In 279 B.C., after 20 years work, the lighthouse of Alexandria was completed and was immediately hailed as one of the Wonders of the World. It was the first large lighthouse ever constructed, and was so solidly built that it stood for over a thousand years, surviving several earthquakes. The lighthouse took its name from the island of Pharos, on which it was built. In many languages the word "pharos" still means "lighthouse" today. The island was outside the harbour of Alexandria and was linked to the mainland by a causeway. We have a good idea of what the lighthouse looked like from puctures on Roman coins and from descritions of it by writers of the time. The Pharos rose to a height of about 122m (400ft) and could be seen by ships many miles to sea.
