A lighthouse is a place where light is born and dies in an instant, and this is repeated over and over again. Since the time of the famous Alexandria Lighthouse, towers sending rays of light into the darkness have become a guiding star for sea vessels and an object of delight for tourists.
A lighthouse is a means of navigation equipment for sea theaters in the form of a capital tower-type structure, designed to determine the location of ships at sea. This structure has a bright contrasting color, visually distinguishing it from the surrounding area. Lighthouses are equipped with a strong light source and, as a rule, are provided with optical means to amplify the light signal in order to be clearly visible at night.
A lighthouse can also give ships sound signals and (or) transmit a radio signal in order to perform its function in conditions of poor visibility (temporary, as in fog, or permanent – for example, caused by terrain conditions).
Due to the use of modern navigation technologies, the role of lighthouses as a navigation aid has somewhat decreased, and currently the number of operating lighthouses worldwide does not exceed one and a half thousand.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Lighthouse Alexandria) is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that, in addition to architectural elegance, also has a practical function.
The Alexandria Lighthouse was the tallest structure in the world and was located on the ancient island of Pharos. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a guarantee of the safe return of sailors to the Grand Harbor. The height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, according to various estimates, ranged from 120 to 140 meters. For many centuries, it was the tallest structure on Earth. That is why the lighthouse is included in the list of the 7 ancient wonders of the world.
In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and decided to found a new capital there – Alexandria.
Sea trade was developing rapidly and the need for a lighthouse that would show the safe way to the Alexandria harbor became increasingly acute. And as a result, on the eastern end of the island of Pharos, located 1290 m from Alexandria, a lighthouse was built, which received the name of the island. The connection between the name of the lighthouse and its function turned out to be so strong that since then the word “pharos” has become the root of the word “lighthouse” in many languages. The lighthouse was 135 m high and its light could be seen at a distance of 60 km. It was built by the architect Sostratus of Cnidus in 280 BC on a rock rising on the eastern shore of the island of Pharos.
The lower part of the lighthouse was a tetrahedral prism 60 m high with a square base, the side length of which was 30 m.
Inside the lighthouse, various inventory was stored, and the base of the middle part was a flat roof, decorated with huge statues of Triton in the corners.
The roof was a tower faced with white marble. The top of the lighthouse was built in the form of a cylindrical colonnade, headed by a 7-meter bronze figure of the sea lord Poseidon. A huge fire served as the main source of light. The phenomenon of the lighthouse’s glow range and brightness has not yet been established. According to some versions, this effect was achieved with the help of huge polished mirrors, according to others – due to the use of transparent polished stones – lenses.
In May 1100, a powerful earthquake destroyed the lighthouse almost to the ground. After that, in the Middle Ages, the foundation of the Alexandria lighthouse was built into the Turkish fortress of Qaitbay. At the moment it has become an Egyptian military port, so even scientists and archaeologists cannot get to the remains.
Mayaks Tevennec (Lighthouse Tevennec) and La Vieille (La Vieille).
The Atlantic coast of France has long lived by the sea, fishing and trade. The port of Brest – along these shores, small trading and fishing boats have always been busy sailing – to the south of France, to Spain and beyond. But there was a very unpleasant place on the sailing ships’ route – a long chain of islands and underwater reefs stretching far out to sea – Chaussée de Sein.
A huge number of ships disappeared there. And so in 1869 it was decided to put a lighthouse on the island of Tevennec – the very first dangerous place if you sail from the north to the south of France. It took more than five years to build the lighthouse, and in 1875 a fire broke out on it. Thus, together with the La Vieille lighthouse, it formed a kind of light gate and ships had to keep between them.
La Jument Lighthouse.
This lighthouse is located on the island of Ouessant (located at the westernmost point of the Breton waters in France). La Jument is built right in the sea on a rocky spur not far from the shore and has a height of 100 meters.
Several consecutive shots of the lighthouse, taken by photographer Jean Guichard from a helicopter during a severe storm in 1989. The photo shows a lighthouse keeper who, because of the noise of a helicopter, thought that rescue services had arrived and came out of his shelter. At that moment, a giant wave crashed onto the building. The caretaker almost died, but managed to hide behind the steel doors of the lighthouse entrance in time.
Le Phare de Kereon Lighthouse.
Lighthouse keepers go all the way from “hell” (lighthouses in the open sea), through “purgatory” (islands) and to “paradise” (the continent) in solitude, and not only metaphysically. In the 20th century, veterans of the First World War often became keepers; oddly enough, after the Second World War this profession was considered “privileged” for war invalids. The current level of technology makes the presence of a person in the lighthouse building unnecessary.
In 2004, Kereon (the “Sea Palace”), the last inhabited lighthouse at sea, closed its doors with its beautiful mahogany and ebony compass rose. Today, no one lives there anymore.
Brittany. Teignouse Lighthouse.
The numerous lighthouses of Brittany are faithful guides for sailors, and they speak the same language as fishermen. For example, on the Quiberon Peninsula, instead of “burned” or “got sunburned,” they say “became like the Teignouise lighthouse” – white with a red nose.
Petit Minou Lighthouse.
Further on, at the exit from the Brest harbor, on a rocky ledge stands the Petit Minou lighthouse.
Le Four Lighthouse.
The Four Lighthouse (category “hell”), which is capable of withstanding 30-meter-high waves.
Fours Lighthouse (Le Four)
Fours Lighthouse (Le Four). High resolution photoAr-men Lighthouse
Ar Men Lighthouse (translated from Brett as “rock”) is a lighthouse on the coastal a reef on the Ile de Seine in Brittany, France. It takes its name from the rock of the same name on which it was built between 1867 and 1881. The lighthouse is widely known for its isolation and the difficulties that arose during its construction (the lighthouse is located in the open ocean, 5 kilometers from the nearest land, the Ile de Seine, off the west coast of France), as well as the difficulties associated with the evacuation of personnel from the lighthouse. In the lighthouse community, it is considered one of the most difficult places to work, for which it has earned the nickname “Hell of Hells”.
The decision to build a lighthouse in an absolutely impossible place was made after the shipwreck of the frigate Sane in 1859 (at this point in the ocean there is only a narrow passage among underwater rocks, one of the most dangerous places for navigation, nicknamed the road from hell to hell). The problem was that the only rock in the area that could be used to build something was only a couple of meters above the sea surface. In principle, this would have been enough if the water had been calm, but the ocean there was almost never calm. Several expeditions returned from reconnaissance missions with the verdict “no building allowed.” But without the lighthouse, shipwrecks would have continued and the project was pushed through.
Construction began in 1867, with a group of workers landing on the rock. This was the start of the preparation of the rock foundation (drilling pits and installing reinforcement). People worked right during heavy seas, with safety harnesses and in special shoes so as not to be swept away by the waves that washed over the rock. In short shifts, during low tides. Such preparations lasted for two years.
The main work began in ’69, laying granite blocks and pouring a concrete foundation for the lighthouse from Portland cement, resistant to sea water. 40 hours of work produced one cubic meter of foundation.
The construction lasted 15 (!) years, and there were practically no disasters or human casualties, only in ’81 did one of the workers die after ending up in the water (although there were many cases of people being washed into the ocean both during and after the work). During the construction, there were concerns that the structure would be flimsy and would not withstand the impact of the waves, because the size of the cliff is only slightly larger than the diameter of the lighthouse tower! But the lighthouse is standing, only the walls are corroded by sea water.
The first signal from the lighthouse could be seen on the night of August 30-31, 1881. And it still works, having undergone several technical upgrades.
In the late 1980s, the Ar-Men Lighthouse was electrified and equipped with a 250-watt halogen lamp. It was one of the first to be automated, and has been operating in fully automatic mode since April 10, 1990.
Lighthouse height:
- Height above sea level: 33.50 m
- Overall dimensions: 37 m
- Height Length: 33.50 m
Light source
- since October 1, 1897 — diesel fuel (produced on the island of Ile de Seine)
- since 1903 — oil vapor
- 1988 — electrification (250 W halogen lamps)
- 1990 — automation
Kermorvan Lighthouse (Kermorvan).
This lighthouse is located in a picturesque place on the edge of the Conquet Peninsula.
Ile Vierge Lighthouse.
The tallest lighthouse in Europe is located on the island of Vierge (Ile Vierge) near Plouguerneau. The lighthouse is 82.5 meters high and was built in 1897, and next to it there is a small lighthouse, but it is a little older – it was built in 1845. The Coast of Legends (Cote d’ Legende) belongs to the Finistere department, which is famous for its bays – Aber-Ildut, Aber Benoît and Aber Wrac’h. The lighthouse is located right at the mouth of the latter.
Les Pierres-noires (“Negro Stones”) lighthouse.
The lighthouse is located in the city of Conquet in France. It was built from 1867 to 1871. On May 1, 1872, the lighthouse began its work. At that time, 325 thousand francs in gold were spent on the construction of this project.
Roches-Douvres Lighthouse.
A working lighthouse in Côtes-d’Armor (France). The height of the lighthouse is 60 m and it is considered the 24th tallest lighthouse in the world.
The lighthouse is located on the rocky reef of Roches-Douvre, which is considered very dangerous due to the fact that during high tide it is completely covered with water and is not visible from the surface. Roches-Douvres Lighthouse is considered one of the most remote from the mainland in Europe, it is located 30 kilometers from the French coast.
The building can only be reached by boat from the shore. The lighthouse itself is completely closed to the public.
Needles Lighthouse. The lighthouse looks quite ordinary, but the place where it is located in Alum Bay is distinguished by its fabulous beauty.
The area where the lighthouse is located is a narrow rocky ridge, which in some places rises up to 120 m in height. These rocks have always been a great danger to sea vessels. But in 1781, merchants and ship owners filed a petition to build a lighthouse. They received a patent in January 1782.
And finally, a small selection of beautiful lighthouses and simple modern ones, but which are located in very picturesque places.
Interesting facts about lighthouses
- The most famous incident involving lighthouses was the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers at the Flannan Islands in December 1900.
- In France, the coastline was not marked with lights until the 17th century, to prevent pirate attacks.
- One of the few lighthouse churches that is still in operation is the Ascension Church, built in 1867 on Sekirnaya Mountain on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (see Solovetsky Islands).
- The Statue of Liberty was used as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902.
- The westernmost lighthouse in Russia, built in 1813-1816, is located in the citye Baltiysk. It shows the way to ships heading to the ports of Baltiysk, Svetly and Kaliningrad.
- The Westerlichttoren lighthouse was depicted on the Dutch 250 guilder banknote.
- The first recorded lighthouse was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in 200 BC on the island of Pharos by the Egyptian Emperor Ptolemy. The Pharos Lighthouse is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The lighthouse was 150 meters (492 feet) high, about three times higher than modern lighthouses.
- Roman emperors built many lighthouses to help their troops navigate. In 90 AD, Emperor Caligula ordered a lighthouse to be built in Dover, England. This lighthouse is considered the oldest lighthouse in England and still stands at the base of Dover Castle.
- In 1543, the tallest brick lighthouse in the world, the Lanterna in Genoa, was built. It stands 75 m (246 ft) tall.
- The first stone lighthouse in the world is considered to be Smeaton Eddystone, which is located south of Plymouth, England. This lighthouse was built in 1756 by the father of English town planning, John Smeaton. It was lit by 24 candles. Eddystone stood for 47 years until a fire broke out, after which it was dismantled and rebuilt on a nearby cliff.
- Today, the equivalent of a lighthouse flame is about 20 million candles. And modern lighthouses run on high-pressure xenon lamps.
- The tallest lighthouse in the world is considered to be the steel tower in Yamashita Park in Yokohama. Its height is 106 meters (348 feet).
Source: ALP Project
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