ALEXANDRIAN LIGHTHOUSE

After the death of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. the city came under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, the new ruler of Egypt. In 290 BC Ptolemy ordered the construction of a huge lighthouse on the island of Pharos to guide ships approaching the city harbor in the dark and in bad weather. The construction of the lighthouse was led by the famous Greek architect Sostratus of Knidos. The lighthouse, about 150 meters high, consisted of a three-tiered tower. The lighthouse has guided ships for over 1500 years. It is said that a strong earthquake in 1326 destroyed one of the world's largest works of architecture.