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The island of Pharos was a major port having
two huge harbors. The Fort was built in the 1480's
by Sultan Qaitbey, on the site of Alexandria's
ancient lighthouse. Parts of the remains of the
lighthouse can be seen in the construction of the
old fort. One of the seven wonders of the ancient
World, the lighthouse was an astonishing 125m in
height with approximately three hundred rooms at
the bottom for workers. Running through the center
was a double spiral ascent and hydraulic machinery
that raised fuel to the top. The lantern at the
top of the lighthouse remains a mystery. Some say
it contained a polished steel mirror that
reflected light by day, and fire by night. Others
say it was made of transparent glass. The lantern
and the top two stories fell around 700 AD
according to many reports, and the rest of the
lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake around
1100. In its place a Mosque was built, which was
damaged by an earthquake in the 14th century. The
entrance is through a gateway made of red Aswan
granite. Located beside the mosque is a cistern
that was used to store water in case of a siege.
Also located inside the fort is the Naval Museum
which contains artifacts from the Roman and
Napoleonic sea battles.

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