Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, Alexandria was one of the largest cities in the ancient Mediterranean and a prominent centre of Hellenistic culture. Not long after the rise of the Ptolemaic dynasty, King Ptolemy I Soter ordered the construction of a monumental lighthouse that could overlook the city harbour. The tower, built by Sostratus of Cnidus and finished around 280 BCE, stood on the eastern point of the island of Pharos. Along with the Giza Pyramids, it was the tallest structure in the world and listed among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The most detailed eyewitness accounts of the pharos come from medieval Arab writers and travellers, who noted its foundation measurements (30-by-30 metres each side) and its three-storey design: a square base, an octagonal centre, and a circular top. Underwater ruins confirm that the structure was made up of granite and limestone blocks.
This picture depicts the pharos as it may have appeared during the Ptolemaic era. Unfortunately, few images or descriptions have survived from this period. Crucial evidence of the lighthouse’s decorations come from Roman coins, found in Alexandria, which depict figures of Triton on the corners of the first storey and a large statue at the top (possibly Zeus).
The lighthouse remained standing throughout the Roman and Islamic periods, but could not survive the forces of nature. From 956 CE, it suffered severe structural damage from earthquakes and was rebuilt into a mosque. In 1480, its remains were used to built the Citadel of Qaitbay. The pharos now largely exists underwater, but its legacy continues, becoming the word for ‘lighthouse’ in multiple languages.
Sources
1001 Inventions, ‘Eye witness accounts of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World’, no date (https://www.1001inventions.com/lighthouseofalexandria/, accessed 7th Aug 2026).
Encyclopedia Brittanica, ”Lighthouse of Alexandria’, 2nd July 2026 (https://www.britannica.com/topic/lighthouse-of-Alexandria, accessed 7th Aug 2026).
Van Huyssteen, Justin, ‘ Lighthouse of Alexandria – The Ancient Wonder of Alexandria’, 11th Jan 2023 (https://artincontext.org/lighthouse-of-alexandria/#Legacy_and_Influence_of_the_Lighthouse_of_Alexandria, accessed 7th Aug 2026).
Higgins, M. (2023), ‘A Reverse History of the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria: From the Underwater Remains to the First Structure’. The Ancient Near East Today 11.10 (https://anetoday.org/higgins-pharos-lighthouse-alexandria/, accessed 7th Aug 2026).
By Ibrahim Zamir
Empire of History 