Archaeologists off Egypt’s northern coast have just hauled a piece of ancient wonder back into the sunlight — literally. A French-led team recently recovered 22 colossal stone blocks from the Mediterranean Sea, remnants of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

From Seafloor to Surface: A Monumental Recovery

It’s been nearly 30 years since archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur first spotted the ruins of the lighthouse scattered beneath Alexandria’s harbor in 1995. Now, thanks to advanced tech and sheer human grit, parts of this ancient marvel are finally back above water.

One sentence: Imagine lifting a stone block that weighs as much as 80 tons — underwater!

Among the massive pieces are threshold stones, base slabs, and the lighthouse’s door lintels and jambs — all essential bits that once helped this towering beacon guide ships safely into port more than two millennia ago.

Seven Wonders, One Lost Giant

The Lighthouse of Alexandria wasn’t just any old tower. Built on the island of Pharos around 280 BCE, it stood an estimated 350 feet tall — so tall ancient sailors claimed they could see its flame from 30 miles away. For centuries, it was a symbol of the city’s brilliance and a lifeline for traders navigating the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean.

Eventually, earthquakes reduced it to rubble. By the 14th century, all that remained had tumbled beneath the waves.

A New Gateway Unearthed

The surprises didn’t stop with lighthouse stones. Divers also found pieces of a previously unknown Hellenistic-era monument — a gateway with an Egyptian-style door. This fusion of Greek and Egyptian architecture paints a richer picture of Alexandria as a true crossroads of cultures.

One short line: The past keeps whispering its secrets, if you’re patient enough to listen.

Digitally Rebuilding a Wonder

These giant blocks are just the start. The recovery effort is part of an ambitious project to digitally recreate the entire lighthouse. Using high-tech scanning, 3D modeling, and archival research, historians and engineers aim to show people exactly what the Pharos once looked like.

One conservator put it simply: “We want to give the lighthouse back to Alexandria — virtually.”

An Effort Decades in the Making

This new phase of recovery is the payoff for nearly three decades of underwater exploration. Jean-Yves Empereur’s initial surveys in the 1990s laid the groundwork, but only now has the tech advanced enough to lift and preserve such enormous stones safely.

One line: Better late than never, right?

Here’s what they pulled up this round:

• 22 stone blocks weighing up to 80 tons each

• Threshold stones and base slabs

• Door lintels and jambs

• Parts of the newly discovered Hellenistic gateway

What Happens Next?

Once cleaned and cataloged, the stones will help researchers refine their digital model. They’ll also guide future dives, since the seafloor still hides hundreds more pieces.

And while these stones won’t be stacked back on the island of Pharos anytime soon, locals hope the digital recreation will draw more eyes — and tourists — to a city that once rivaled Rome and Athens.

One local historian summed it up: “The lighthouse lit the way for ships then. Maybe it’ll light the way for people to see how Alexandria shaped the world.”