Lighthouse of Alexandria

Sometimes called the "Pharos of Alexandria" in reference to Pharos, the island on which it resided, The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in the 3rd century BC, and is traditionally considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It ceased operating, and was largely destroyed, as a result of two earthquakes in the 14th century.It was found by divers in 1994. Later more of it was revealed by satellite imaging.

Related Topics:
Pharos - Lighthouse - Alexandria - Seven Wonders of the World - Earthquake

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Its tower is estimated to have been 134 m (440 ft) high, easily one of the tallest man-made structures on Earth at the time. Built out of blocks of white stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. As it can be seen from images of the Lighthouse on Roman coins struck by the Alexandrian mint, there were four statues of tritons blowing horns, one on every corner of the building. Also, in the Roman period, there was a statue atop the tower.

Related Topics:
Tower - Mirror - Sunlight - Fire - Triton

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The design of minarets in many early Islamic mosques many centuries later followed a similar 3-stage design to that of the Pharos, attesting to the building's broader architectural influence.

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Legends tell of the light from the lighthouse being used to burn enemy ships before they could reach shore, however this is highly unlikely due to the relatively poor quality of optics and reflective technology in the time period in which the lighthouse existed. But only slightly less impressive, and probably more accurate, is the claim that the light from the lighthouse could be seen up to 35 miles (56 km) from shore.

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Thanks in no small part to this wonder, Pharos later became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in many Romance languages, such as French (phare),

Related Topics:
Romance languages - French

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Italian (faro), Portuguese (farol) and Spanish (faro).

Related Topics:
Italian - Portuguese - Spanish

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