Which ancient wonder stood in Alexandria and was traditionally built on the island of Pharos?

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the ancient wonder traditionally built on the island of Pharos.

Construction began during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter and was completed under his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, in the early third century BC. The tower guided ships toward Alexandria’s harbor, a crucial center of trade and scholarship on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. Ancient writers associated its design with the architect Sostratus of Cnidus, although the exact historical details are debated.

The lighthouse is usually described as having three main sections: a square lower level, an octagonal middle level, and a cylindrical upper section. A fire burned at the top, and reflective materials may have helped project its light, though surviving sources do not establish every technical detail with certainty.

Earthquakes damaged the structure over many centuries, and it had largely disappeared by the fifteenth century. Stones from the ruins were used in the construction of the Citadel of Qaitbay. The name Pharos became a word for lighthouse in several languages, including French and Italian.