The Lighthouse of Alexandria: Gone, But Not Forgotten

One of the Seven Wonders — Lost to Time

The Pharos of Alexandria, completed ~280 BCE under Ptolemy II, stood ~100–130 m tall on Pharos Island, guiding ships with a fire (later mirrored) for 1,500 years. It is no longer visitable.

Destruction Timeline

• 956 CE: Earthquake topples upper tiers.
• 1303 & 1323 CE: Major quakes reduce it to a stump.
• 1480: Sultan Qaitbay builds a fort on its foundations using fallen stones.

What Exists Today

• Qaitbay Citadel: 15th-century fortress on the exact site. Incorporates some Pharos blocks. Open to visitors.
• Underwater Archaeology: Since 1994, French/Egyptian teams have mapped 3,000+ blocks, statues, sphinxes, and columns on the seabed. UNESCO underwater cultural heritage site.
• Proposed Reconstruction: Periodic Egyptian government studies; none funded.

Visiting the Legacy

Go to the Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria. Stand on the ramparts. Look at the harbor. The stones beneath your feet once formed the tallest lighthouse of antiquity. The light is gone; the location endures.