The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and was built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. It was estimated to have been at least 100 meters (330 feet) in overall height. The lighthouse was built on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria and was a technological triumph and the archetype of all lighthouses since. The lighthouse was severely damaged by three earthquakes between 956 and 1323 AD and became an abandoned ruin. Though the precise circumstances of its destruction are unclear, it seems that it was largely destroyed, probably by an earthquake, in the 12th century. The once-mighty structure then fell into disrepair before eventually being demolished. In 1994, French archaeologist Jeans-Yves Empereur documented the physical remains of the lighthouse on the seabed of Alexandria’s eastern harbor.