Public domain
Lighthouse of Alexandria
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The lighthouse of the city of Alexandria. As far as is known, the first lighthouse ever built. This was commissioned by Ptolemy II, the first Hellenistic king of Egypt. The tower was built between 297 and 283 BC and served for nearly 1500 years for the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs. It stood on the island of Pharos in the Mediterranean Sea, just outside the harbor of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. In the foreground on the right: Ptolemy II and the architect of the lighthouse, Sostratus of Cnidus. Below the image: a verse in Latin. This print is part of an album.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionCredit lineVuurtoren van Alexandrië. 1572. Philips Galle. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
