The lighthouse located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria's harbor and was supposed to be more than 350 feet (110 metres) tall; the only taller man-made constructions at the period would have been the Giza pyramids. It was actually an enormous stone tower with seven floors and a gallery for four people to watch night approaches. The light itself consisted of eight large lamps placed one inside the other, so that each time it was lit it burned for three hours. The lighthouse was built in the first century BC by Alexander the Great as a gift for his father, King Philip II of Macedon. It was probably designed by Aristotle who was also responsible for designing much of the city of Alexandria. The island on which it stands was originally part of a larger land mass called Antigone, which was quarried away to build the city. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, his empire was divided among his generals. In 299 BC, Lysimachus took control of Egypt and began construction of the great library at Alexandria. This was to become one of the most important centers of learning in the ancient world. When he died in 281 BC, his son Agathocles continued building the library. However, in 270 BC the Seleucids captured the city from the Lagidae and destroyed the library. It was not rebuilt until around 200 AD when Ptolemies took over Egypt.