Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Pharos of Alexandria was a tower built in the 3rd century BC on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt to supply as that port's landmark, and later, its lighthouse.

With a height variously projected at between 115 and 135 meters it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries, and was identified as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by traditional writers.

It ceased working and was largely destroyed as a result of an earthquake in 1375; some of its remains were found on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour by divers in 1994. More of the residues have subsequently been exposed by satellite imaging.

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