- this is the place where light is born and a moment later dies, and this is repeated again and again. Since the famous Alexandria Lighthouse towers sending rays of light into the darkness become a guiding star for sea ​​vessels and an object of delight for tourists.

Navigation equipment for maritime theaters in the form of a tower-type capital structure, designed to determine the location of ships at sea. This building has a bright contrasting color, visually distinguishing it from the surrounding area. Beacons are equipped with a strong light source and, as a rule, are equipped with optical means to amplify the light signal in order to be clearly visible at night.

The lighthouse can also provide ships with sound signals and (or) transmit a radio signal in order to perform its function even in conditions of insufficient visibility (temporary, as during 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 decreased somewhat, and currently the number of operating lighthouses around the world does not exceed one and a half thousand.

Alexandrian lighthouse ( Lighthouse Alexandria ) is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which, in addition to architectural elegance, also has a practical function.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the tallest structure in the world and was located on an ancient island Pharos. The Alexandria Lighthouse was a guarantee of the safe return of sailors to the Grand Harbour. Height Alexandria lighthouse, according to various estimates, ranged from 120 to 140 meters. For many centuries it was the tallest structure on Earth. That is why we will include the lighthouse in the list of 7 ancient wonders of the world.

In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and decided to found a new capital there, Alexandria.

Maritime trade developed rapidly and the need for a lighthouse that would indicate a safe route to the Alexandrian harbor became increasingly urgent. And as a result, on the eastern tip of the island of Pharos, lying at a distance of 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 from that time the word “pharos” became the root of the word “lighthouse” in many languages. The lighthouse reached a height of 135 m and its light was visible 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 meters high with a base in the form of a square, the side length of which was 30 m.
Various equipment was stored inside the lighthouse, 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 lined 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 light range and brightness of the beacon 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 strong earthquake destroyed the lighthouse almost to the ground. After this, in the Middle Ages, the base of the Alexandria Lighthouse was built into the Turkish fortress of Qait Bay. On this moment it turned into an Egyptian military port, so even archaeologists cannot get to the remains.

Lighthouse Tevennec and La Vieille.

The Atlantic coast of France has been inhabited by the sea, fishing and trade since ancient times. Port Brest - small trading and fishing boats always actively sailed along these shores - to the south of France, to Spain and beyond. But on the way of the sailing ships there was a very unpleasant place - a long chain of islands and underwater reefs, going far into the sea - the Chaussée de Sein.

A huge number of ships disappeared there. And so in 1869 it was decided to erect 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, it, together with the La Vieille lighthouse, formed a kind of light gate and the ships had to stay between them.

This lighthouse is located on the island of Ouessant (located at the westernmost point of Breton waters in France). La Jument is built directly into the sea on a rocky spur not far from the shore and has a height of 100 meters.

Several sequential images of the lighthouse taken by photographer Jean Guichard from a helicopter during a severe storm in 1989. The photo shows a lighthouse keeper who, due to the noise of the helicopter, thought that rescue services had arrived and came out of his hiding place. In this moment giant wave collapsed on the building. The caretaker almost died, but managed to escape in time behind the steel doors of the lighthouse entrance.

Lighthouse keepers go all the way, from “hell” (lighthouses on the high seas), through “purgatory” (islands) and to “paradise” (the continent) in solitude, and not only metaphysical. In the 20th century, World War I veterans often became custodians; oddly enough, even after World War II this profession was considered “privileged” for war invalids. The current level of technology makes the presence of a person in the lighthouse unnecessary.

In 2004, Kereon (“Sea Palace”), the last inhabited lighthouse at sea, closed its doors with a beautiful mahogany and ebony compass rose. Today no one lives here anymore.

Brittany. Teignouse lighthouse.

Numerous lighthouses in Brittany are faithful guides for sailors, and they speak the same language as fishermen. For example, on the Quiberon peninsula, instead of “burned out” or “sunburned” they say “became like the Teignouse lighthouse” - white with a red nose.

Lighthouse-tower Four (category “hell”), which is able to withstand waves of 30 meters in height.

Lighthouse Four (Le Four). High resolution photo

Lighthouse Ar Men (translated from Brett. “rock”) is a lighthouse on the coastal reef of the Ile de Seine island in French Brittany. It got its name from the rock of the same name on which it was built between 1867 and 1881. The lighthouse is widely known due to its isolation and the difficulties encountered during its construction (the lighthouse stands in open ocean 5 kilometers from the nearest shore, this is the island of Sen, which west coast France), as well as difficulties associated with the evacuation of personnel from the lighthouse. It is considered one of the toughest places to work in the lighthouse keeping community, earning it the nickname “Hell of Hells.”

The decision to build a lighthouse in a completely 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 the 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 on which something could be built protruded only a couple of meters above the sea surface. In principle, this would be enough in calm waters, but the ocean in that place is almost never quiet. Several expeditions returned from reconnaissance missions with the verdict “it is impossible to build.” 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 is how the preparation of the rock base began (drilling holes and installing reinforcement). People worked right in the middle of strong waves, with safety nets and special shoes so as not to be swept away by the waves rushing over the rock. Short shifts during low tides. This preparation took two years.

The main work began in 1969, laying out granite blocks and pouring the concrete base of the lighthouse from Portland cement, resistant to sea water. 40 hours of work gave one cubic meter of foundation.

Construction took 15 (!) years, with disasters, human casualties there were practically none, only in 1981 one of the workers who found himself in the water died (although there were many cases of people being washed into the ocean both during and after work). During the construction process, there were fears that the structure would be fragile and would not withstand waves, because the size of the rock is only slightly larger than the diameter of the lighthouse tower! But the lighthouse stands, only the walls are etched by sea water.

The first lighthouse signal could be seen on the night of August 30–31, 1881. And it still works, having gone through several technical upgrades.

In the late 1980s, the Ar-Men Lighthouse was electrified and equipped with a 250 W halogen lamp. It was one of the first to be automated, and since April 10, 1990 it has been operating fully automatically.

Lighthouse height:

1. Altitude: 33.50 m
2. Overall dimensions: 37 m
3. Height Length: 33.50 m

Light source

1. from October 1, 1897 - diesel fuel (produced on the Ile de Seine island)
2. since 1903 - oil vapor
3. 1988 - electrification (250 W halogen lamps)
4. 1990 - automation

This lighthouse is located in picturesque place on the edge of the Conquet peninsula.

The tallest lighthouse in Europe is located on 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 department of Finistere, 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.

Lighthouse Les Pierres-noires (“Black Stones”).

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.

An active 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 cannot be seen from the surface. The Roches-Douvres lighthouse is considered one of the most distant 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.

The lighthouse looks like an ordinary one, but the place where it is located in Alum Bay is distinguished by its fabulous beauty.

Needles Lighthouse in Alum-Bay

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 posed a great danger to sea vessels. But in 1781, merchants and shipowners submitted a petition to build a lighthouse. They received a patent in January 1782.

And in conclusion, a small selection of beautiful lighthouses and simple modern ones, but which are located in very picturesque places.

Lindau Lighthouse. Lake Constance. The height of the lighthouse is 33 meters. Bavaria, Germany

Hook Head Lighthouse, Ireland

• The most famous incident involving lighthouses was the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers on the Flannan Islands at the same time in December 1900.
• In France coastline was not marked with lights until the 17th century; this was done to prevent attacks by pirates.
• One of the few that is still operating, the lighthouse church is the Ascension Church, built in 1867 on Sekirnaya Mountain of the Bolshoi 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 city of Baltiysk. It shows the way to ships heading to the ports of Baltiysk, Svetly and Kaliningrad.
• The Westerlichttoren lighthouse was featured 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 Foros Lighthouse is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The height of the lighthouse was 150 meters (492 feet) - about three times higher than modern lighthouses.
• Roman emperors built many lighthouses to help their troops navigate. In 90 AD e. Emperor Caligula ordered the construction of a lighthouse in Dover, England. This lighthouse is considered to be the oldest lighthouse in England and it still stands at the base of Dover Castle.
• In 1543, the tallest brick lighthouse in the world, Lanterna in Genoa, was built. Its height is 75 m (246 ft).
• The first stone lighthouse in the world is believed 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. He lit it with 24 candles. Eddystone stood for 47 years until it caught fire, after which it was dismantled and built on a nearby rock.
• Today the equivalent of a lighthouse light is about 20 million candles. And modern lighthouses operate on high-pressure xenon lamps.
• The tallest lighthouse in the world is the steel tower at Yamashita Park in Yokohama. Its height is 106 meters (348 feet).

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Now there are not many working lighthouses left in the world, but interest in them still does not fade. It is worth taking a closer look at the most famous among them. Unfortunately, not all beautiful antiquities have survived to this day. For example, one of the seven wonders of the world, the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, can now only be admired in pictures, but there are others that have retained their special charm. Here are the six best of them.

Stabnesviti lighthouse in Iceland

Dondra lighthouse in Sri Lanka

This lighthouse is located in a wonderful exotic place on Cape Dondra and is one of the highest on the entire coast of southeast Asia. The structure was erected in 1889 by order of William Douglas, an employee of the British Imperial Lighthouse Service. All the building material necessary for the construction of this structure was specially delivered from England. The granite slabs from which the walls of the lighthouse were built were brought from quarries in Scotland.

The height of the tower is 49 meters, and to climb to the very top, you need to overcome 196 steps. The lighthouse was built in the shape of an octagonal pyramid. It rises surrounded by palm trees and other tropical plants, blending harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. This facility is still in operation and monitors every day that the fire on the tower lights up on time.

Portland Head Light in the United States

This building is a unique architectural monument of America. The lighthouse has stood on the ocean coast for about two hundred years. Initially, his lamp, which gave a signal to passing ships, was powered by whale oil. Since then, everything has changed - electricity was installed to the tower, and some reconstruction was also carried out.

The last renovation was carried out in 1970, when the lighthouse was damaged by a hurricane. It was possible to preserve the residence of the very first sailor's keeper - now there is a museum in it. This place is very popular with tourists who travel from all over the country to admire the beautiful seascape of northern New England.

Jeddah Light is an active lighthouse located in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is 113 meters high and is now one of the tallest lighthouses in the world. It was built in 1990.

Bell Rock is a lighthouse located on Inchcape Reef near east coast Scotland (Angus region). It was built between 1807–1810 by engineer Robert Stevenson. Today it is the oldest lighthouse built on the reefs. The height of the building is 35.3 m.

Kopu Lighthouse

Kopu Lighthouse is one of the most famous symbols and tourist attractions in Estonia located on the island of Hiiumaa. It was built in 1531 and is considered the third oldest lighthouse in the world. The height of the structure is 36 meters.

Slettnes Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the municipality of Gamvik in Finnmark County, Norway. This 39-meter structure was built in 1903–1905.

The Tower of Hercules is a lighthouse located in northwestern Spain. The structure is 55 meters high. It is considered the oldest and only Roman lighthouse in use in the world. The construction dates back to around the 2nd century, possibly during the reign of Emperor Trajan.

Kullen Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on a hilltop on the southwest coast of Sweden. It is one of the most famous attractions in the country. The height of the lighthouse is 15 meters.

Fourth on the list of the ten most famous lighthouses in the world, Peggys Point Lighthouse is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia. It was built in 1914.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in Buxton, North Carolina, United States. It was built in 1870. It is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States and the world. The height of the structure is 64 m.

Sambro Island Light

As well as medieval castles are memorials of a specific cultural and historical period, lighthouses are evidence of our long-term relationship with the ocean. Although such technology is still used, new lighthouses look more like modern, functional and unattractive towers compared to structures built in past centuries. Many show decay and neglect, but passionate people around the world have formed groups to restore and preserve this history.

I was fortunate enough to visit the two remaining working lighthouses in Canada to see the beauty of the structure and gain an understanding of what it means to be a lighthouse keeper. I backpacked for a week on the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, which was originally built to rescue shipwrecked people. While I was thinking, I was completely removed from civilization through forests, swamps and beaches, I walked straight across the perfectly trimmed lawn of the lighthouse keeper's house. It was a welcome place to stay and the owners welcomed visitors and told us the history of their lighthouse.

1. Lighthouse Porthcawl Point
It was the last coal and gas powered lighthouse in the UK. It was built in 1860 and is still used today as a navigational aid. south coast Wales.
Photo: Capt' Gorgeous

2. Cullens Lighthouse
One of the most famous architectural monuments and the most powerful lighthouses in Scandinavia. The Kullens lighthouse is located on the southwestern coast of Sweden, in the province of Scania.
Photo: Dirigentens

3. Akranes Lighthouse
This old lighthouse is set in Iceland's volcanic landscapes near Akranes, the country's 9th most populous city. Almost all of Iceland's inhabitants live on the coast due to the mountainous lava desert and glacial topography of the interior.
Photo: Atli Haroarson

4. Wind Point Lighthouse
Shining in the port of Racine, Wisconsin, this lighthouse is home to a conference center, conference hall, and part-time village police station.
Photo: James Jordan

5. Umpqua River Lighthouse
This lighthouse on the Oregon coast flashes its classic red and white light. It is now operated by Douglas County instead of the Coast National Guard, but is still used as a navigational aid.
Photo: puliarf

6. Peggy Point Lighthouse
Located in Peggy's Cove, this lighthouse is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world. Several decisions are currently being made to protect the lighthouse under the Lighthouse Heritage Protection Act.
Photo: archer10

7. Lighthouse Szczyrmonnikug
This 150-year-old lighthouse is located on an island in the northern Netherlands that is home to a small village and national park. About 300,000 tourists visit it every year.
Photo: Bert Kaufmann

8. Kovalam Lighthouse
The tall stone lighthouse at Kovalam has a lantern and a gallery at the top overlooking the ocean and the tourist beach.
Photo: mehul.antani

9. Arisaig Lighthouse
According to the photographer, it is “an exact replica of the original Arisaig Point Lighthouse, which burned down in the early 1930s” when its lantern caught fire. It is located in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia.
Photo: archer10

10. Lighthouse Pointe-à-la-Renommie
Guided tours are permitted to the top of this lighthouse, and the reconstructed lighthouse keeper's house displays artifacts that are more than a century old. After the end of its service, the lighthouse was dismantled and stood in the Old Port in Quebec for 20 years, until it was decided that it would be better to return it to its original location.
Photo: archer10

11. Whitby Harbor Lighthouse
This structure sits firmly on a concrete dock northeast of Toronto and casts light on Lake Ontario.
Photo: Rick Harris

12. Lighthouse Ryu
There are more than 70 lighthouses along the coast of Scotland. This one is located in the small town of Ullapool, in the Highlands of Scotland.
Photo: geezaweezer

13. Split Rock Lighthouse
This Minnesota lighthouse was built in 1910 after a series of shipwrecks near Lake Superior. It was decommissioned in 1960 and is now a historical monument.
Photo: chefranden

14. Point Betsy Lighthouse
This is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States overlooking Lake Michigan. There is a group of volunteers who are raising money, cleaning up the area and hiring professionals to restore the building.
Photo: jkdevleer04

15. Cape Byron Lighthouse
Australia's easternmost lighthouse is maintained by the Cape Byron Nature Reserve, which acquired and maintained the building in 1998. The site is currently used as a base for whale watching.
Photo: Paul Bica

16. Lighthouse Wittenbergen
Built in 1900, it is one of the oldest examples of steel construction when it comes to lighthouses. It is still active on the north bank of the Elbe in Wittenbergen, northern Germany.
Photo: elbfoto

17. Lorraine Lighthouse
The Port of Lorain Foundation owns and operates this lighthouse above Lake Erie, on the Ohio coast.
Photo: ronnie44052

18. Cape Florida Lighthouse
This lighthouse in Key Biscayne, Florida, was created in 1825 to guide ships away from the Florida Reef. Tours of the lighthouse and keeper's cottage are permitted twice daily.
Photo: sporadic

19. Cape Santa Maria Lighthouse
Located in Uruguay, this lighthouse was built in 1881 and has significantly reduced the number of shipwrecks in the area. There are 150 steps leading to the top, and the building itself is open to tourists.
Photo: Libertinus

20. Pigeon Point Lighthouse
You can see this tower near San Francisco Bay, but the lighthouse has been closed to tourists since 2001 due to its poor condition. The renovated caretaker's lodge has served as a youth hostel since the mid-1960s.
Photo: The Wandering Angel

21. Portland Head Lighthouse
The original lighthouse here was built in 1790. The current structure is operated by the city of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and is a tourist attraction with a museum, gift shop and acres of surrounding parks and trails.
Photo: James Jordan

22. Walton Harbor Lighthouse
This Nova Scotia lighthouse was shut down in 1986 and is currently used as a translation center.
Photo: archer10

23. Holland Harbor Lighthouse
The first lighthouse on this site in Ottawa County, Michigan was a small, square wooden building built in 1872. Modern building, known as the “Big Red One,” was built in 1907, and citizens petitioned to save it from demolition in the 1970s. It is currently preserved and restored by the Holland Harbor Lighthouse Historical Commission.
Photo: jkdevleer04

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Top 10 highest lighthouses in the world opens - an active lighthouse in the southeast Lake Ladoga, in the village of Storozhno, Volkhov district Leningrad region. This is the fourth lighthouse that was built on this cape. It is a stone tower 71 m high, to the top of which - to the gallery - a spiral staircase of 399 steps leads. The focal plane of the Storozhensky lighthouse is at an altitude of 76 m. Fresnel lenses are used at the lighthouse. The visibility range in clear weather is: white light - 22 miles, red light - 17 miles. According to various sources, it was built either in 1906 or 1911.

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The second tallest lighthouse in China. The lighthouse is a triangular tower.

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Mulantou (also known as Hainan Lighthouse) is the highest in China. Mulantou is a functioning beacon that produces two flashes of white light every 15 seconds.

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This is the tallest lighthouse in Russia and the tallest folding (that is, necessarily working in pairs) lighthouse in the world. The construction of a lighthouse of this height on Lesnoy Mole was proposed by Evgeniy Gnitsevich in 1986. This proposal was subsequently implemented. The “partners” of the lighthouse are Lesnoy Mol Stvorny Peredniy (its own height is 16 meters, above sea level - 21 meters) and Lesnoy Mol Stvorny Middle (its own height is 24 meters, above sea level - 26 meters). The lighthouse is located on the territory of the shipyard and ensures the safe entry of ships from the Sea Canal into one of the technical bays of the city.

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The construction of this lighthouse, located next to the old one, took place from 1829 to 1835 with a budget of 332,214 francs. The lighthouse was not damaged during World War II. Currently, it is one of the few lighthouses in France that can be visited and offers picturesque views of the surrounding area.

The lighthouse is operational and currently uses two xenon lamps with a power of 1600 watts. Usually one lamp is turned on, only in bad weather it is necessary to use two lamps simultaneously.

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The main lighthouse of the Genoese port and the symbol of Genoa. It is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in the world. With a height of 77 meters, 375 steps lead to its top. Takes second place in the list of the tallest “traditional” lighthouses in the world and is the tallest lighthouse in Italy and the Mediterranean.

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– the tallest lighthouse in Europe and the tallest “traditional lighthouse” in the world. In the immediate vicinity is the “old lighthouse”, 31 meters high, which operated from 1845 to 1902.

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The trio of record-breaking lighthouses opens "Sea Tower"- Japan's tallest lighthouse. It operated from December 2006 to May 2009, after which it was restored and reopened.

Marine Tower (Yokohama Marine Tawa) is a 106-meter lattice lighthouse with observation deck at an altitude of 100 meters. Initially, at night, the tower support itself was illuminated in green and red in accordance with its markings, but now, after renovations in May 2009, the illumination is carried out with white lights.

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It is the second tallest lighthouse in the world and the tallest lighthouse North America and the entire Western Hemisphere. The memorial was built in honor of Oliver Perry, who won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, and is also symbol of peace between Britain, Canada and the USA.

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