The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of
Alexandria, was a tower built between 280 and 247 BCE on the island
of Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt. Its purpose was to guide sailors
into the harbour at night time.
With a height variously estimated at somewhere in-between 393
and 450 ft (120 and 140 m), it was for many centuries among the
tallest manmade structures on Earth. It was one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
Pharos was a small island just off the coast of Alexandria. It
was linked to the mainland by a manmade connection named the
Heptastadion, which thus formed one side of the city's harbour. The
tower erected there guided mariners at night, through its fire and
reflective mirrors, as well as being a landmark by day.
There are ancient claims the light from the lighthouse could be
seen from up to 29 miles (47 km) away. Unconfirmed legends claim
the light from Pharos could burn enemy ships before they reached
shore.
The lighthouse was badly damaged in the earthquake of 956, then
again in 1303 and 1323. The two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323
damaged the lighthouse to the extent that the Arab traveler Ibn
Battuta reported no longer being able to enter the ruin. Even the
stubby remnant disappeared in 1480, when the then-Sultan of Egypt,
Qaitbay, built a mediæval fort on the former location of the
building using some of the fallen stone.
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