The Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria which is very famous place for the tourist who come for travel to Alexandria , Egypt was a technological marvel of its times. Built in the 3rd century BC, the lighthouse was commissioned by Ptolemy Soter but was completed by his son.
The Pharos lighthouse was the tallest man-made structure of its times, standing at an impressive height of 380+ feet. The structure had a mirror to reflect sunlight during the day and a fire was lit at night to warn travelers of a treacherous harbour.
The Pharos lighthouse was not just a lighthouse but more of a landmark. The structure was mentioned by many Arab travelers of the twelfth century in their travelogues. It was a place where people could actually climb above the limitations of gravity and look for miles around. It was a three storey structure with a mirror at the top to assist travelers and lost ships.
The structure had a square at the bottom which turned cylindrical towards the top, in the middle was an octagonal structure and the third storey finally ended in a circular top.
The Pharos lighthouse ignited the imagination of travelers to the city like little else did. Food was sold at the first storey and people would go to the lighthouse to picnic.
As with all wonders of the ancient world, the Pharos lighthouse too was surrounded in legends of its invincibility and its powers to cause grave damage. Some legends say that the Pharos lighthouse could burn enemy ships before they reached the shore as others talk of the light from the Pharos being seen at a distance of 35 miles. Apparently time dismissed such myths by sending out two earthquakes in 1303and 1323 which brought the structure to its knees. Whatever little remained of its base and foundation was taken up by the Sultan of Qaitbay to make his fort. Recent underwater explorations and satellite imaging of the shores of Alexandria have shown the remains of a structure that could well be the Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria and can be visited while on travel to Alexandria.
