Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria http://www.billmunnsgallery.com/swgallery.html
The Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria was a famous engineering marvel of the ancient world that the word Pharos serves today as the names of all the lighthouses along the Mediterranean shores. Known also as one of the famous Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, it is one of the few that really serves a known practical purpose, that is, as a lighthouse, that guide sailors safely into the Great Harbour of Alexandria.
I bet that it would have looked really elegant at night, the structure stands at about 120 metres. During ancient times when it was built (circa 285 BC to 247 BC), that is a very tall structure, one you could see from miles away.
Alexandria, the city where this lighthouse was located, is still a thriving city up to this day. Unfortunately, the Great Lighthouse itself is no longer there. It was destroyed in an earthquake sometime in 1303. Previously, other events also shook down the Great Lighthouse but it stood still, till that eventful Mediterranean earthquake.
For centuries the great mirror in the Lighthouse of Alexandria was used to reflect firelight at night and the sun’s rays during the day. The lighthouse was even depicted on roman coins of the day such was its import. Such is the outstanding engineering feat that the ancient world construct that the effect still remains up to this day. Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria serves as a design for many a lighthouse throughout the world.
Recent Comments