is 00:43:16 Equally, it could be Ptolemy the Saviour, the great Pharaoh who commissioned the lighthouse. Or perhaps it's the man he'd served as general, the founder of Alexandria, Alexander the Great. One might think that the uncertainty would be somewhat frustrating. But actually, there's something magical in not knowing exactly who it's meant to be. So Tion says that he often imagines a different figure. whoever he'd like to be there on any given day. The lighthouse is never any less magnificent,

Starting point is 00:44:15 regardless of which deity or person he pictures. The high-up beacon shining out beneath the statue is a sight that never fails to comfort or reassure him. him. Light radiates outwards between the sleek white pillars surrounding the circular upper tier. In daytime, it's the result of a huge bronze mirror, angled to reflect sunlight across the water. In the evening, however, or on dim afternoons, a huge furnace is set alight using oil.

Starting point is 00:45:12 Its yellow flame guides ships through the harbour and casts a veil of gold light across the land and water. It's never a bad time to see the lighthouse, at least not according to your cheerful tour guide, but late afternoon is particularly beautiful, especially when clouds create the illusion of evening. You have to agree on this cloudy afternoon when the water glitters gold like a starry night sky. There's enough daylight that you can see the lighthouse, but it's dim enough that the beacon stands out. So Teon was right, the light is reassuring, especially where it contrasts with the dark blue water. The beacon is a symbol of hope and protection.

Starting point is 00:46:37 It illuminates the water, pointing the way to safety. This is how it will remain for centuries to come, until a series of earthquakes take their toll on the building. The first to do damage will be in 796 CE, the next in 951, and then another five years later. It's said that the lighthouse will lose 20 metres of height in the collapse caused by that third earthquake. Efforts will be made to rebuild and update it. The statue will ultimately be replaced by an Islamic-style domed roof.

Starting point is 00:47:43 This domed version of the lighthouse will continue to guide sailors to safety until it's damaged irreparably in the 14th century. After an earthquake and tsunami in 1323, much of the building will be swept beneath the water. and by 1480 it will be little more than a stub when the Sultan of Egypt orders the site to be repurposed. He'll commission a medieval fortress using the ruins of the lighthouse on the spot where it stood on the Isle of Pharos. The Citadel of Kate Bay, as the fortress was named, is still open to visitors in the 21st century. Modern tourists can see the grounds of the fortress and walk around the spot where the lighthouse once stood.

Starting point is 00:49:05 Meanwhile, archaeologists have explored the harbour and found all manner of artefacts resting on the sea bed. Photographs reveal a world that's nothing short of magical, a submerged kingdom formed by the ruins of the lighthouse. There are blocks of granite, up to 60 tonnes in weight, as well as obelisks, sphinxes, statues and columns. People can dive down and swim between the ruins in what essentially might be called an underwater museum. Modern Alexandrians remain proud of the lighthouse. It might be beneath the water, but its presence is still felt. Its front and center on the flag of the region,

Starting point is 00:50:21 a great white lighthouse on a blue and yellow canvas. What's more, its legacy has been far reaching. It changed the idea of what a lighthouse could be, literally elevating it from two metres to a hundred. Undoubtedly, it inspired the design of future buildings, leading to what we'd picture as a modern lighthouse. It even changed the language. The word fair now denotes a lighthouse, or Faro in Spanish. Such words are derived from the island of Pharos and the lighthouse of Alexandria that took its name. The third longest survivor of the seven ancient wonders. It's truly remarkable that it stood for so long.

Starting point is 00:51:43 And it's equally remarkable that for most people today, it still lives on in the imagination, a dreamy recreation of what once was. Back on the cushioned seat of the boat, you bask in the scent of the fresh, salty breeze, trees, and the sound of the oars being pulled across the water. Concentric circles ripple outwards from the boat, illuminated beneath a blanket of soft dappled gold. You can see the reflection of the lighthouse beacon, an opaque yellow flower. flame, where the glow is brightest.

Starting point is 00:52:50 The painted gold scarabs on the outside of the boat are also mirrored on the harbour's surface. They form a gorgeous patchwork of glistening stars that move and flicker on the ripples of water. As you're watching these patterns, something begins to happen. Droplets of rain start falling from the clouds. You watch them splash into the water. You hear them patter on the rooftop above. So Tion smiles and says that he'd hoped for rain. There's no sound he loves more than raindrops on the roof.

Starting point is 00:53:58 He suggests that passengers might enjoy closing their eyes to really make the most of this passing light shower. Before you take his advice, you gaze up at the lighthouse, keen to see it one last time. Behind a cloud of rainfall, the beacon appears brighter. Its warm yellow light seems even more reassuring. And with that, you close your eyes and simply listen to the patter of raindrops on the rooftop and the water. You are captivated by this healing, natural symphony. Cares and concerns are a distant memory.

Starting point is 00:55:20 They floated away at some point on your journey. And now you're as tranquil as the water, both in mind and body, entirely at ease. and delightfully untroubled. You know, I'm going to And so, You know, You know,

Starting point is 00:56:45 you know, . I'm going to be. ...when... ...on ...to... ...and... ...that... ...with...

Starting point is 00:57:00 ...that... ...to... ...the... ...and... ...to... ...and... You know, you know,

Starting point is 00:57:21 You know, I'm still, you know, and You know, You know, Oh, Oh,

Starting point is 00:58:00 Oh, and Thank you. You know, Thank you. You know, you know You know,

Starting point is 00:59:35 I'm going to be able to Thank you.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Seven Wonders #6)

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