Egypt to build replica of ancient lighthouse of Alexandria

Egyptian authorities have approved plans to build a replica of the Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Mostafa Amin, an official at the ministry of antiquities, told Egyptian newspaper Youm7 that the replica would be built close to its original location off the northwest coast of Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city.

The lighthouse was named after the small island of Pharos where it was built. The name became so iconic that the word for lighthouse in many modern languages derives from it.

The lighthouse was built in the 2nd century BC during the reign of the second Ptolemy, shortly after the death of Alexander the Great. It is estimated to have stood around 130m tall, and was the tallest man-made structure for centuries.

However, the building was damaged and eventually destroyed by three earthquakes between 956 and 1323. Its ruins were used to build the nearby Citadel of Qaitbay in 1480.

Egypt is also home to the last standing wonder of the world - the pyramids of Giza.

The Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched several other large engineering projects. They include development of the Suez Canal and a proposed new administrative and financial capital.