Lighthouse of Alexandria

December 10th, 2007 by Shenron

After Alexander the Great died at the young age of 33, his general Ptolemy I declared himself king of Egypt and commissioned the Lighthouse of Alexandria on the small island of Pharos. The island is just off the coast of the city of Alexandria and was ideal for the placement of a lighthouse for ships to use in their coastal navigations, as the area is very flat and often times hard to see in.

Although Ptolemy died before it could be completed, his son took over and insured it would be, and was finished in the 200’s. To insure it would survive the base was strengthened with molten lead, making the structure the second longest-lived “Great Wonder” of the ancient world, as it was still standing in the 1100’s AD, but earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 heavily damaged it. Then in 1480 the final parts vanished with the building of a castle upon it, using the stones from the lighthouse.