Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was certainly more than your typical lighthouse.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a lighthouse originally located next to the city of Alexandria, on the island of Pharos, in Egypt, Africa.
‘Lighthouse of Alexandria’ is also known as ‘Pharos of Alexandria’, ‘Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria’ and ‘Pharos Lighthouse’, and it is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Around 280 BC, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built, taking over a decade to complete; and the construction period was during the reign of Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II.
The height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria is believed to have been between 117 to 137 metres (383 to 450 feet), making it one of the tallest built structures in the world for hundreds of years.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was among the first lighthouses to be built, and is believed to have had one or more mirrors and a place for fire, that was used to signal, position and detect ships up to a 160 kilometres (100 miles) away.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed by the end of 1323, due to at least three major earthquakes over a period of 400 years.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria had three primary parts, a rectangular prism erected on the foundation; an octagonal prism built above that; and a cylinder sitting on top.
After the Lighthouse of Alexandria disintegrated, the Citadel of Qaitbay was built in its spot in the late 1400s, and it is believed that some of the lighthouse stones were used to create this fort that still sits on the site.
Some of the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered underwater in the Port of Alexandria during 1994, by Frenchman Jean-Yves Empereur, an archaeologist, and his team.
The top section of the Lighthouse of Alexandria is said to have featured the statue of one of two Greek gods – Zeus, god of the sky, or Poseidon, god of the sea.

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