The Pharos of Alexandria, built by Sostratus of Cnidus, perhaps for Ptolemy I, is said to have been more than three hundred and fifty feet (one hundred and ten meters) high; the only taller manmade structures at this time are the ancient pyramids of Giza.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous lighthouse in antiquity, its tiered stone tower shields constant fires of resinous wood or oil, reflected by metal mirrors, thus rendering them visible for possibly thirty miles (about fifty kilometers).

A technological triumph, it is to remain the archetype of all lighthouses since.