What happened to the Lighthouse of Alexandria?

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was significantly damaged by earthquakes in 956 and 1303 AD, leaving it as an abandoned ruin. Its remains finally disappeared in 1480 when a fort was built using the fallen stone, but in 1994, French archaeologists made a stunning discovery by finding remnants of the lighthouse on the seafloor.

Where can you find artifacts from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus today?

Several statues from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, an enormous tomb built for the Anatolian ruler Mausolus, were obtained from Bodrum Castle in the 19th century by a British consul and are now housed in the British Museum in London. Polished stone and marble blocks from the mausoleum can still be seen in the walls of Bodrum Castle.

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The Tragic Fate of the Seven Ancient Wonders

Q: How was the Colossus of Rhodes destroyed?

The Colossus of Rhodes, a gigantic statue of the Greek sun god Helios, collapsed during an earthquake in 226 BC and was never rebuilt. Its remains were later destroyed and sold off during an Arab conquest of Rhodes in 653.

10 Nov

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Summary

Only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains from the Seven Wonders
Lighthouse of Alexandria and Colossus of Rhodes destroyed by earthquakes
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and Temple of Artemis plundered and ruined

The Tragic Fate of the Seven Ancient Wonders

As of November 10th, 2025, only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World remains standing—the Great Pyramid of Giza. The rest have been lost to the ravages of time, succumbing to natural disasters, fires, and human plunder.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, once one of the tallest man-made structures in the world, was significantly damaged by earthquakes in the 10th and 14th centuries. Its remains finally disappeared in 1480 when a fort was built using the fallen stone. However, in a stunning discovery in 1994, French archaeologists found remnants of the lighthouse on the seafloor.

Similarly, the Colossus of Rhodes, a gigantic statue of the Greek sun god Helios, collapsed during an earthquake in 226 BC and was never rebuilt. Its remains were later destroyed and sold off during an Arab conquest of Rhodes in 653.