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![](lPharosLighthouseAlexandria.jpg)
Built:
About 270 B.C. ![](cow01.gif)
Location: On ancient
island of Pharos in harbor of Alexandria, Egypt
History: Upon its completion,
the Alexandria lighthouse – commonly estimated to have been about
400 feet high -- was one of the tallest structures on Earth. The Greek
architect Sostratus designed it during the reign of King Ptolemy II.
The
Pharos guided sailors into the city harbor for 1,500 years and was
the last of the six lost wonders to disappear. Earthquakes toppled
it in the 14th century A.D. An Arab traveler made notes in 1166 that
provide intricate details on the structure. From his writing, archaeologists
have deduced that the lighthouse was constructed in three stages.
At the top, a mirror reflected sunlight during the day, and a fire
guided sailors at night.
The
structure was so famous that the word "pharos" came to mean
lighthouse in French, Italian and Spanish.In November 1996, a team
of divers searching the Mediterranean Sea claimed to have found the
ruins of the fabled lighthouse of Pharos.
![](cat07.gif)
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