In the harbour of Alexandria, Egypt, stood one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a remarkable lighthouse, on the island of Pharos, called the Phar os of Alexandria. Built in white marble around 270 B.C. by King Ptolemy II of Egypt, the Pharos was designed by the famous Greek architect, Sostratos.

Standing at a height of 440 feet, the light from the Pharos was visible to ships more than 25 miles out in the Mediterra nean.

The Pharos continued to signal ships for nearly 900 years, until the Arabs cap tured Alexandria and dismantled it. What was left of the Pharos survived until 1375; finally an earthquake shook the city and hurled the remains of the light house into the harbour. Later, Sultan Qa’it Bay built a fort and mosque from its ruins in 1477.


1. What was the Pharos of Alexandria?

 2. Name the king who built the Pharos.

3. Who designed the Pharos?

4. Who built a fort and mosque from the ruins of the Pharos in 1477?