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Mare Nostrum

The Pharos (Lighthouse) at Alexandria

by E.S.


"Sostratus, the son of Dexiphanes, the Cnidian, dedicated this to the Saviour Gods, on behalf of those who sail the seas."
~The dedicatory inscription on the Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria




~The Lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos

 Important facts about the Pharos

    The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the most recently built Wonder, having been built in 280 BCE by Sostratus of Cnidus on the island of Pharos. Pharos was located in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt and was linked to the mainland by a long viaduct (King 4).

    Of the Seven Wonders, it was the first that was built for a practical, safety-oriented (somewhat) purpose. The Pharos was built to direct ships and to serve as a military lookout (King 4).

    It took a while to build the Pharos. The Lighthouse was completed during the reign of Ptolemy II, who reigned between 283 BCE and 246 BCE (Pathak).

    The Pharos was large and well-built. It was made of stone and stood 384 feet high, and was encased in white marble. Supposedly, there was originally a statue of Poseidon on the summit of the building, but it disappeared over time. A large bonfire was kept burning at the top of the Lighthouse at night, and a mirror was used during the day to guide ships (Ashmawy).

    It was built in three sections (Pathak). The bottom section was square-shaped and stood 183.4 feet high; the middle section was octagonal and stood 90.1 feet high; the top was circular and stood 24 feet high. There was a circular shaft inside to lift the fuel needed for the fire to the top of the Pharos (Ashmawy).

    The Lighthouse's image was very famous and even appeared on Roman coins (Ashmawy).

The destruction of the Pharos

    The Lighthouse of Alexandria survived for over 1000 years, despite many earthquakes. Unfortunately, the earthquakes damaged it horribly (King 4). In fact, it was so heavily damaged that the famous Arab traveler, Ibn Battuta, could not even climb to its doorway (Ashmawy).

    It was eventually disassembled in CE 1375 (King 4) by the Egyptian Mamelouk Sultan, Quitbay, to use the stones in a fort (Ashmawy).

Of the six vanished Wonders, the Pharos was the last to disappear. Since it was the last to be built, as well as the last to vanish, we have the most accurate information about it. The Lighthouse of Alexandria serves as a model for present-day lighthouses (King 4). In fact, the word 'pharos' means 'a lighthouse, beacon' in English, and serves as the French, Italian, and Spanish words for lighthouse (Ashmawy, Funk 947).

History and Thought of Western Man
Rich East High School * Park Forest, IL 60466

This page was created by E.S. Last revised 05/12/00.


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