Les phares d’Égypte : laboratoire et conservatoire de l’ingénierie européenne du xixe siècle

Abstract

The history of lighthouses built along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt can be precisely traced back by using the rich archival holdings of the companies that took part in building them. Drawing on this largely unpublished documentation, this article aims, firstly, to place the lighthouses in the context of technical history, particularly the rivalry between iron and concrete, and to shed light on the link between the Eygptian project and the industrial and colonial issues surrounding the large scale construction of lighthouses during the second half of the 19th century. Secondly, using the example of the Port-Said lighthouse, which was the subject of a 1869 architectural competition organised by the Académie des beaux-arts, this study looks at the monumental dimension of the lighthouse as well as its place in the field of art history.

Keywords

• iron
• lighthouse
• agglomereted concrete
• maritime heritage