Lighthouses in Istanbul

Adding meaning and value to every aspect of life in Istanbul, the Marmara Sea is experiencing the heavy traffic of many fishing boats, passenger ferries, and domestic and foreign ships every day. Lighthouses adorn the silhouette of Istanbul to ensure road safety in this traffic. Many lighthouses were built in Istanbul over time. Some are still used today, and some attract people with their beauty even if they are not used anymore. Here are the lighthouses of Istanbul.

Ahirkapi Foghorn and Lighthouse

Ahirkapi Lighthouse was built in 1755 by order of Osman III. It is the first lighthouse built with today's architectural style. The lighthouse is on the western shore of the part of the Bosphorus facing Marmara. Ahirkapi Lighthouse, which is in the form of a white tower, is placed on one of the bastions of the city walls surrounding Istanbul. It is 40 meters above sea level. It flashes every 6 seconds to help sailors navigate at night and ships to stay ground.

Sile Lighthouse

Sile Lighthouse, located in the Sile district, was built in 1859. It works both for the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. It is the largest lighthouse in the country and the second-largest in the world. The lighthouse was built on the cliffs 60 meters above sea level, in the shape of a 110 cm wide tower. The wind-up system lighthouse, which has a vision range of 20 nautical miles, was first powered by gas lamps, but in 1968 it became electrically operated. Sile Lighthouse has been turned into a museum.

Anatolian Lighthouse

The French built it in 1856. This lighthouse is in Anadolu Fener Village, on the Asian side at the Bosphorus entrance from the Black Sea. The height of the lighthouse is 75 meters above sea level. The lighthouse tower was built at an average height of 75 meters above sea level, made of white stone, rounded, and narrowed upwards. The light of the lighthouse can be seen even from 20 nautical miles in the open air.

Ayestefanos (Yesilköy) Lighthouse

Ayestefanos Lighthouse was built by French engineers in 1856 as a stone tower at the request of Sultan Abdülmecid. The lighthouse, which has become the symbol of Yeşilköy, attracts attention, especially with its appearance inside the buildings. There is a walking area in front of it and streets stretching to the beach on both sides. There is a lantern ward in its garden. It rises in the form of a 23-meter hexagonal tower on a platform raised with masonry stone. The glass lantern room is covered with a low dome. It can be seen from 15 nautical miles.

Rumelian Lighthouse

Rumeli Lighthouse, located at the northern end of the Bosphorus, was built in 1855 during the Crimean War. Inside the lighthouse, there is the Saltuk Baba Tomb. Many people visit the lighthouse for the tomb today. There is a watch room next to the lighthouse and a fishermen's shelter under the hill where it is located. The tower of the lighthouse narrows in 3 stages upwards and is 30 meters high.

Fenerbahce Lighthouse

The history of this lighthouse, located in the Kadikoy District, goes back to the Byzantine Period. Fenerbahce Lighthouse was built by the Lighthouses Administration in 1857 during the Ottoman Empire and still preserves its beauty. The height of the lighthouse from the sea is 25 meters. The size of the lighthouse tower is 20 meters. There is an entrance from a rectangular courtyard to the single-story lantern guard building and the lighthouse tower.