← Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
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- [00:01]
Host
If you've benefited from Get Sleepy, then the single best way you can support our work is with a Premium membership. And right now is the very best time to try out Premium because during the month of October you can enjoy a 90 day free trial on any.
- [00:17]
Sponsor/Advertiser
Premium membership in our network.
- [00:20]
Host
You'll get ad free listening across the entire catalogue, access to all exclusive bonus episodes, and much more. Totally free for 90 days. So if you've been thinking of trying a Premium membership or wondering how you can support our work, now is the perfect time. Give it a go for a few months before you commit and see if the Premium experience helps you sleep even better. You can cancel any time. Don't wait though, because the 90 day free trial is only available during the month of October. So take advantage of this incredible deal now by going to slumberstudios.com premium. That's slumberstudios.com premium. Or if you're on Apple Podcasts, you can sign up directly in the app. Thank you so much for your support.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
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Narrator (Thomas)
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Sponsor/Advertiser
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- [02:23]
Narrator (Thomas)
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Narrator (Thomas)
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Narrator (Thomas)
When you go to naturesunshine.com and use the code GetSleepy all as one word at checkout. That's code GetSleepy@naturesunshine.com welcome to Get Sleepy where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas. Thanks so much for being here. I am delighted to have your company tonight as we return to one of our best loved series of 2025.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
It's so wonderful to read all of.
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Narrator (Thomas)
Your kind feedback about our episodes and I hope tonight's is just as enjoyable.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
And sleep inducing as ever for you. In just a few minutes we'll continue our series exploring the seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We're heading to ancient Egypt, to the illustrious city of Alexandria. We'll travel back in time to 2000 years, to the 3rd century BCE. We'll take a peaceful boat ride around the city's great harbour and see the famed Lighthouse of Alexandria. Thank you to Joe for writing this.
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Narrator (Thomas)
Wonderful series and I'm so glad to be the one narrating it for you all.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
But first let's take a few minutes.
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Narrator (Thomas)
To relax.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
To gradually unwind and move closer towards rest. I invite you to find a comfortable position and as soon as you're ready to close your eyes. Now move your awareness up and down the body and explore sensations with an attitude of curiosity. Tune in to the way the body is feeling. Just observe what's there without any judgment. I'd like you to locate an area of stillness, the part of the body that feels most comfortable and at peace. Take your time to find the sweet spot and keep your attention there once you've found it. Next, we might imagine breathing into this area, directing our inhalation towards the point of stillness. You might like to picture this feeling as a color and to see it expanding with each cycle of breath. You can inhale slowly and hold for a moment before exhaling gently for a second or so longer. Feel the body sink down into the mattress, becoming more relaxed with each passing moment. There's nothing left to do now but follow my voice. The breath and the body can fade into the background. Imagine that you're standing beside the water of a harbour, its surface flickering with luminous daylight. This is where our story begins. It's a lovely afternoon, peaceful and warm. The sun shines yellow gold in an azure sky. A handful of clouds look like candy floss. It's as if they've been spun into unique fluffy shapes. The feeling of sunshine is soothing on the skin, as is the breeze that flows over the water. Each inhalation brings cool, refreshing air. The same air wafts through the fabric of your lightweight tunic and across your feet. In your slip on sandals.
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Host
You are.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
Dressed in the fashions of ancient Egypt, at the tail end of the era of Ptolemaic rule. The water of the harbour is blue green, its shade changing slightly in places where it's deeper or more shallow. In some parts it's cobalt rich and opaque. Elsewhere it its pastel blue like a watercolour painting. A few wooden ships are out on the water, their elegant frames shaped like upturned smiles. Large canvas sails flutter on their masts while men row with oars, moving the ships across the harbour. A large cargo vessel sails off in the distance, taking goods from Egypt across the Mediterranean Sea. Elsewhere, three fishing boats entering convoy, gliding smoothly through the water. You've come to the shores of ancient Alexandria, the illustrious city on the northern coast of Egypt. It's named after its founder, Alexander the Great, who established the capital city in 332Bce. When your visit takes place in the third century BCE, it's a thriving city full of music and colour. The library of Alexandria has made it a centre for learning, attracting scholars of every discipline, from philosophy to science. The library is said to contain over 40,000 scrolls and the most comprehensive records of history so far. These are stored within a stunning and grand building, as much a palace as it is a library. The city is also home to an actual palace where Egypt's great pharaohs live in splendor. Ptolemy II is the current ruler and the second to reign in the Ptolemaic dynasty. His father had been general to Alexander the Great before he founded what would become Egypt's final dynasty. The line will end in fewer than 300 years with the death of Cleopatra, Egypt's most famous queen. Ptolemy I was a Macedonian Greek, and this is reflected in the kingdom he ruled over. Alexandria is as Greek as it is Egyptian in music, food, customs and culture. There's a Jewish synagogue and a Greek bathhouse, an avenue of sphinxes and a temple of Zeus. It's the kind of place where you might walk on mosaic tiles past golden columns of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Alexandria really is a place like no other, an ancient melting pot of different styles and cultures. Though much of its fame is owed to its lighthouse, a stunning masterpiece of ancient engine, you can see it now across the water, the lighthouse, or Pharos of Alexandria. It's the tallest human made structure in the ancient world, a title it will hold for the next few centuries. The lighthouse sits on the island of Pharos, in the city's great harbour at its eastern side. It's at the western edge of the Nile Delta, where the famed Nile river drains out into the sea. The lighthouse is the reason for your visit today. It's why you're waiting on the long stone jetty. You're going to take a boat ride and cruise around the water with a dozen or so other people. There is an elderly couple and one young family and a few solo travellers like you. All are dressed in the fashions of the time, lightweight tunics that flutter in the breeze. The group is very quiet, even the children. Their faces wear expressions of dreamy contemplation. Most eyes are fixed on the lighthouse across the water, soaring upwards towards blue sky and clouds. It's the kind of structure that would provoke a reaction even if it were constructed in the 21st century. But in ancient Alexandria in the 3rd century BCE, it's the kind of spectacle that might render one speechless. Its polished stone surface gleams in the sunlight, sparkling like the water that surrounds its island. Its colours are a mix of soft pastels, including golden beige sandstone and what looks like pink granite. The lighthouse rises in three distinct tiers, like a giant wedding cake, only tapered towards the middle. The lower base is walled within a large square base, while the second middle tier is shaped like an octagon. The uppermost level forms a circular tower and is topped by a statue that looks out across the harbour. On its high up pedestal it seems godlike and otherworldly behind a thin veil of fluffy white cloud. You scan your eyes up and down its walls, all the while enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. You feel that you could stand here and gaze for many hours, watching patterns ripple across the surface of the water and basking in the majesty of the lighthouse. It's as you're studying the water that you notice the cruise boat making its way towards you on the jetty. Small waves spill out around its sides, forming concentric circles on the blue green water. The ship is a kind of early tour boat, an ancient version of a luxury yacht. It looks to have been designed for cruising the harbour, seeming better suited to a lake than the sea. Its glossy wooden frame is a rich reddish brown, maybe cedar or walnut, imported from abroad. The wood is peppered with gold embellishments that shine like stars. Where the frame of the Boat curves upwards at either end. The wood has been sculpted to curl back towards itself. These curls have been painted in bronze and gold and resemble the horns of great brass trumpets. Two pairs of men stand at either end of the boat, dressed in knee length white tunics. They propel it along using large wooden paddles, their ends etched to look like giant leaves. The large wooden oars must be heavy to carry you, but you wouldn't guess it from looking at the men. In their capable hands, the heavy wood looks nearly weightless. Their movements are smooth, in unison with one another. In between the men, instead of a sail, there's the frame of a gazebo above rows of seating. A lone passenger relaxes on cushions here, his face a picture of blissful contentment. The man's smile widens as the boat approaches and he waves towards you as if greeting an old friend. When the ship pulls in, he proclaims that he'll be your guide today and gives you all a warm welcome, inviting you to come on board. The group remains hushed as each person boards the ship, though the quiet is punctuated with murmurs of admiration. You couldn't want for a more stylish vessel or a more relaxing way of viewing the great lighthouse. You study its details as you wait to board. Like the city of Alexandria, the boat is a beautiful fusion, a blend of styles both Greek and Egyptian. The embellishments on its sides are gold painted scarabs, one of the most important symbols in Egyptian culture. Scarab beetles represent the life cycle from birth to death to reincarnation in the afterlife. A geometric pattern below the roof of the gazebo is distinctly Greek, but has a similar meaning. Interlocking straight lines resemble waves, an unbroken pattern symbolizing the eternal flow of life. The motif takes its name from the Meander river, the way it twists and turns across the landscape. The line of water has been painted a shade of sapphire that contrasts with the white background. The same motif runs around the edge of the boat, though here it's unpainted and simply etched into the wood. You decide that you like this even better, admiring it as you find a seat near the middle of the vessel. Your tour guide sits on the front right bench, though he's turned in his seat to face the group behind him. Once everyone has settled, he introduces himself as so Tion. It will be his pleasure to tell you all about the lighthouse. There's something about Soteon that you like straight away, and you sense that is well suited to the role of tour guide. He's friendly and warm and seems Genuine and unpretentious, he is the kind of person who lights up a room. Better still, his voice is smooth as butter, entirely audible, yet soft and strong. Words melt on the ears above the whooshing of the breeze and the splashing of oars as the boat leaves the jetty. Your seat is remarkably comfortable thanks to the cushions at your back and beneath you. The navy blue fabric feels as smooth as velvet and its color reminds you of the deep lapis ocean. The fabric moulds around your body as you lean back and make yourself comfortable. You rest a forearm on the boat side and admire the pretty patterns tracing your fingers across geometric waves. The scent of polished cedar wood is rich yet subtle, nearly imperceptible against the salty sea air. Still, it's lovely, woody and aromatic, with the faintest hint of zesty citrus. The air tastes like a drink of homemade lemonade, and you bask in its sweetness. The patterns on the water are mesmerizing to look at. You can take them in while listening to your tour guide. Soteon is keen to tell you all about the lighthouse, the crowning jewel of this ancient metropolis. The lighthouse was commissioned by Ptolemy I, known as Ptolemy the Saviour, soon after founding the kingdom. According to Soteon, it was rumoured at the time that the residents of Pharos were what are known as wreckers. They would intentionally lure ships onto the rocks and pillage the remains of those that were shipwrecked. Ptolemy wanted to dispel these rumours, whether the stories were true or not. And what better way than to build a lighthouse on Pharos to guide ships safely into the harbour? You can see the lighthouse now across the water, seeming to grow taller by the minute as you voyage closer. Boats in the harbour look tiny in comparison to the people on those boats appear even smaller. There's something very humbling about its size. You feel as small as a droplet of water near this mighty structure. The beige sandstone glitters in the sunlight, its facade flashing behind the sail of a fishing boat. The boat's canvas sail is a shade of ivory, which further highlights the colours of the sandstone. Your view from the boat looks almost like an oil painting, though the Lighthouse of Alexandria adds something otherworldly in the third century bce. It's almost unbelievable. Nothing of its kind has ever been seen before. That isn't to say that there haven't been other lighthouses. As Sotillon explains, they've been around for some time. It isn't known when the first one was erected, but it may be as far back as 2000 BCE. They were certainly a feature of the Greco Roman era, but on a much smaller scale than we see today. The 8th century poet Homer referenced a lighthouse in southern Greece which he believed to be the earliest built. The Greek poet Lesys, writing a few years later, described another in Anatolia or present day Tacaea. Soteon has heard tell of a lighthouse in Athens erected by a great statesman in the 5th century BCE. It was a small stone column in the port of Piraeus.
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Host
Just a few.
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Sponsor/Advertiser
Meters tall with a fire at its top. The Pharos of Alexandria is enormous by comparison, which Soteon presumes is what Ptolemy had wanted. As much as it serves as a functioning lighthouse, it's also a symbol of its owner's wealth and status. It draws the gaze of each and every person long before their ships enter the harbour. No sailor or tourist is ever so weary that they don't pause and marvel at at this gorgeous building. Soteon lives here, so he sees it every day. And he still takes the time to admire the lighthouse. The novelty of its beauty has yet to wear off. It's as lovely today as when he first saw it. He's only sorry that the Pharaoh passed away before he could see the building finished. Instead, it was his son, Ptolemy ii, who oversaw the completion of what his father had started. He would surely have been amazed by the finished lighthouse. It's such a testament to what humans can achieve. You can't help but smile as you listen to Soteon. His passion is infectious and his warmth far reaching. His love of Alexandria is evident in every sentence and his gratitude and positivity are wonderfully uplifting. The tourists listen quietly, their expressions easy. They glance between the face of the tour guide and the marvellous surroundings in the city's great harbour. There's something very sweet about the expressions of awe, especially on the faces of the older tourists. A man in his 70s sits grinning beside his wife, as wide eyed as the young boy a few seats behind him. Elsewhere, a woman leans back into the cushions. Her eyes are closed as if she's savouring the moment. Her plaited brown hair is held up with pretty hair clips with a few curls left loose to dance in the breeze. Bronze tassel earrings sway gently from her ears. They clink and jingle like tiny little bells. You shut your eyes and take in the sounds, as comfortable as can be on your cushioned seat. You're soothed by the rhythm of your own gentle breath, the way it rises and falls in and out in a Constant rhythm, as endless as the waves that lap against your boat. Time is forgotten as you ride across the harbour, and when you open your eyes, you're much closer to the lighthouse. The enormous structure dominates the landscape, seeming more impressive with each passing moment. Soteom points out the cost of the building. 8,000 talents of silver altogether. That's a total weight of over 2,000 tons of silver, and the modern equivalent to more than $300 million. Its exact height is a matter of debate, but it's likely over a hundred metres tall. Bear in mind that other lighthouses of this era are typically around two or three metres in height. Of the seven monuments that will be called ancient wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria is the second tallest. It's small and double the size of the Mausoleum of halicarnassus, and about 20 metres shorter than the Great Pyramid. The lighthouse had been completed by 246bce and took 12 years from start to finish. It was made of granite as well as limestone and sandstone from desert quarries to the east of the city. Two of Soteon's uncles had worked at the quarries, mining the stone and cutting it to size. They worked in teams to shape it into blocks before tying it to wooden sledges and heaving it across the land. It's hard to imagine the amount of effort and skill that would have been required to build such a structure, and all without the aid of modern technology. It really is a remarkable accomplishment. You scan your eyes up and down its walls as the boat cruises slowly around its base. Soteon provides a relaxing commentary. You can listen in comfort while gazing out at the lighthouse. The base, he explains, is accessible by ramp and wide enough to let two horsemen through at once. The Walden square base is 900 metres large, while the building above it is four storeys high. A wide spiral staircase rises up from the base, providing access to rooms on different floors. There are 18 rooms on the second, 13 on the third, and 17 rooms on the fourth and final level. The walls are tapered, leaning inwards towards the middle, a technique used to make the building more stable. Each section on the outside looks more elegant than the last, from the square base to the octagonal middle, and then the circular upper floor that's topped by a statue. The face of the statue is visible only briefly through a gap in the clouds that still blanket the figure. A white marble face looks strong and regal, either a God or a king gazing out to sea. When it comes to the subject of the statue's identity, your tour guide becomes suspiciously vague. You detect a hint of childlike mischief in his face, as if he's reveling in the mystery of the sculpture. Smiling, he says that it could be Zeus, king of the Greek gods, lord of the sky and thunder. Or perhaps it's Poseidon, God of the sea, the deity that sailors pray to for protection on the waves. Equally, it could be Ptolemy the Saviour, the great Pharaoh who commissioned the lighthouse. Or perhaps it's the man he'd served as general, the founder of Alexandria, Alexander the Great. One might think that the uncertainty would be somewhat frustrating, but actually there's something magical in not knowing exactly who it's meant to be. So Tion says that he often imagines a different figure, whoever he'd like to be there on any given day. The lighthouse is never any less magnificent. Regardless of which deity or person he pictures. The high up beacon shining out beneath the statue is a sight that never fails to comfort or reassure him. Light radiates outwards between the sleek white pillars surrounding the circular upper tier. In daytime, it's the result of a huge bronze mirror angled to reflect sunlight across the water. In the evening, however, or on dim afternoons, a huge furnace is set alight using oil. Its yellow flame guides ships through the harbour and casts a veil of gold light across the land and water. There's never a bad time to see the lighthouse, at least not according to your cheerful tour guide. But late afternoon is particularly beautiful, especially when clouds create the illusion of evening. You have to agree on this cloudy afternoon, when the water glitters gold like a starry night sky. There's enough daylight that you can see the lighthouse, but it's dim enough that the beacon stands out. Soteom was right. The light is reassuring, especially where it contrasts with the dark blue water. The beacon is a symbol of hope and protection. It illuminates the water, pointing the way to safety. This is how it will remain for centuries to come, until a series of earthquakes take their toll on the building. The first to do damage will be in 796 CE, the next in 951, and then another five years later. It's said that the lighthouse will lose 20 metres of height in the collapse caused by that third earthquake. Efforts will be made to rebuild and update it. The statue will ultimately be replaced by an Islamic style domed roof. This domed version of the lighthouse will continue to guide sailors to safety until it's damaged irreparably in the 14th century. After an earthquake and tsunami in 1323, much of the building will be swept beneath the water. And by 1480, it will be little more than a stub. When the Sultan of Egypt orders the site to be repurposed, he'll commission a medieval fortress using the ruins of the lighthouse on the spot where it stood on the Isle of Faros. The Citadel of Cate Bay, as the fortress was named, is still open to visitors in the 21st century. Modern tourists can see the grounds of the fortress and walk around the spot where the lighthouse once stood. Meanwhile, archaeologists have explored the harbour and found all manner of artifacts resting on the seabed. Photographs reveal a world that's nothing short of magical. A submerged kingdom formed by the ruins of the lighthouse. There are blocks of granite up to 60 tons in weight, as well as obelisks, sphinxes, statues and columns. People can dive down and swim between the ruins in what essentially might be called an underwater museum. Modern Alexandrians remain proud of the lighthouse. It might be beneath the water, but its presence is still felt. It's front and center on the flag of the region. A great white lighthouse on a blue and yellow canvas. What's more, its legacy has been far reaching. It changed the idea of what a lighthouse could be, literally elevating it from two metres to a hundred. Undoubtedly, it inspired the design of future buildings, leading to what we'd picture as a modern lighthouse. It even changed the language. The word fair now denotes a lighthouse, or faro in Spanish. Such words are derived from the island of Pharos and the lighthouse of Alexandria that took its name, the third longest survivor of the seven ancient wonders. It's truly remarkable that it stood for so long. And it's equally remarkable that for most people today, it still lives on in the imagination, a dreamy recreation of what once was. Back on the cushioned seat of the boat, you bask in the scent of the fresh salty breeze and the sound of the oars being pulled across the water. Concentric circles ripple outwards from the boat, illuminated beneath a blanket of soft, dappled gold. You can see the reflection of the lighthouse beacon, an opaque yellow flame where the glow is brightest. The painted gold scarabs on the outside of the boat are also mirrored on the harbour's surface. They form a gorgeous patchwork of glistening stars that move and flicker on the ripples of water. As you're watching these patterns, something begins to happen. Droplets of rain start falling from the clouds. You watch them splash into the water. You hear them patter on the rooftop above. So tion smiles and says that he'd hoped for rain. There's no sound he loves more than raindrops. On the roof. He suggests that passengers might enjoy closing their eyes to really make the most of this passing light shower. Before you take his advice, you gaze up at the lighthouse, keen to see it one last time. Behind a cloud of rainfall, the beacon appears brighter. Its warm yellow light seems even more reassuring. And with that, you close your eyes and simply listen to the patter of raindrops on the rooftop and the water. You are captivated by this healing, natural symphony. Cares and concerns are a distant memory. They floated away at some point on your journey, and now you're as tranquil as the water, both in mind and body, entirely at ease and delightfully untroubled.