Lighthouses of Bulgaria

Bulgaria, located in the southeastern corner of Europe, was part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries until it became independent in 1878. Independence was a complex process, and the southeastern part of the country, including the Bourgas area, remained nominally in the Empire under the name Eastern Rumelia until 1886. Bulgaria has about 200 km (125 mi) of coastline facing east on the Black Sea. The principal ports are Bourgas (Burgas) in the south and Varna in the north. In recent years the country's Black Sea beaches have become popular vacation destinations for Eastern Europeans. The Bulgarian word for a lighthouse is far. Since the end of the Communist era (1945-1991), a number of place names that had been changed under Communist rule have reverted to the original forms. The Communist era names are shown in braces {}. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113. What's Hot:

Sveti Ivan Light Wikipedia public domain photo from Sozopol.com

General Sources
Steve G. Bryan's Trip on Bulgarian Lighthouses 2002

Nine photos by Mr. Bryan, who is amateur radio operation G0SGB.

Bourgas District Lighthouses
* Ahtopol (Akhtopol)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) tower in two sections: the lower section is a 5 m (16 ft) round stone rubblestone tower on a square rubblestone base, and the upper section is a 6 m (20 ft) square pyramidal cast iron (?) skeletal tower mounted on a small square equipment shelter. Upper section painted yellow, lower section black. A more distant view is also available, and another view shows how close the light is to the waterfront of the town. Located on a rock just off the coast at Ahtopol, about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Tsarevo. It appears that the lighthouse can be approached at low water. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-001; Admiralty E4968, NGA 17540.

[Tsarevo {Micurin} Port]

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); quick-flashing white light. 10 m (33 ft) post light mounted on a small round conical concrete equipment shelter. Base painted yellow, post black. Located on a rock off the harbor of Tsarevo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-031; Admiralty E4970, NGA 17544.

* Tsarevo {Micurin} Main

Date unknown (probably recent). Active; focal plane 41 m (134 ft); white light, 3 s on, 4 s off. Light mounted atop a 20 m (66 ft) building, listed by NGA as a "dwelling." An apartment building, perhaps? No photo available. Evidently located behind the waterfront of Tsarevo. Site presumably open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BUL-012; Admiralty E4971.5, NGA 17550.

* Primorsko Pierhead

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white light, 2 s on, 3 s off. 5.5 m (18 ft) round stone tower with gallery; the light is displayed from a short skeletal mounting. Tower painted white. Venelin Alexiev has a good closeup photo, and Simona Nedelcheva has another photo. Located at the end of the breakwater pier in Primorsko. Accessible by walking the pier (caution: no railings). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-019; Admiralty E4972, NGA 17552.

Maslen Nos (Cape Zeitin)

1920s. Active; focal plane 37.5 m (123 ft); three white flashes every 17.2 s. 7 m (23 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A 1-story building nearby is probably a keeper's house. Evgeni Dinev has a distant view. Located on a rocky promontory about 7 km (4.5 mi) northeast of Primorsko. Site status unknown. ARLHS BUL-010; Admiralty E4974, NGA 17556.

* Sozopol

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1s off. 7 m (23 ft) short square skeletal tower centered on a 1-story square stone castellated building. The building is painted white with a black horizontal band. Steve Bryan has a 2002 photo, and another photo shows this light at the right as well as the pierhead light. Located at an elbow of the breakwater mole protecting the west side of the harbor at Sozopol. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-034; Admiralty E4978.3.

* Sveti Ivan

1884. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a small equipment cabinet. A keeper's house is nearby. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is gray metallic. Fog horn (4 blasts every 30 s). A photo appears at the top of this page, and Geir Halvorsen has a distant view. The lighthouse was built by French engineers for the government of Eastern Rumelia. Sveti Ivan (St. John) is an island about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) north of Sozopol on the south side of the entrance to Bourgaski Zaliv (Bourgas Bay). The island is famous for the ruins of a 12th century monastery, and archaeologists have found the ruins of a second century Roam lighthouse on the island. Boat transportation is available from Sozopol. Located on the northern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-022; Admiralty E4976, NGA 17564.

* Sveta Anastasiya {Ostrov Bolshevik} 1914 (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 6 s off. 12 m (39 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is gray metallic. 1-story keeper's house, painted white with a red tile roof. A photo is at right, Radio amateur LZ4BU has an aerial photo of the island (near the bottom of the page), and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse appears to be a sibling of the Sv. Ivan Light. Sveta Anasastiya is a small island in Bourgas Bay about 6 km (3.5 mi) east southeast of the Bourgas waterfront. The island was the site of a convent, later converted to a prison. It is accessible by passenger ferry from Bourgas. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-021; Admiralty E4980, NGA 17572. * Bourgas West Breakwater East Arm Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical cast iron (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. The Port of Bourgas has a small photo of the harbor entrance that shows this lighthouse on the left and the next one on the right. Located at the end of the inner breakwater on the west side of the entrance to the inner harbor of Bourgas; Google has a satellite view. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-027; Admiralty E4988, NGA 17588. * Bourgas East Breakwater West Arm Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical cast iron (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. The Port of Bourgas has a small photo of the harbor entrance that shows this lighthouse on the right and the previous one on the left. Located at the end of the inner breakwater on the east side of the entrance to the inner harbor of Bourgas; Google has a satellite view. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-026; Admiralty E4986, NGA 17584.

Sveta Anastasiya Light Wikipedia public domain photo

* Bourgas East Mole

1899. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern painted white. Fog horn (one short and three long blasts every 30 s). The Port of Bourgas has a small current photo, and Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard view. This lighthouse appears to be a prefabricated French cast iron tourelle. Located at the end of a short breakwater mole on the north side of the entrance to Bourgas harbor. There is a road on the mole, which also shelters the pleasure boat marina. Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-002; Admiralty E4984, NGA 17580.

Pomorie Reef

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with gallery, mounted on a square pier. Lighthouse painted black with one yellow horizontal band. Another distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Pomorie is a beach town at the end of a narrow spit about 15 km (9 mi) east northeast of Bourgas; the light marks the north side of the entrance to Bourgas Bay. Located on a rock southeast of the beach at Pomorie. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS BUL-018; Admiralty E4990, NGA 17604.

* Nessebur (Nesebur, Nesebar) (1)

Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with gallery; lantern removed. The tower is unpainted. Another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The active light (focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 8 s, red or green depending on direction) is nearby on a 6 m (20 ft) square skeletal tower. Nessebur is a beach resort town about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Bourgas. The lighthouse is on an island just offshore and connected to the town by a causeway. Located on the northern tip of the island and the active light is at the end of a breakwater attached to the southwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BUL-033; Admiralty E4994, NGA 17608.

* Emine (Nos Emine, Cape Emine)

1880. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off. 9 m (30 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof painted red. Kiril Stanchev has a 2007 photo, Evgeni Dinev has a panoramic photo, and another view shows the spectacular setting of the light station. Nos Emine is a prominent cape projecting into the Black Sea about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Nessebur. The site appears accessible, but the light station itself may be restricted. ARLHS BUL-014; Admiralty E4996, NGA 17612.

Varna District Lighthouses
* Galata (Nos Galata) (2)

1913 (station established 1863). Inactive since 1987. 9 m (30 ft) square concrete (?) tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Bryan has a photo, Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard photo, and Wikipedia has a photo of the cape showing both lighthouses. Bryan's photo shows a Fresnel lens in the tower. The light station was damaged by shelling from the Russian cruiser Empress Maria in 1915, during World War I, but it was repaired after the war. An image of the original (1863) lighthouse is also available. Nos Galata is a prominent cape at the south side of the entrance to Varna Bay. Site presumably open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-030.

* Galata (Nos Galata) (3)

1987 (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 22m (72 ft) octagonal tower with lantern room, rising from a 1-story administration building. The tower is white with beige vertical stripes. Nautophone fog signal (one short and two long blasts every 30 s). Wikipedia has a photo of the cape showing both lighthouses, and both can be seen in a Google satellite view. Nos Galata is a prominent cape at the south side of the entrance to Varna Bay, about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of the city, and this light serves as the city's landfall light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-015; Admiralty E5000, NGA 17624.

Varna South Breakwater

1903. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery red. The lighthouse can be seen dimly at the end of the pier at upper left of a photo of Varna's inner harbor. In addition, this lighthouse and the two East Breakwater Lights are seen in an interesting panorama by Alexander Dichev. This is a sibling of the East Breakwater Spur Light seen in the foreground of the same photo. Located at the end of a short pier on the west (mainland) side of Varna's inner harbor; Google has a satellite view. Site status unknown. ARLHS BUL-024; Admiralty E5006, NGA 17632.

* Varna East Breakwater Spur 1903. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof green. Bryan has a photo, and the lighthouse is also seen in the foreground of a photo of Varna's inner harbor. Alexander Dichev has a panorama of the harbor taken from the base of this lighthouse. This lighthouse is a typical prefabricated French tourelle. Located on a short westward spur off the east (main) breakwater at Varna, marking (with the South Breakwater Light) the entrance to Varna's inner harbor. Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-023; Admiralty E5005, NGA 17633. * Varna East Breakwater (Sveti Nikolaos, St. Nicholas) (2) 1986 (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a square stone base. Lighthouse painted white, lantern dome red. A photo is at right, Felix Haller has a photo, another good photo is available, the lighthouse appears on the left in a panorama by Alexander Dichev, and Google has a satellite view. Another photo shows a mosaic image of St.Nicholas mounted on the base of the lighthouse. This lighthouse is a replica of the original, which was moved to a museum setting (next entry). Located at the end of the main breakwater of Varna harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-025; Admiralty E5004, NGA 17628.

Varna East Breakwater (St. Nicholas) Light, July 2006 anonymous Creative Commons photo

* Varna East Breakwater (Sveti Nikolaos, St. Nicholas) (1)

1903. Inactive since 1986. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome painted black. David Collins has a good 2007 photo, and Bryan also has a photo. This lighthouse, another typical prefabricated French tourelle, has been relocated to the grounds of the Bulgarian Naval Museum at 2 Primorski Road in downtown Varna. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-032.

* Varna Evsinograd (Euxinograd, Yevksinogradski) Mole

About 1923. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); continuous red light. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with a large lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. No recent photo available, although Google has a satellite view. Information is needed on the condition of this unusual lighthouse. Located on the north side of Varna Bay about 5 km (3 mi) east northeast of the city's harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-006; Admiralty E5008.5, NGA 17640.

Dobrich District Lighthouses
Note: Dobrich District, included in the territory known as Southern Dobrudja, was part of Romania from 1913 to 1940, except for a short interlude in 1918-19.

* Ekrene Date unknown (late 1940s?). Active (?); focal plane 94 m (308 ft); two white flashes, separated by 7 s, every 30 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. A small photo is available. The light has been dropped from the 2007 edition of the NGA list, so it has probably been deactivated. Located on a bluff about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Varna. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-005; Admiralty E5009, NGA 17644. * Kaliakra (Nos Kaliakra, Cape Kaliakra) (2) 1901 (station established 1866). Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; the house is painted yellow. Bryan has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Cape Kaliakra is a razor-thin ridge that points southward into the Black Sea. The cape is a popular tourist attraction, but there is a curious lack of photos of the lighthouse. Located about 20 km (13 mi) south of Shabla and 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Kavarna. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-016; Admiralty E5012, NGA 17656. * Shabla 1856 (Ottoman). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); three white flashes, in a 2+1 pattern, every 20 s. 32 m (105 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a large 3-story square stone base; the tower appears to be covered by panels of some kind. Entire lighthouse, including the base, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 1- and 2-story keeper's house is attached to the base of the lighthouse. This is a staffed station. Plamen Stoev's photo is at right, and Denica Barfonchovska has another excellent closeup photo. This Bulgaria's oldest, tallest, and best known lighthouse. Built by the Ottoman Empire, it stands on the easternmost point of the country. Located about 5 km (3 mi) east of the town of Shabla in the northeastern corner of Bulgaria. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BUL-017; Admiralty E5016, NGA 17660.

Shabla Light, June 2007 Creative Commons photo by Plamen Stoev

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Posted January 12, 2007. Checked and revised March 14, 2008. Lighthouses: 23. Site copyright 2008 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.