History · Antiquity
The history of the lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called the Pharos of Alexandria, was a monumental tower built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom on the island of Pharos, at the entrance to the harbour of Alexandria, Egypt. Completed in the early third century BC, it was counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Construction and design
Work began under Ptolemy I Soter and the tower was completed during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, around 280 BC. Ancient sources credit its design to Sostratus of Cnidus. Modern estimates put its height at roughly 100 metres, which made it one of the tallest structures built by human hands for many centuries.
Descriptions and later depictions suggest three tiers: a square base, an octagonal middle section, and a cylindrical top. A fire was kept burning at the summit at night, and by day a polished mirror is said to have reflected sunlight to guide ships safely into the busy harbour.
A wonder of the ancient world
The Pharos so dominated the approach to Alexandria that its name became the word for “lighthouse” in several languages — phare in French, faro in Italian and Spanish, farol in Portuguese.
“A tower of white stone, most wonderful, upon which a fire burns by night to warn the sailor from the rocks.”
Decline and rediscovery
The lighthouse was damaged by a succession of earthquakes, most severely in 956, 1303 and 1323 AD, and by the fifteenth century it had collapsed. In about 1480 the Sultan Qaitbay built a fort on the site, reusing some of the fallen stone. In 1994 the archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur documented hundreds of massive blocks on the seabed of the harbour, widely believed to be remains of the Pharos.
Further reading
A fuller bibliography is available in the standard reference works on the Seven Wonders and on Hellenistic Alexandria.