The lighthouse site
One of the Seven Wonders.
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A majestic stone fortress at the mouth of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour, built by the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay between 1477 and 1479 to defend the city from attack by sea. It stands on the very spot of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, which earthquakes brought down, and some of its stones are said to have gone into the fort. At its centre is a square three-storey keep holding a small mosque, halls, stone passages and windows onto the sea, ringed by high walls with defensive towers. From its roofs and ramparts there are wide views over the Mediterranean, colourful fishing boats and the city's Corniche. A foreign visitor's ticket costs about two hundred Egyptian pounds according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities list, and it opens daily from nine in the morning to seven in the evening; payment is mostly by card. The best time to visit is before sunset, when the light softens on the yellow stone and townspeople stroll along the seawall around the fort. It is close to the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque and Anfoushi, known for its fish restaurants.
One of the Seven Wonders.
From walls and roofs.
The city's evening stroll.
The tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the Eastern Harbour, Anfoushi
Nothing of it still stands; the citadel was built on its site, some of its stones are said to have been reused, and fragments have been found underwater off the fort.
