The Pharos of Alexandria

By Michael Lahanas. Sostratus, the son of Dexiphanes, the Cnidian, dedicated this to the Saviour Gods, on behalf of those who sail the seas. Dedicatory inscription of the Lighthouse, completed around 280-279 BC. The first lighthouse of the World, the "Pharos of Alexandria", lasted for over 1500 years in the harbor of Alexandria. It is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World described by the poet Antipater of Sidon around 130 BC.The Pharos was built to warn sailors of the treacherous sandbars off Alexandria, one of the busiest ports of the ancient world. It consisted of a three-stage tower, decorated with sculptures of Greek deities and mythical creatures, atop which stood a lantern with a giant bonfire whose light may have been focused by mirrors, perhaps made of polished bronze, into a beam visible 35 miles out to sea. 300 Slaves worked on the Pharos that was build in 17 years.