Alexandria Lighthouse, Egypt

From series “Seven Wonders of the World”

2 out of 7 - Hanging Gardens of Amitis, Iraq

3 out of 7 - Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece

4 out of 7 - Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey

5 out of 7 - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Turkey

6 out of 7 - The Colossus of Rhodes, Greece

7 out of 7 - Alexandria Lighthouse, Egypt

Year: 4th century BC. Height: 30 meters.

In 332 BC, Alexander the Great has founded the city, which was called Alexandria. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the main symbol of the city, which in a few years gained the status of a major port and commercial center. It's the seventh wonder of the world. The structure was built in the 4th century BC. The unique system of signal lights complementing the lighthouse appeared much later, in the 1st century BC. It's believed that outstanding architect Sostratus was an author of the lighthouse project. Construction works took 20 years.

After its completion, the lighthouse was the first structure of its kind in the world. Its scale was second only to the Giza Pyramids. The height of the lighthouse was about 30 meters. The structure stood on the small island of Pharos, which was located at the entrance of the Alexandria Bay. Unlike many other great buildings of ancient times, the Lighthouse of Alexandria had an important purpose. It helped ships to pass a reef that was located at the entrance to the bay. As noted earlier, a unique system of beacon fires appeared a few hundred years later. Initially, the lighthouse flagged vessels with usual smoke that could be seen only in the daytime.

The unique lighthouse lasted until 796 years. After that, it was badly damaged during an earthquake. Later, there were tries to restore a building, but they didn't go effective. In the late 15th century, Sultan Bey Kate ordered to turn a dilapidated lighthouse into a powerful fortress, which guests of Alexandria can see today. Researchers succeeded to discover the ruins of the lighthouse only in 1994. Using the computer modeling, they restored the image of the majestic structure as accurately as possible. To beginning

To the beginning - Pyramids of Giza

Alexandria Lighthouse - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Piraeus Bank Egypt - ATM' located in 0.12 km (

check the route on the map).

Car rental office: 'Run Way For Cars Rental' is located in 1.16 km (

on the map).

Fuel station: 'Misr' in 0.49 km

Supermarket: 'Mini Market' in 0.56 km

Parking: 'Zkaria Esmaeil' in 1.31 km

Apotheek: 'Yasser Mahrouss' in 0.58 km

Police station: 'El Qalaa Police Station' in 0.17 km

Cafe/restaurant: 'White & Blue' in 0.24 km

Railway station: 'El Boseary Station-The Public Organization for *' in 1.17 km

Nearest airports:
» Alexandria International Airport ALY - in 6 km

» Borg el Arab International Airport HBE - in 37 km

» Cairo Airport CAI - in 190 km

» Port Said Airport PSD - in 223 km

Photo gallery: Seven Wonders of the World

Previous owners of the world. Places Hiding Fossils of Dinosaurs

The crowns of civilization. 15 Unofficial Man-Made Wonders of the World

Cities nearby

» Guide to Alexandria

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Best hotels near Alexandria Lighthouse

Al Maghraby Hotel

Located in 1 km from Alexandria Lighthouse
Route on the map:

Rooms: 87

All rooms feature a small seating area, dark wooden furniture and a small fridge. Most of the rooms at Al Maghraby Hotel have a balcony. There are … More: photo, rates and booking

Fouad Hotel

Located in 2 km from Alexandria Lighthouse
Route on the map:

Rooms: 12

Rooms here will provide you with a fan and a satellite TV. Private bathrooms come with a shower. At Fouad Hotel you will find a 24-hour front desk. … More: photo, rates and booking

Mecca Hotel

Located in 3 km from Alexandria Lighthouse
Route on the map:

Rooms: 100

Rooms at Mecca Hotel include a satellite TV and a small fridge. Each is fitted with a tiled floors and a private bathroom. Guests can enjoy a … More: photo, rates and booking

Cleopatra Hotel Alexandria

Located in 4 km from Alexandria Lighthouse
Route on the map:

Rooms: 99

All elevator-accessible units at Cleopatra Hotel Alexandria include a seating area and satellite TV. The private bathroom comes with a bath or … More: photo, rates and booking

Nearest unique sightseeing spots to visit

2 km - Alexandria

From the series 'Famous Sunken Towns'

Alexandria is one of the oldest cities on the planet; amazing stories and legends about Cleopatra are associated with it. The important underwater attraction has been recently discovered by scientists off the coast of Alexandria. As it was found out after a large-scale …

28 km - Heraklion

From the series 'Famous Sunken Towns'

The ancient city of Heraklion lost in the sea depth is a historic treasure of global significance. It was founded more than 2,000 years ago, at the mouth of the Nile. The former has remained the most important strategic point of Egypt for many years. Currently, …

100 km - Monasteries of Wadi Natrun

From the series ' Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization'

Many unique attractions and Christian artifacts are hidden among the desert landscapes of Egypt. The Wadi Natrun desert is a great example. One of the main features of this area is a variety of lakes; local water has high sodium contain. Devotees and tourists are …

182 km - City of the Gods

From the series 'Unbelievable Underground Mini-Cities'

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the utmost Wonder of the World. Right under it was found one of the most mysterious and outstanding underground cities of the world. The first researching works were held there in 1978. The underground tunnel that they found was named …

184 km - Islamic Art Museum

From the series 'Top Surviving Artifacts of Muslim Civilization'

In Cairo, there is also an incredibly interesting Museum of Islamic Art, which collects historical artifacts and works of art all over the world. The museum in Cairo is very large, there are 25 galleries in its building, each of which represents artifacts of a certain …

196 km - Pyramid of Djoser

From the series 'Top Survived Pyramids from Previous Civilizations'

The Pyramid of Djoser, located in Saqqara, is one of the most explored and recognizable Egyptian pyramids. Today it is not only the exact date of pyramid construction (2630-2612 BC) but the so-called architect, the priest Imhotep. He has designed the project of the …

Top destination around Alexandria Lighthouse - Alexandria

The upscale hotel Mercure Alexandria Romance situated in Saba Pasha district also boasts very impressive interior. Its guests enjoy chic rooms with high ceilings, natural wooden finish and huge panoramic windows. Exquisite fabrics of white and purple shade are used to complement premises. The restaurant is decorated with antique furniture. Even the meeting room features smart design; it boasts an amazing chandelier with numerous glass pendants.
Alexander The Great Hotel-ALEXOTEL is pleasant in all respects. Its clients have a choice of 20 rooms, all decorated in unique style and special colors. Among them there are very romantic rooms in purple and sunny colors, as well as spectacular rooms decorated in black and white. Genuine antique furniture and works of art make the ambience even more unique. The hotel has a lovely courtyard with lots of exotic plants and charming sculptures.

Budget hotels in Alexandria can boast great design too. Thrifty travelers should pay attention to Acropole Hotel . Interior of its rooms is simple and harmonious; they feature a large wooden bed dressed in crisp white linen. Here and there walls are decorated with luminaires in traditional style with numerous colored pendants, while others are accented by colorful fabrics. The breakfast room also has very pleasant atmosphere, as it’s elegantly furnished with light wood items and decorated with landscape paintings.
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