Built: About 270 B.C.
Location: On the ancient island of Pharos located in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt
History:
Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only the Pharos of Alexandria had any practical uses other than architectural beauty. It was a lighthouse that allowed sailors to safely return to the harbour. It was also the last of the six ancient Wonders to disappear.
The lighthouse was constructed on the island of Pharos because it was necessary to guild ships through the dangerous waters to reach the mainland. The project was designated to Ptolemy Soter in around 290 BC, but it was not completed in his lifetime. The Pharos was used to mark the harbour through the use of fire at night and reflecting the rays of the sun during the day.
The Lighthouse was finally destroyed in the 14th century AD by an earthquake, after surviving numerous natural disasters and the same type. In AD 1480, the fallen stones and marble of the structure were used to build a medieval fort to fortify Alexandria’s defenses.
Description:
The Alexandria lighthouse was one of the tallest structures in the world, standing at a height of 117 m (384 ft) upon its completion. Because it was the last of the six Ancient Wonders to be destroyed, very accurate description of the building exist. The structure was composed of three stages: the base, the middle section, and the top section.
This square base measured 56 m (183 ft) high and had a cylinder core. This inner core was used to lift fuel needed for the fire at the top. The middle section is octagonal in shape with a side length of 18 m (60 ft) and a height of 27 m (90 ft). The third section was a cylinder measuring 7 m (24 ft). The total height of the lighthouse is equivalent to a 40-story building.
A massive mirror was located at the very top of the Lighthouse. It was used to reflect sunlight during the day while a fire was used to guide sailors at night.
Interesting Facts:
- The reflection in the mirror located at the top of the Lighthouse can be seen more than 50 km (35 miles) away
- It was said that it was possible to see everything that was happening in Constantinople in the mirror, even though it was located all the way across the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor
- It was also said that the mirror was used like a burning glass to focus the sun’s rays on hostile ships far out at sea and burn them
- The word "pharos" came to mean lighthouse in French, Italian and Spanish