Greeks and tourists have the opportunity to visit 28 lighthouses across Greece and be briefed on their contribution in safe navigation and the development of the lighthouses network. the lighthouses are open to public on Sunday, August 18th 2019 as part of the cultural heritage and in the context of the International Lighthouse Day on August 19.
Twenty eight lighthouses in Greece will be open to public from 10:00 to 20:00 on Sunday.
The lighthouses that will be open are:
Aghios Nikolaos on the island of Kea
Akrotiri on Santorini
Arkitsa in the region of Fthiotida
Moudariou on Kythira island
Vryssakiou in Lavrio
Fiskardo on Cephallonia island
Gourouniou on Skopelos
Drepano in the region of Achaia
Drepano in Chania, Crete
Kassandra at Chalkidiki
Katakolo in the region of Ilia
Skinariou on Zakynthos
Kranai in Gythio
Megalou Emvolou in Thessaloniki
Melagavi in Loutraki
Plaka on Limnos
Korakas on Paros
Kokkinopoulou on Psara
The lighthouse of Alexandroupolis
Lakka on Paxi island
Vassilina on Evia
Pappa on Ikaria
Spathiou on Serifos and
Doukatou on Lefkada
The Lighthouse network in Greece is considered as one of the largest and most organized in the world. This consists of 1309 beacons, illuminating lamps and lighthouses of which 57 are supervised and 6 are permanently manned.
The establishment and operation of lighthouses, since ancient times, is linked to the geographical location of each country and the need for man to travel beyond known boundaries and discover the edge of the world.
The needs of maritime trade and navigation have necessitated, since the late 18th century, the development of an organized network of lighthouses that would protect those who sailed in the narrow passageways, in areas with dangerous reefs and promontories and reefs and guided them to ports.
Unlike modern lighthouses, in antiquity, they functioned more as an entrance marker to ports than as a warning signal.
Famous Antiquity Lighthouses
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected at the harbor of Rhodes by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. According to most contemporary descriptions, the Colossus stood approximately 70 cubits, or 33 metres (108 feet) high—the approximate height of the modern Statue of Liberty from feet to crown—making it the tallest statue of the ancient world. It collapsed during the earthquake of 226 B. Although parts of it were preserved, it was never rebuilt.
The Pharos of Alexandria
was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom, during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280–247 BC). It was estimated to be 100 metres (330 ft) in overall height. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, for many centuries it was one of the tallest man-made structures in the world. The tower was built in the early 3rd century BC. century and collapsed by earthquake in the 8th century AD.
Background
Stone Lighthouses and Lanterns are traditional monuments of particular architectural construction and continue to contribute to the development and safety of navigation, are linked to the maritime tradition of Greece and are a reference point for sailors.
The name of the lighthouses – Faros or Pharos in Greek – is directly related to the tower built on the Egyptian island of Pharos, east of the entrance to the port of Alexandria, by the great architect of the Hellenistic era, Sostratos.
From the name of this island of Egypt all the towers were named after them, which were used to mark the course of the ships, displacing any other name known until then.
The exact date of construction of the first Greek modern lighthouse is unknown. It is alleged that the first lighthouse was built in Aegina in 1827 when Kapodistrias proclaimed the island the capital of the newly established Greek state.
It was not until 1831 that two other lamps istalled on the island of Spetses and Kea were lit.
In 1834 the lighthouse at Gaidouronissi of Syros was built, which is the tallest of the Greek network with a height of about 29 meters..
The lighthouse of Tourlitis in Andros
This lighthouse was built in 1887. The height of its cylindrical tower is 7 meters and its focal height is 36 meters. its light power can reach 11 nautical miles.
It is located just opposite the Venetian castle in Chora, the capital of the island of Andros.
It is the only lighthouse built on a rock in the sea.
sources: amna, kollydas.gr, wikipedia, androsportal
