Around what year was the Lighthouse of Alexandria completed?

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was completed around 280 BC.

Construction began under Ptolemy I Soter and was completed during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The tower stood on the island of Pharos beside Alexandria’s harbor, helping ships navigate the low-lying Egyptian coast. Ancient writers regarded it as one of the tallest structures in the world.

The date is usually given as about 280 BC rather than as an exact year because surviving evidence comes from ancient accounts and later historical reconstructions. The lighthouse’s completion is sometimes loosely attributed to Ptolemy II alone, although its construction began under his father.

Earthquakes damaged the structure repeatedly during late antiquity and the medieval period. By the 15th century, its remains had largely disappeared, and stones were reused in the defensive Citadel of Qaitbay.