What is the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
The lighthouse of Alexandria is an ancient structure, now collapsed, that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse, with a height between 115 and 150 m (380 and 490 ft), was located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt, the country’s largest port in antiquity. The lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed between 285 and 247 BC by Ptolemy I Soter, a general and possible half-brother of Alexander the Great. When Alexander died prematurely, Ptolemy was one of his generals that grabbed a part of his former territory — in his case, Egypt. The lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed shortly after Ptolemy declared himself king of Egypt.
