Travel Tips

Lighthouses... from my childhood, i always liked lighthouses. Sometimes to see a lighthouse would swept away my sorrow, sometimes to watch them for hours would make me relaxed. Their architectural apperance and their emotional meaning always attracted me. I've read so many books, have listened many stories and have done researches. My last research on Lighthouses of Istanbul. Istanbul is a charming city which has located on two different continents, Asia and Europe. Bosphorus connects the city - though some people thinks it divides the city-. Shores, bays and rocks...Istanbul needed lighthouses for ages.

The first lighthouse that the vessels, which are to be enter to the Istanbul Strait safely from Marmara Sea, see in order to determine their courses is Yesilkoy Lighthouse.

The first name of this lighthouse which was built on the Yeºilköy burnu in 1856 by Ottoman Empire as a stone tower was Ayastafonas Lighthouse and has been changed as a Yesilkoy Lighthouse in accordance with the district.

It is 23 meters height above the sea level and tower of the lighthouse is 16 meters of height.

for lighthouses info please check the website below. http://www.coastalsafety.gov.tr/

TURKELİ LIGHTHOUSE
Turkeli Lighthouse has been established in 1856 to provide safety of navigation for the vessels entering to the Istanbul Strait from Black Sea.

As the lighthouse tumbled down for several times during the construction, Bennard,Bonnue&Tuanne overseas company, who were the first builder of the lighthouse built the mausoleum firstly then today’s lighthouse because it was said that the reason of this collapse was mainly because of the fact that there was a mausoleum under the construction. There is a Sarı Saltuk mausoleum in this lighthouse and it still has been visited by public.

It has the altitude of 58 from the sea level. The structure of lighthouse is three grades made by knitted store and has 30 meters of height.

FENERBAHCE LIGHTHOUSE
It is assumed that the first lighthouse was constructed in the era of Byzantine Empire in this location and there were a temple devoted to Goddess Hera and a lighthouse located on the rocks.
The construction of Fenerbahce Lighthouse which lent its name to the location that it exist and located at the cape of Fenerbahçe was Ottoman Empire period in 1857 by Lighthouses Authority. It still keeps its prior beauty and presence up.

It is constructed 25 meters above the sea level and height at 20 meters. There is a Lighthouse and fog horn guardian building and it is under protection.

AHIRKAPI LIGTHOUSE
It was needed to built a lighthouse in Ahırkapi after a big accident has occurred in this location.

During the period of Ottoman Empire,1755, upon a galleon under the control of Haci Captain who was transporting commodities to Egypt has destroyed , the vessel has run aground at night in the Kumkapi due to bad weather condition. When Sultan III. Osman heard of it , went to Kumkapi together with Grand Vizier Said Pasha and watched the rescued galleon and seamen then gave a new galleon to Haci Captain.

Meanwhile, upon one of the seaman said that “if a lighthouse is built and its kerosene lamp illuminates during the night then vessels navigating far away places could easily find their routes and wont have an accident”, Sultan gave an order to build a lighthouse there and a lighthouse was built by Suleyman Pasha who was a Commander of Marine Forces “Captain of Seas” .

Today’s Ahırkapi lighthouse was built by French constructor for Lighthouses Authority during Ottoman Empire period in 1857 and it still keeps its prior beauty and presence up.

This is a small and attractive tower built on an islet at the entrance to the Bosphorus. It is one of the symbols of Istanbul. Used in the past as a watchtower and a lighthouse, it has been preserved in its 19th Century appearance. It serves as a landmark for ships entering the Bosphorus and will be used for touristic purposes. Western sources have erroneously attributed the tower to Leander, who drowned as he was trying to swim to his lover Hero. Actually, this mythological story took place in the Dardanelles. According to another story, an emperor once dreamt that his daughter was going to die because of a snake bite and settled the girl in this tower to ensure her safety. Nevertheless, the tragedy could not be averted and the girl was bitten by a snake hidden in a fruit basket.

It is situated at the most critical point on the Anatolian side of the Bosporus. It was built at Ottoman Empire period in.1859 by French constructor.
This is the biggest lighthouse of Turkey, with a situation of 60 m above the sea level and it has a tower built in 110 cm thick knitted stones. Tower height is 19 meters. Tower was painted to white and black bands in order to seen well in daylight.

The visual sight distance of the lighthouse, in which has the flashing character of Fl .W. 20 sec with red sector, is 20 nautical miles.