Earlier this summer, archaeologists began hauling some of the giant granite blocks that once comprised one of the tallest buildings in the world out of the Alexandrian harbor after centuries underwater. Twenty-two blocks, to be precise, each one weighing between 80 and 90 tons with the operation requiring a boat, a platform, and a crane employing specific techniques to ensure the integrity of the blocks.
The Citadel of Qaitbay, which is now an excellent maritime museum, was interestingly built on the exact spot of the ancient lighthouse, and even used some of the lighthouse’s original blocks in its construction.