Ahırkapı Feneri
Encyclopedia
The Ahırkap Feneri, a historical lighthouse
still in use, is located at the southern Seraglio Point on the Rumelia
n 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 Anatolia
n 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.
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.
(reigned 1839–1861) commissioned the building of a lighthouse, which was constructed by French
engineers in Ahırkapı (literally 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 m (85.3 ft) high tower, a keeper's house is attached.
Initially, the lighthouse was lit by kerosene
, however the light source was later replaced by Dalén light
using carbide
(acetylene
gas). Finally, it was electrified. The lighthouse's lantern has a 500mm catadioptric cylindrical lens
and a 1,000 W
lamp. At a focal height of 36 m (118.1 ft), it flashes white every 6 seconds, which is visible at a range of 16 nmi (29.6 km) in the Sea of Marmara
.
Ahırkapı Feneri is listed in Turkey under the code "TUR-056" and its radio call sign is TC1ALH. It is operated and maintained by the Coastal Safety Authority of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
still in use, is located at the southern Seraglio Point on the Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
n coast of Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
' south entrance, in Ahırkapı neighborhood of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
's Fatih
Fatih
Fatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
district, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is across from the Kadıköy İnciburnu Feneri
Kadıköy İnciburnu Feneri
The Kadıköy İnciburnu Feneri is a lighthouse located at the head of Kadıköy Harbor's İnciburnu Breakwater on the Anatolian coast of Bosporus' south entrance, in Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is across from the Ahırkapı Feneri, which is on the Rumelian coast of the strait at a distance of...
, which is on the Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n 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.
History
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 EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
run aground off the shore of Kumkapı
Kumkapi
Kumkapı is part of the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the Marmara Sea. Up to recent times, Kumkapı was mostly inhabited by Armenians, who still have a community school and several churches there. It is also the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople...
due to bad weather conditions in the night. Heard of the ship grounding, Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Osman III
Osman III
Osman III or Othman IIIText not available was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1754 to 1757.-Biography:...
(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
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
was established by the Kapudan Pasha atop a watchtower of the city's walls at this location.
Ahırkapı Lighthouse
In 1857, Sultan Abdülmecid IAbdülmecid I
Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...
(reigned 1839–1861) commissioned the building of a lighthouse, which was constructed by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
engineers in Ahırkapı (literally Stable Gate) right outside of the city walls south of the Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
.
The masonry lighthouse has a conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
shape and is painted white with one narrow black horizontal band. To the 26 m (85.3 ft) high tower, a keeper's house is attached.
Initially, the lighthouse was lit by kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, however the light source was later replaced by Dalén light
Dalén light
The Dalén light was the predominant form of light source in lighthouses from the 1900s through the 1960s, when electric lighting had become dominant. The system was invented by Gustaf Dalén and marketed by his company AGA. Dalén later invented the AGA cooker in 1922. The Dalén light is notable...
using carbide
Carbide
In chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
(acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
gas). Finally, it was electrified. The lighthouse's lantern has a 500mm catadioptric cylindrical lens
Cylindrical lens
A cylindrical lens is a lens which focuses light which passes through on to a line instead of on to a point, as a spherical lens would. The curved face or faces of a cylindrical lens are sections of a cylinder, and focus the image passing through it onto a line parallel to the intersection of the...
and a 1,000 W
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
lamp. At a focal height of 36 m (118.1 ft), it flashes white every 6 seconds, which is visible at a range of 16 nmi (29.6 km) in the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
.
Ahırkapı Feneri is listed in Turkey under the code "TUR-056" and its radio call sign is TC1ALH. It is operated and maintained by the Coastal Safety Authority of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.