The ancient Greek name for the Lighthouse of Alexandria was Pharos.
The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos beside Alexandria's harbor in Ptolemaic Egypt. Its name became so closely associated with lighthouses that related words survive in several modern languages, including faro in Italian and Spanish and phare in French. In English, “pharos” can also mean a lighthouse or guiding beacon.
Construction probably began during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter in the early third century BC and was completed under Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Ancient writers described a monumental tower with multiple levels, topped by a fire and a reflective system that helped ships identify the harbor entrance.
The structure was more than a navigational aid: it advertised Alexandria's wealth and importance in the Hellenistic world. Later earthquakes severely damaged it, and its surviving stones were eventually reused in the Qaitbay Citadel. The Greek name refers specifically to the island and lighthouse tradition, not to Alexandria's earlier Egyptian settlement, Rhakotis.