A lighthouse is a structure built at land or coastal locations to enhance navigational safety in maritime activities, emitting light. It serves to guide ships at night or under low visibility conditions and provides information about coastal structures. Today, lighthouses are defined both technically and culturally, and they have played a crucial role in the development of maritime trade throughout history.

Within the modern understanding of navigational safety, the role of lighthouses is critical not only historically but also as part of engineering systems. Nowadays, port authorities, coastal safety organizations, and international maritime organizations define lighthouses not just as light sources but as structured components of maritime traffic. Especially with the integration of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and radar reflectors into lighthouse systems, these structures have become integrated with ship positioning technologies.

^{Lighthouse Image (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Definition and Basic Features

A lighthouse is a navigational aid that is positioned at a fixed point, serving as a visual signal during the day and a light source at night. It can be defined as "a structure located fixedly on land, with a light source at its top, providing visual or optical support for sailors."

There are three key criteria for defining a lighthouse:

• Location: Lighthouses are generally located along the coastline, on rocks or shoals, and sometimes on buoys or special platforms.
• Structure: They are typically cylindrical or prismatic in shape and are highlighted with painted surfaces to ensure they are easily visible during the day.
• Operation Method: The light production mechanism requires manual maintenance, although some lighthouses operate remotely. During the day, their distinctive colors also function as navigational aids.

In defining a lighthouse, not only the physical form but also the engineering criteria determining functionality are important. The materials used in construction, the height, and the structural location of the light's production and dispersion points are fundamental to both the definition and classification. A common technical threshold in lighthouse definition is the light's power, which can be seen from up to 5 nautical miles under good weather conditions.

Historical Development

Lighthouses have been in use since ancient times, with the earliest known examples found in 7th century BC in Çanakkale Sigeion. The Lighthouse of Alexandria (3rd century BC) is a milestone among these structures, both in terms of its architecture and technology. In this lighthouse, light was produced during the day by sunlight and at night with fire. Lighthouses developed in Greek and Roman civilizations later reappeared in Europe, evolving into the "modern" lighthouse form with cylindrical towers starting in the 18th century.

The foundations of the modern understanding of lighthouses have been shaped not only by maritime history but also by geopolitical developments. Some of the lighthouses built along Türkiye’s coast since the Ottoman Empire era were created through engineering efforts during the Ottoman-French Lighthouse Administration period. From this period onward, criteria such as the tower's height, optical power, and painting method were standardized and systematized.

The first examples of lighthouses in the Ottoman period date back to the 16th century. In the 19th century, with the increase in commercial and military activity, an agreement with France led to the establishment of the Lighthouse Administration, which constructed many modern lighthouses.

^{Civaburnu Lighthouse in the Yeşilırmak Delta, Çarşamba District of Samsun (Anadolu Ajansı)}

^{}Function as a Navigational Aid

The primary purpose of lighthouses is to guide ships approaching the shore. Captains determine their position and avoid hazardous areas with the help of these structures. Lighthouses assist in identifying critical points such as passages, headlands, and harbor entrances, and in marking dangers. During the day, their tower shape and paint patterns are recognized, while at night, they are identified by characteristic light groups and colors.

The light characteristics of lighthouses are not only a visual element but also encoded signals in engineering terms. Each lighthouse’s flashing pattern, color, and interval duration are unique, allowing ship captains to determine their position not only by the direction of the light but also by its pattern. This enhances the function of the optical system while defining the identity of the lighthouse. In nautical charts, the light type, color, flashing period, visibility range, and height of the lighthouses are indicated. For example, the expression "Gp.Fl.(3) 15s. 12m. 8M." describes a lighthouse that emits three flashes of white light every 15 seconds, visible from a distance of 8 nautical miles and positioned 12 meters above sea level.

Structure and Lighting Systems

Historically, lighthouses operated with traditional fuels like wood and coal but have since modernized with the use of oil, gas, acetylene, and electricity. Since the 19th century, "Fresnel lenses" and catadioptric systems have enabled the light to reach farther distances. These advancements have made lighthouses significant not only from a maritime perspective but also in the field of optical science.

From an engineering standpoint, lighthouse lighting systems do not only produce light but also form an integrated system of lenses, reflective surfaces, and energy systems that maximize optical efficiency. Particularly with the use of Fresnel lens technology, light can be transmitted over longer distances with less energy. Today, most of these systems are powered by solar energy and operate with battery systems.

Today, many lighthouses operate on solar power and can be remotely monitored using automation systems. However, this technological transformation has largely eliminated the tradition of human-operated "lighthouse keeping."

Classification and Terminology

Lighthouses are classified into different types based on their light characteristics:

• F (Fixed): Steady light
• Fl (Flashing): Light flashing at short intervals
• Occ (Occulting): Light with long periods of illumination, interrupted by short periods of darkness
• Mo.(A): Morse code alphabet signal
• Gp.Fl.(3): Group light with a certain number of flashes

These characteristics make lighthouses easily recognizable by sailors at night, functioning as essential navigational aids.

The classification of lighthouses is not limited to lighting systems. Structural distinctions are also made based on their location, such as "land lighthouse," "harbor lighthouse," and "buoy lighthouse." Additionally, old lighthouses that are no longer in service or are under preservation are referred to as "historical lighthouses" and are included in the scope of cultural heritage.

Cultural and Strategic Importance

Lighthouses are not only technical structures but also cultural symbols. Due to their architectural forms and locations, they have become symbols of solitude and resistance in art forms such as literature, cinema, and painting. During wartime, they were extinguished to prevent enemy ships from determining their position, thus playing a role in military strategies. Moreover, many countries restore lighthouses to preserve coastal culture and architectural heritage, sometimes repurposing them as museums or observation points. In this regard, lighthouses are seen as living monuments to maritime history.