Lighthouse of Alexandria
Pharos island, Alexandria, Egypt (the lighthouse is gone; the fort on its site is shown)
What happened
The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood on the small island of Pharos at the entrance to Alexandria's harbour in Egypt. It was finished around 280 BCE and guided ships safely into port. It is estimated to have been more than 100 metres tall, one of the tallest buildings in the world for many centuries.
Why it matters
It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its name became the word for lighthouse in several languages, such as 'phare' in French and 'faro' in Italian.
What came next
Earthquakes badly damaged the lighthouse, especially in the early 1300s, and by the late 1400s its ruins were gone. In 1994, archaeologists found hundreds of its huge stone blocks under the water of the harbour.
Did you know?
Stones from the fallen lighthouse were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay, a fort that still stands on the same spot today.
Timeline
- c. 280 BCEThe lighthouse is completed under Ptolemy II.
- 1303A powerful earthquake badly damages the lighthouse.
- c. 1477 to 1480Sultan Qaitbay builds a fort on the site using some of its stones.
- 1994A French team led by Jean-Yves Empereur finds its remains underwater.