Lighthouse of Alexandria,the last of the classic wonders of the world

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Drawing by archaeologist Hermann Thiersch (1909).
Location	Pharos, Alexandria, Egypt
Coordinates	31°12′50″N 29°53′08″E
Year first constructed	c. 280 BC
Deactivated	1303/1323
Foundation	Stone
Construction	Masonry
Tower shape	Square (below), octagonal (middle) and circular (top).
Height	393–450 ft (120–137 m)
Range	47 km (29 mi)

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (/ˈfɛərɒs/; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας), was alighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 280 and 247 BC which was between 393 and 450 ft (120 and 137 m) tall. It was one of the tallest man-made structures in the world for many centuries, and was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Badly damaged by three earthquakes between AD 956 and 1323, it then became an abandoned ruin. It was the third longest surviving ancient wonder (after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the extant Great Pyramid of Giza) until in 1480 the last of its remnant stones were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay on the site. In 1994, French archaeologists discovered some remains of the lighthouse on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour.^[1]

Culled from Wikipedia.Org