Who built the first ‘Lighthouse’?

You might have seen signs across highways indicating danger spots, crossings, turn offs, and approaches to towns and cities. Similarly, highways of the seas require such guides and lighthouse is one of them. Its lights indicate sailors the way to port, give them their position at sea, or warn them of dangerous shoals. Initially lighthouses consisted simply of low towers on which metal baskets full of wood or charcoal were placed.

They were perhaps lit on as and when men began to go out to sea in ships. In 7th century BC there was a popular lighthouse on cape Sigeum at the Hellespont.

In ancient times, the most important light-house was the marble Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt. It costed around $1,000,000 and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The Romans built lighthouses that were comparatively small and poorly constructed than those of today.

For example, the one at Boulogne, France was in use till 17th century, and was a famous Roman lighthouse. Today, probably each country with a seacoast has a government bureau which builds and maintains lighthouses. Construction of a lighthouse is easy and cheap on dry land. Whereas, difficult engineering problems may be encountered when it is to be built on a wave-swept rock or on shifting shoals. The tower of a light-house is constructed generally of hard stone like granite, or concrete faced with stone, or of cast-iron or steel.