The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, has been estimated to have been at least 100 metres or 330ft in height.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, for many centuries it was amongst the tallest man-made structures in the world.

Ptolemy I commissioned the lighthouse to guide ships into port at night, but it wasn’t completed until the reign of his son Ptolemy II.

Thought to have been built mostly with solid blocks of limestone and granite, the tower was crowned by a statue of Poseidon or Zeus.

A mirror at the top reflected sunlight during the day, with a fire lit at night to ward off ships. 

Damaged and then finally destroyed by successive earthquakes in the the eighth and tenth centuries it’s design has inspired numerous copies throughout the world.