The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built by Ptolemy I Soter in Egypt. It was a tall building with a continuously burning flame that served as a landmark for navigation. Its architect, Sostratus of Cnidus, covered his name with plaster, but it was discovered centuries later. The lighthouse collapsed in the 14th century after a series of earthquakes. It was the third tallest building in the world and could be seen for 35 miles in every direction. Its masonry was held together with molten lead, making it the second longest-lived of the Seven Wonders.
The lighthouse of Alexandria is an ancient structure, now collapsed, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse, ranging in height from 115 to 150 m (380 to 490 ft), was located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt, the country’s largest port in antiquity. The lighthouse of Alexandria was built between 285 and 247 BC by Ptolemy I Soter, general and possible half-brother of Alexander the Great. When Alexander died early, Ptolemy was one of his generals who seized part of his former territory, in his case Egypt. The lighthouse of Alexandria was built shortly after Ptolemy proclaimed himself king of Egypt.
According to legend, Sostratus of Cnidus, the architect of the lighthouse, was forbidden by Ptolemy to put his name anywhere, since Ptolemy, being a newly minted king, wanted all the glory for himself. After the construction of the building, Sostratus appeared to have obeyed Ptolemy, but centuries later it was discovered that Sostratus did indeed sign the building, only for him to cover his inscription with plaster. Only after centuries the plaster came off.
Not just a tower, the Alexandria Lighthouse was a large building that tapered into a tower near the top. It was built in three sections, a high rectangular main section with a circular tower section above it, topped by a colonnaded apex with a continuously burning flame. The Egyptian coast, being very flat and featureless, needed a landmark to aid navigation, and it was this purpose that the lighthouse served for over a thousand years, until it finally collapsed in the 14th century after a series of earthquakes. Due to its height, many scholars believe that the lighthouse of Alexandria was the third tallest building in the world (after the Great Pyramid of Giza) throughout its lifetime.
The lighthouse was tall and bright enough to be seen for 35 miles (56 km) in every direction. Its light was so intense that there were legends that it could be focused to set enemy ships on fire, although this was probably only to scare off attackers. The building was 8.5 m (28 ft) wide and its masonry was held together with molten lead. This method of construction is cited by many as the reason why the lighthouse of Alexandria was the second longest-lived of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Of all the Seven Wonders, only the Pyramid of Giza remains intact today.
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