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Borg El Arab
Borg El Arab

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AntiquitiesAntiquity

Tower of Abu Sir

A stone tower on the ridge east of the Taposiris temple, long called a lighthouse, which the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology describes as a funerary monument of the Hellenistic period imitating the Pharos of Alexandria.
Around it on the map
The Tower of Abu Sir alone on the rocky ridge, with its square base, many-sided middle storey and round top, under a grey sky

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The story

What sets it apart

Three storeys of stone in the shape of the Pharos of Alexandria.

  • 1Its three storeys
  • 2The shape of the Pharos of Alexandria
  • 3The three-room tomb beneath it (2024)

The tower stands on the ridge east of the Temple of Osiris, in the same archaeological zone in the village of Abu Sir. Alexandria Governorate calls it «الفنار» (the lighthouse), and Youm7 says it resembles the ancient Pharos of Alexandria and has three storeys.

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The French Institute of Oriental Archaeology calls it «برج العرب» (the Tower of the Arabs) and says it is “in fact a funerary monument erected during the Hellenistic period which imitated the shape of the Lighthouse of Alexandria”. In December 2024 the mission working at the site announced a tomb beneath it, with three rooms and nine busts of white marble, according to Al-Ahram Gate.

AntiquityThe New Kingdom – 7th century AD

Its place in time

  1. Before itTemple of Osiris at Taposiris Magna3rd century BC; the standing walls 1st century BC
  2. This landmarkTower of Abu SirThe Hellenistic period, according to IFAO

On the timeline of all the landmarks

Memories of the place

Every memory is taken from a published, documented source, named under it.

  1. The Hellenistic periodSources differ on this date

    The French Institute of Oriental Archaeology says it is a funerary monument of the Hellenistic period imitating the Pharos of Alexandria, not a lighthouse.

    Source: French Institute of Oriental Archaeology (IFAO): Taposiris Magna and Plinthine

The other memories 3

  1. The lighthouseSources differ on this date

    Alexandria Governorate calls it «الفنار» (the lighthouse) of the village of Abu Sir.

    Source: Alexandria Governorate: «معلومات تهمك عن مركز ومدينة برج العرب» (archived 11 Aug 2020)

  2. Its three storeys

    It resembles the ancient Pharos of Alexandria and has three storeys.

    Source: Youm7: «تعرف على "تابوزيريس ماجنا"…» (15 Jan 2019)

The other memories1

  1. December 2024

    A tomb was announced beneath it, with three rooms and nine busts of white marble.

    Source: Al-Ahram Gate: «اكتشافات أثرية جديدة في معبد "تابوزيريس ماجنا" توضح أسرار العصر البطلمي» (9 Dec 2024)

Around it

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Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Nearby landmarks

Distances are as the crow flies, and approximate.