Ahırkapı Lighthouse
Ahırkapı Lighthouse seen from Marmara Sea.
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 Istanbul
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| Location | Ahırkapı Fatih Istanbul Turkey |
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| Coordinates | 41°00′22.79″N 28°59′07.55″E / 41.0063306°N 28.9854306°ECoordinates: 41°00′22.79″N 28°59′07.55″E / 41.0063306°N 28.9854306°E |
| Year first constructed | 1755 (first) |
| Year first lit | 1857 (current) |
| Construction | masonry tower |
| Tower shape | tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower with one narrow black horizontal band |
| Height | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Focal height | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Current lens | 500mm catadioptric cylindrical lenses |
| Intensity | 1,000 W |
| Range | 16 nmi (30 km) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 6s. |
| Admiralty number | E4903 |
| NGA number | 17340 |
| ARLHS number | TC1ALH |
| Turkey number | TUR-056 |
| Managing agent | Directorate General of Coastal Safety |
The Ahırkap Feneri, a historical lighthouse still in use, is located at the southern Seraglio Point on the Rumelian coast of Bosporus' south entrance, in Ahırkapı neighborhood of Istanbul's Fatih district, Turkey. It is across from the Kadıköy İnciburnu Feneri, which is on the Anatolian coast of the strait at a distance of 1.5 nmi (2.8 km). A line connecting the two lighthouses marks the southern boundary of the Port of Istanbul.
It is told that a marine accident, which occurred near this location, led to the establishment of the lighthouse. In 1755, a merchant sail ship bound for Egypt run aground off the shore of Kumkapı due to bad weather conditions in the night. Heard of the ship grounding, Ottoman sultan Osman III (reigned 1754–1757) rushed to the scene, where a seaman complained about the lack of a lighthouse there that could provide safe navigation around the hazardous waters. On the sultan's order, a light fueled by olive oil was established by the Kapudan Pasha atop a watchtower of the city's walls at this location.
In 1857, Sultan Abdülmecid I (reigned 1839–1861) commissioned the building of a lighthouse, which was constructed by French engineers in Ahırkapı (literally English: Stable Gate) right outside of the city walls south of the Topkapı Palace.
The masonry lighthouse has a conical shape and is painted white with one narrow black horizontal band. To the 26-metre-high (85 ft) tower, a keeper's house is attached.
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Wikipedia