Mole (architecture)
massive structure used as pier, breakwater, or causeway between places separated by water
A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or causeway separating two bodies of water. A mole may have a wooden structure built on top, resembling a wooden pier. However, the defining feature of a mole is that water cannot freely flow underneath it, unlike a true pier. The oldest known mole is at Wadi al-Jarf, an ancient Egyptian harbor complex on the Red Sea, constructed c. 2500 BCE.
The word comes from Middle French mole, ultimately from Latin mōlēs, referring to a large mass, especially of rock. The words molecule and mole (the unit of measurement in chemistry) have the same root.
Heptastadion
Notable in antiquity was the Heptastadion, a giant mole built in the 3rd century BC in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, to join the city to Pharos Island, where the Pharos lighthouse stood. The causeway formed a barrier separating Alexandria's oceanfront into two distinct harbours, an arrangement which had the advantage of protecting the harbours from the force of the strong westerly coastal current. The Heptastadion is also believed to have served as an aqueduct while Pharos was inhabited, and geophysical research indicates that it was part of the road network of the ancient city. Silting over the years resulted in the former dyke disappearing under several metres of accumulated silt and soil, upon which the Ottomans built a town from 1517 onwards. Part of the modern city of Alexandria is now built on the site.
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