Light House Cyclopedia

Question 57：The tallest lighthouse in the world

A:
The lighthouse was built for practical use, not for religion. The Pharos Lighthouse is used to guide ships at the entrance to Alexandria's harbor to prevent from wrecks. The lighthouse was also the highest building in the world when it was built. The lighthouse stands at the Pharos Island near the Alexandria Port in Egypt.

After Alexander the Great died, one of his generals Ptolemy Soter became the successor. He ruled Egypt and placed the capital in Alexandria. Seeing that it is very dangerous in the neighboring fairways near the Alexandria Port, Ptolemy Soter ordered the architecture Sostratus and Alexandria Library/Mouseion to build the Pharos Lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 290 B.C.. The Pharos Lighthouse was made of white marble with three tiers. The lowest tier is tetragonal and measured 55.9meters (183.4 feet) high. The second tier is the eight-sided figure and measured 18.30 meters (60.0 feet) high. The top tier is shaped into a cylinder, and 7.30 meters (24.0 meter) high. There is the statue of the Sea God Poseidon on the rooftop. The lighthouse stood 117 meters (384 feet) high and as high as a 40-floor building in modern times.
The lighthouse is equipped with spiral staircases inside as the convey route of the fuel oil to the tower top. The lighthouse worker shone the light by burning oil in the lantern of the tower top. Then the worker gathered light with mirror on the back and then to flash back the light. The lighthouse was flashing by burning fire at night to guide the ships in the distance on the sea, and by reflecting sunlight in the daytime. It was said that the beams can reach the fairway to a distance of 56 kilometers on the sea. Besides, it had so-called offensive and detective applications. Later on, the new ruler moved the capital to Cairo, so the lighthouse didn't have any maintenance. The lighthouse was almost destroyed by three major earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323.

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