Alexandria Lighthouse Pharos | Ancient Lighthouse Alexandria
The famous ancient lighthouse of Alexandria was built on the island of Pharos in 250 B.C, and from the name of the island the term "lighthouse" that was used in European languages was derived, and the lighthouse of Alexandria was an exceptional lighthouse and was classified as one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.
The ancient lighthouse of Alexandria was built with the aim of helping sailors reach the port of Alexandria in Egypt, and it was truly a unique engineering marvel of the wonders of the ancient world, reaching a height of almost 400 feet, which made it one of the longest structures that humans built in the ancient world and stood there holding on the island of Pharos for about 1,500 years until a destructive earthquake hit the city in 1375 A.D.
Alexandria city was founded in 332 B.C by the famous Macedonian origin leader Alexander the Great, and it is located about 20 miles west of the Nile River in Egypt, and it occupies a distinguished location as a major port on the Mediterranean Sea, and this matter helped the city to flourish, and soon Alexandria became one of the most important cities of the ancient world, as well Because of its famous library that includes various sciences and arts from everywhere in the world.
But the only obstacle to the influx of people from all directions towards the city of Alexandria was the difficulty that seafarers encountered in avoiding rocks and shallow waters when approaching the port of Alexandria, and to help remove this obstacle, Ptolemy I ordered the construction of a lighthouse.
It took about forty years to build the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and it was completed around 250 B.C.
The lighthouse of Alexandria was made of three sections, the square base was held by government offices and stables, the middle part was an octagon and a balcony where tourists could sit and enjoy the view, and the upper part was cylindrical and was lit continuously to keep the sailors safe at night, and at the top of the lighthouse, There was a large statue of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
