The Pharos in Alexandria is widely regarded as one of the Seven Classic Wonders of the World. The tower bore the same name as the small island off the coast of Alexandria on which it was built. It was the first lighthouse ever built, between 297 and 283 BC, and served for almost 1500 years successively for the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs. According to Arab and European travel accounts, the lighthouse was in service until about 1375 when a severe earthquake plunged the top half of the light installation into the sea. After that, the tower was not repaired. By the 15th century it had fallen into ruin. The remaining first floor was incorporated in the 16th century in a fort that still stands on Pharos today.
