Lighthouse of Alexandria
Sometimes called the "Pharos of Alexandria" (Pharos or Φάρος in Greek means lighthouse), the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in the 3rd century BC and is traditionally considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It ceased operating and was largely destroyed as a result of two earthquakes in the 14th century; its remains were found by divers in 1994 and subsequently more of it was revealed by satellite imaging. Its tower is estimated to have been 134 m (440 ft) high, easily one of the tallest man-made structures on Earth at the time. Built out of blocks of white stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. As it can be seen from images of the Lighthouse on Roman coins struck by the Alexandrian mint, there were four statues of tritons blowing horns, one on every corner of the building. Also, in the Roman period, there was a statue atop the tower.
The design of minarets in many early Islamic mosques many centuries later followed a similar three-stage design to that of the Pharos, attesting to the building's broader architectural influence.
Legends tell of the light from the lighthouse being used to burn enemy ships before they could reach shore, however this is highly unlikely due to the relatively poor quality of optics and reflective technology in the time period in which the lighthouse existed. But only slightly less impressive, and probably more accurate, is the claim that the light from the lighthouse could be seen up to 35 miles (56 km) from shore.
Thanks in no small part to this wonder, Pharos later became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in many Romance languages, such as French (phare), Italian (faro), Portuguese (farol), Spanish (faro) and Romanian (far) .
Location
Pharos was a small island just off the coast of Egypt, with its artificial connection to the mainland (the Heptastadion) forming one side of the harbour of Alexandria. As the landscape in the area was very flat and lacking in the kind of landmark used at the time for navigation, a marker of some sort at the mouth of the harbour was deemed necessary. The light could be seen from 35 miles away. The lighthouse was built by Sostratus of Cnidus in the 3rd century BC, after having been initiated by Satrap (governor) Ptolemy I of Egypt, Egypt's first Hellenistic ruler and a general of Alexander the Great. After Alexander died unexpectedly at age 33, Ptolemy Soter (Saviour, named so by the inhabitants of Rhodes) made himself king in 305 BC and began construction of the Lighthouse shortly thereafter. The building was finished during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphos.
Existence
With the exception of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the lighthouse survived the longest of the Seven Wonders. It was severely damaged by two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323, to the point that the Arab traveller Ibn Battuta reported not being able to enter the ruin. Even the stubby remnant disappeared in 1480, when the then-Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, built a medieval fort on the same spot where the Lighthouse once stood, using the fallen stone and marble.
The Lighthouse in games
The Lighthouse is among the World Wonders that can be built in the Civilization computer game series; in the third and fourth installments of the series it is known as the Great Lighthouse.