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Name: Pharos of Alexandria  

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Nearest Town or City:
Alexandria, , Egypt

Location: Ancient island of Pharos, harbor of Alexandria.


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Notes:
The building of this lighthouse was initiated by Ptolemy Soter around 290 BC, but was completed after his death, during the reign of his son Ptolemy Philadelphus. The total height of the structure is believed to have been about 400 feet. A fire burned at its summit, and a mirror reflected sunlight during the day. Two strong earthquakes just after 1300 AD destroyed the tower; some of the fallen stone was used in the construction of a fort. The Pharos of Alexandria is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and its name was taken for the study of lighthouses, Pharology. The foundation of the lighthouse was located by archeologists in 2005.

Tower Height: 400

Description of Tower: Stone and marble tower, lower part square and upper part octagonal. For a time a statue of Poseidon topped the tower.

This light is not operational

Date Established: Around 290 B.C.

Date Deactivated: 1323

Current Use: Destroyed.


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