Lighthouse of Alexandria

Imagine a giant finger pointing to the sky, but made of stone! That was me. I stood on a beautiful island, and ships with big white sails would zoom across the sparkly blue sea towards me. When the sun went down and it got dark, I’d turn on my bright, warm light. Shiiiine! It was like a friendly wave to all the sailors, showing them the way home. I was like a super-duper flashlight for the ocean!

A super smart king named Ptolemy, who ruled a long, long time ago, wanted his city, Alexandria, to be the best and safest place for ships. He told his cleverest builders, "Let's build something amazing! Something so tall it can be seen from miles and miles away!" So, the builders got to work. They stacked big, strong stones, one on top of another, for years and years. I grew taller and taller, with a special shiny mirror right at the very top. During the day, this mirror would catch the sunbeams and send them zooming. At night, a big fire would blaze there, making my light super bright. I was built to be a helper for all the sailors and to show off how wonderful Alexandria was.

For so many years, I watched over the busy harbor. Sailors from all over the world would see my light and cheer, "We're almost there!" They knew they were close to Alexandria because of me. I was one of the tallest things in the whole world back then, and people traveled from everywhere just to see me. My light was like a promise that they were safe and that knowledge was here. Even though I'm not standing anymore, people still tell stories about how amazing I was. The idea of having a guiding light, like me, still inspires people to build things that help others and make the world a more wonderful place. It shows us that with great ideas and lots of hard work, we can create something truly special that shines bright for everyone.