Diving the Ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria

Scuba dive the remains of an Ancient Wonder of the World. Learn what to expect when diving the submerged ruins of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Diving the Ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria

There are only Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Six of them have been lost to history or destroyed, save for the Great Pyramid of Giza. But what if you could put on a scuba tank and swim through the shattered remains of one of them?

In Alexandria, Egypt, you can do exactly that. The Pharos Lighthouse (the Lighthouse of Alexandria) was a towering marvel of ancient engineering that stood for over a millennium before tumbling into the Mediterranean Sea. Today, diving its ruins is one of the most compelling reasons to explore scuba diving in Alexandria.

Here is your complete guide to diving the submerged colossal ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse.

The Fall of an Ancient Wonder

Built in the 3rd century BC by the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was estimated to be over 100 meters (330 feet) tall. For centuries, it guided sailors safely into the bustling port of Alexandria.

However, a series of massive earthquakes between 956 AD and 1323 AD severely damaged and eventually collapsed the structure. When the 15th-century Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay built his fortress on the island of Pharos (the Citadel of Qaitbay, which still stands today), many of the fallen blocks were used in the fort's construction.

The rest of the colossal structure—thousands of tons of masonry, statues, and columns—tumbled into the sea at the base of the island, lying forgotten until French archaeologists mapped the site in 1994.

What You Will See on the Dive

The dive site is located on the seaward side of the Qaitbay Citadel. Unlike Cleopatra's Palace which sits inside the protected harbor, the Lighthouse ruins are exposed to the open sea.

Swimming over this site is an exercise in humbling scale. You will not find an intact building; the earthquakes shattered the lighthouse. Instead, you will dive over a massive debris field stretching across acres of the seabed.

Highlights of the dive include:

• Colossal Granite Blocks: You will swim over and around hundreds of massive masonry blocks, some weighing upwards of 50 to 70 tons, which once formed the tower's tiers.
• Toppled Obelisks and Columns: Dozens of Greek and Egyptian-style columns lie scattered, encrusted with marine growth.
• Giant Statues: Archaeologists discovered massive statues of Ptolemy II and his wife Arsinoe (depicted as pharaoh and Isis) lying facedown in the rubble. While some pieces were raised to museums, massive fragmented statues remain underwater.
• Sphinxes: Several partial sphinxes guard the rocky seabed.

Dive Profile: Depth and Conditions

Depth

The Lighthouse dive site is relatively shallow, though slightly deeper than Cleopatra's palace. The ruins are spread out between 8 meters and 15 meters (25 to 50 feet) deep. This makes the dive perfectly suitable for standard PADI Open Water Divers.

Visibility and Sea State

Because the site is located outside the eastern breakwater, it is exposed to the open Mediterranean Sea.

• Visibility here is generally better than inside the harbor, often ranging from 8 to 15 meters during the calm summer months.
• Currents can be present, and there is often a distinct surge (the back-and-forth movement of water caused by surface waves) as you swim among the shallow blocks.
• Seasonality: Due to the exposed nature of the site, it is almost exclusively dived in the summer (June to October). Winter storms make it far too dangerous to dive near the rocky shoreline of the Citadel.

How to Dive the Pharos Ruins

Just like all underwater antiquities in Egypt, this site is heavily regulated. You cannot dive it independently.

You must book your excursion through a certified local Alexandria dive club. The dive center will arrange a boat (usually a small Zodiac or a local fishing boat modified for diving) and secure the necessary Coast Guard and Antiquities Police permits on your behalf.

Diving the Pharos Lighthouse is a unique privilege. It is not about vibrant marine life; it is about swimming through the wreckage of human ambition and gazing upon stones that once lit the way for the ancient world's greatest ships.