Which ancient wonder stood in Alexandria and was built to guide ships into Egypt’s harbour?

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the ancient wonder built to guide ships into Egypt’s harbour.

Also called the Pharos of Alexandria, it stood on the island of Pharos beside the city’s harbour. Construction probably began during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter and was completed under his successor, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, in the early third century BCE.

Ancient accounts describe a multi-level tower with a broad base, an octagonal middle section, and a cylindrical upper part. A fire or other light source at the top helped mariners identify the harbour, while polished surfaces may have reflected light, although later stories about a huge navigational mirror are uncertain.

Earthquakes damaged the lighthouse over several centuries, and its remaining ruins eventually disappeared. Blocks from the site may have been reused in the Fort Qaitbay, built in Alexandria in the fifteenth century. The lighthouse’s name influenced the modern word “pharos” and related terms for navigational beacons in several languages.