Lighthouses of Egypt: Red Sea

Egypt is famous as the home of the prototype of all lighthouses, the Pharos of Alexandria, built in the early third century BC. At nearly 120 m (390 ft), it was as tall as a modern skyscraper and much taller than any modern lighthouse. It remained in operation until after the Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 CE and stood for centuries more, finally collapsing after several earthquakes.

In 1869, the completion of the Suez Canal by a French company linked Egypt's Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts and made the country a strategic crossroads. British troops occupied the county in 1882, and it was more or less a British colony until resuming its independence in 1922.

This page includes lighthouses of Egypt's Red Sea coast; there is a separate page for the Mediterranean Sea coast.

Aids to navigation in Egypt are operated by the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAFMS), an agency of the transport ministry. A private company, the Beacon Company of Egypt, seems to do much of the maintenance work under contract.

The Arabic word for a lighthouse is mnarh or manara (منارة). Ra's is a cape, jaza'ir or jazirat is an island, and shi'b is a reef. Transliteration of Arabic to Latin characters can be done in many ways. Where there are two names, the first name given for each light is the spelling on the EAFMS site, and the second is the spelling of the U.S. NGA list.

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 112.

General Sources
Beacon Company of Egypt - List of Lights
This light list provides data on each light, but no photos. The Red Sea lights are not included.
Online List of Lights - Egypt
Photos by various photographers posted by Alex Trabas.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Brothers Light
Akhaween (The Brothers) Light, Red Sea, June 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Jon Hanson

Southern Sinai Governorate Lighthouses

Gulf of Aqaba Lighthouses
* Nuweiba (Nuweibah)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); three white flashes, in a 2+1 pattern, every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Nuweiba is a resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba about 70 km (45 mi) south of the Israeli border and 150 km (90 mi) north of Sharm el-Sheikh. Located beside the main highway in Nuweiba. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6041.4; NGA 112-30432.
* Dahab
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Dahab is a former fishing village, now a resort and scuba diving center, 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh. Located in downtown Dahab. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6041; NGA 112-30428.

Sharm el-Sheikh Area Lighthouses
Note: Ra's Muhammed is the cape at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Red Sea divides into two channels, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Gulf of Suez to the west. Sharm el-Sheikh is a resort city overlooking the Strait of Tiran, the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba. Tiran Island, a large island partly blocking the entrance, is administered by Egypt but claimed by Saudi Arabia.
Chisholm Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes, in a 2+1 pattern, every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southwestern tip of Tiran island, marking the east side of the entrance to the Strait of Tiran. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6040.3; NGA 112-30422.
Wadi Kid
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (29 ft) tower, probably a round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. The lighthouse is black with a yellow horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. For southbound vessels, this light marks the west side of the entrance to the Strait of Tiran. Located on a promontory about 19 km (12 mi) north of the narrowest part of the strait. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6040.9; NGA 112-30426.
Gordon Reef
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light occulting once every 7 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Upper half of the lighthouse is red, lower half white. A photo and a second photo are available, Sergey Konovolov has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. The Strait of Tiran is about 5 km (3 mi) wide between the Sinai mainland and Tiran Island, but the Gordon Reef blocks a large part of the strait. Most ships pass through a narrow channel, the Enterprise Passage, between the Sinai coast and this light, located on southwestern end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6040.7; NGA 112-30424.
Ra's Ghamila (Enterprise Passage)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (43 ft); white flash every 10 s; also a green sector light occulting once every 7 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse is green. A photo is available, Vladimir Nikolaev has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the mainland opposite the Gordon Reef Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6040.3; NGA 112-30422.
* Um el Sayed (Ra's Umm Sidd)
1987. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A large rectangular white daymark covers most of the front of the lighthouse. A photo is at right, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. Ra's Umm Sidd is a headland at the northern end of the Red Sea, about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Ra's Muhammad, the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The light station guides ships leaving the Red Sea for the Gulf of Aqaba. The lighthouse is easily accessible by road from the resorts in the nearby Sharm el-Sheikh area. Site probably open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-020; Admiralty E6040; NGA 112-30416.
Um el Sayed Light
Um el-Sayed Light, Sharm el-Sheikh, September 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Gareth and Rebekah
* Sharm el-Shiekh Entrance East (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); green light, 3 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped green fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's photo, and Google has a satellite view. NGA has obsolete entries for this light and the next one. Located on the east side of the cruise ship harbor of Sharm el-Shiekh. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6039.9; NGA 112-30415.5.
Sharm el-Shiekh Entrance West (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); red light, 3 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped red fiberglass tower mounted on a square concrete base. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's photo (also seen at right), and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the cruise ship harbor of Sharm el-Shiekh. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6039.91; NGA 112-30415.

Gulf of Suez East Shore Lighthouses
Ra's Muhammad
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Upper half of tower painted black, lower half white. No lantern. Mario Nocentini has a photo, another photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a satellite view. Although it is not much of a lighthouse, this is an important light, marking the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The area is incorporated in the Ra's Muhammed National Park. Located at the end of a barren, rocky peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-028; Admiralty E6039.5; NGA 112-30414.
Kad ben Haddan (Qad ibn Haddan)
1987. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); white flash every 10 s. 39 m (128 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, with lantern, gallery, and a rectangular white daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. A building surrounds the lighthouse. This light marks the northeast side of the entrance to the Gulf of Suez, about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Ra's Muhammad. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-026; Admiralty E6039; NGA 112-30412.
Sharm el Sheikh Entrance West Light
Sharm el-Sheikh Entrance West Light, Sharm el-Sheikh
photo copyright Douglas Cameron; used by permission
Lahata
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 39 m (128 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, with a white daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. This light does not appear on the EAFMS list. The light marks a headland on the east side of the Gulf, directly opposite Ain Sukhna. Located about 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Suez city. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-040; Admiralty E6021.5; NGA 112-30252.
Qadd el Tawila
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); white flash every 10 s. 39 m (128 ft) square skeletal tower, with a white daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. This light does not appear on the EAFMS list. Ships northbound toward the Canal steer toward this light after turning from the bearing marked by the Ain Sokhna lighthouse. Located on the east side of the Gulf about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Suez city. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-041; Admiralty E6021.2; NGA 112-30248.

Suez Governorate Lighthouses

Suez Harbor Lighthouses
Birket Mesallet
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 39 m (128 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, with a white daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the east side of the Gulf at Port Taufiq, about 3 km (1.8 mi) southeast of the Canal entrance. Site status unknown. Admiralty E6017; NGA 112-30230.
Jazirat al Khadra (Qal'a Kebira, Green Island)
Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); quick-flashing white light. 23 m (75 ft) skeletal tower, mounted on a square concrete pier. No photo available, but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. There's nothing green about the islet; it is a barren sandbar. Located about 200 m (220 yd) south of the island, about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of the Canal entrance and 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the Newport Rock Light (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6016; NGA 112-30232.
Newport Rock (2)
Date unknown (1960s?) (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) tripod tower with gallery, mounted on three strait piles. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Jürgen Klinksiek has contributed a photo (also seen at right), and Sherif Aboul Gadayel also has a photo. Bing's distant satellite view probably shows the light. This light is on the east side of the channel for ships approaching or leaving the Suez Canal; a chart is available. The original lighthouse was described as a "cylindrical tower on a dwelling on piles." Located on a shoal about 8 km (5 mi) south of the southern entrance to the Suez Canal. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-015; Admiralty E6020; NGA 112-30236.

Upper Gulf of Suez West Shore Lighthouses
Ra's Muhaggara
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 39 m (128 ft) square skeletal tower, with a white daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. This light does not appear on the EAFMS list. Located on the west side of the Gulf about 18 km (11 mi) southwest of Suez city. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-043; Admiralty E6021; NGA 112-30244.
Newport Rock Light
Newport Rock Light, Suez, June 1997
photo copyright Jürgen Klinksiek; used by permission
Ain Sokhna (Ain Sukhna) (2)
2008 (?) (station established 1987). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 5 s; there is also a white, red or green light, depending on direction, occulting, but the period is not given in the NGA List. 39 m (128 ft) skeletal tower. A building surrounds the tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Presumably this lighthouse is similar to the Um el Sayed (Ra's Umm Sidd) lighthouse at Sharm el-Sheikh (see above). The directional light guides ships northbound toward the Suez Canal. Ain Sukhna is a port on the west side of the Gulf about 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Suez city. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-038; Admiralty E6021.8; NGA 112-30254.
Abu-el-Durg (Ra's Abu Darag)
1926 (?). Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a large crew quarters building. Lighthouse painted white. Nagi Hosni's 2009 photo is at right. According to NGA's sailing directions (Publication 172), the light is shown from "a white round concrete tower surrounded by white buildings standing close seaward of a ruined lighthouse." There's no sign of an earlier lighthouse in a Google satellite view, but behind the lighthouse there is another compound with a very tall communications tower. This may be an Egyptian Navy installation. According to EAFMS, the lighthouse was "renewed" in 1987. Located on a headland about 40 km (25 mi) north of Zaafarana. Site status unknown (probably closed). ARLHS EGY-003; Admiralty E6022.5; NGA 112-30256.
Abu el-Durg Light
Abu el-Durg Light, Gulf of Suez, September 2009
Panoramio photo copyright Nagi M. Hosni; used by permission

Red Sea Governorate Lighthouses

Gulf of Suez West Shore Lighthouses
Zaafarana (Ra's Zafarana)
1862. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 10 s. 25 m (82 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Nagi Hosni's photo is at right, Ragab Hafiez has a more distant 2009 photo, the lighthouse is at the right edge of a sunrise photo, and Google has a satellite view. Zafarana Point is the site of a large wind power generating farm. Located on a headland on the west side of the Gulf of Suez. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-019; Admiralty E6023; NGA 112-30260.
* Ra's Ruahmi
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located beside the coastal highway about 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Ra's Zafarana. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6023.6; NGA 112-30264.
False Ra's Gharib
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) fiberglass tower, probably hourglass-shaped. Lighthouse white with a red stripe. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a point of land about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Ra's Gharib. Site status unknown. Admiralty E6024.4; NGA 112-30276.
Ra's Gharib (1)
1871. Inactive since 1987. 50 m (165 ft) cast iron tripod tower with central cylinder, lantern, and gallery. The lighthouse was originally painted black. A portfolio of photos and another photo of both lighthouses is available, Google has a satellite view and Huelse has a historic postcard view. This lighthouse was built by the French as part of the Suez Canal project. It is very rare, with only a few surviving examples anywhere of its design. Abandoned for two decades, it is clearly endangered. Located on a headland at Ra's Gharib, on the west side of the Gulf of Suez about 160 km (100 mi) south of Suez city. Site status unknown; there is a tank farm and petroleum loading dock nearby.
Ra's Gharib (2)
1987 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 39 m (128 ft) triangular skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a large 1-story crew quarters building (probably an Egyptian Navy installation). Lighthouse painted white. A photo of both lighthouses is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland at Ra's Gharib. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-007; Admiralty E6025; NGA 112-30280.
Zaafarana Light
Ra's Zaafarana Light, Gulf of Suez, July 2009
Panoramio photo copyright Nagi M. Hosni; used by permission
* El Mallaha
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located beside the coastal highway about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Ra's Gharib. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6027; NGA 112-30332.
Ra's Shukier (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 89 m (279 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 17 m (56 ft) (?) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, carrying a white square daymark. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. The tower appears to be taller than the listed height. Located on a prominent cape about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ra's Gharib, in a Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company facility. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E6030; NGA 112-30340.
Ra's Dubb (Ra's Dib) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black. No photo available. Bing's satellite view does not show the fiberglass tower, but it does show a cluster of taller buildings on the cape. Located on a prominent cape about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Ra's Gharib. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-006; Admiralty E6031; NGA 112-30348.
Ra's Zeit
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a high bluff above the coastal highway about 80 km (50 mi) southeast of Ra's Gharib. Site status unknown. Admiralty E6032; NGA 112-30384.
Umm al Kiwan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black with a white horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff off the coastal highway on the mainland about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of the El Ashrafy lighthouse. Site status unknown. Admiralty E6033; NGA 112-30388.

Gulf of Suez Entrance Lighthouses
El Ashrafy (Ashrafi Juzur) (2)
1940 (station established 1862). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); four white flashes, in a 3+1 pattern, every 15 s. Approx. 26 m (85 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A 2-story keeper's house curves around the lighthouse. Assem Nayal's photo is at right, and Google has an excellent satellite view. Huelse has a postcard image of the original tower, an ornate and unusual skeletal lighthouse. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1987. The Ashrafi Reef area has offshore oil rigs and is avoided by diving expeditions. Located about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Jemsa. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-001; Admiralty E6034; NGA 112-30396.
El Ashrafy Light
El Ashrafy Light, Gulf of Suez, August 2008
Panoramio photo copyright Assem Nayal; used by permission
Jazirat Gubal (Bluff Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square white tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This light helps guide ships through a narrow passage at the south end of the Gulf of Suez. Located on a promontory at the eastern end of an island about 25 km (15 mi) east of Gamasa. ARLHS EGY-021; Admiralty E6035; NGA 112-30400.
Jazirat Siyul (Siyul Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft) four white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is colored with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 6.5 km (4 mi) northwest of Shakir (Shadwan) Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-029; Admiralty E6036; NGA 112-30404.
Ra's Shukheir (Jazirat Shakir, Shadwan Island)
1889. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower appears to be unpainted today; formerly it had a black horizontal band at the top and black and white vertical stripes below. Lantern painted white. No recent closeup photo available. A historic photo is at right, Paul Bunker has a distant view, and Bing has a satellite view. Shaker or Shakir (also called Shadwan) is a rocky island, the largest of a group of islands in the center of the Gubal Straits, the entrance to the Gulf of Suez from the Red Sea. The island is a military base; during the War of Attrition (1968-70) artillery and missile batteries on the island shelled Israeli forces occupying the nearby Sinai Peninsula. The lighthouse was damaged by an Israeli counterattack in January 1970 and was not fully repaired until 1987. Located at the southeastern tip of the island. Site and tower closed. ARLHS EGY-008; Admiralty E6037; NGA 112-30408.
Shadwan Island Light
Shadwan Island Light during the Israeli raid, 22 January 1970
Israeli military photo posted by the Israeli Paratroopers Association

Hurghada and Safaga Area Lighthouses
Note: Hurghada is a beach resort city of about 260,000 people, making it easily the largest city of Egypt's Red Sea coast. Safaga is a much smaller town about 55 km (35 mi) south of Hurghada.
Umm Qamar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. The tower is red with a white horizontal band. A very distant view is available (click on the photo for higher resolution), and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on an island in the northwestern corner of the Red Sea, about 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Hurghada. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-030; Admiralty E6037.5; NGA 112-30409.
Giftun el-Saghir
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted black. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Giftun el-Saghir is an island facing the Red Sea about 15 km (9 mi) east of Hurghada. Located on the east side of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-024; Admiralty E6037.6; NGA 112-30409.5.
* Ra's Abu Sawmah
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted black with a white top. Alexander Peskov has a view from the sea, and Bing has a good satellite view. There are resorts in this area, so the lack of photos is disappointing. Located on a headland about 25 km (15 mi) north of Bur Safaga. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-027; Admiralty E6047.2; NGA 112-30470.5.
Jazirat Safaga (Safaga Island)
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower, mounted on a square concrete base. Lighthouse colored black with one yellow horizontal band. 1-story crew building, probably a navy or coast guard station. A distant view from the sea is available, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view of the station. Safaga Island, about 10 km (6 mi) long and 2 km (1.25 mi) wide, shelters the Safaga beach and port area. Located on an isolated hill near the northeastern tip of the island. Site status unknown. Admiralty E6047.55; NGA 112-30471.4.
* Bur Safaga (Leading Light, Transit Beacon) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) (?) square pyramidal skeletal tower carrying a rectabgular slatted daymark painted red with a white vertical stripe. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's photo, but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view. The tower appears to be considerably taller than the listed height. This is an approach light for Bur (Port) Safaga, a port for shipment of phosphate from nearby mines. Located at the south end of the port area. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6047.4; NGA 112-30472.
Safaga Ulber
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete pier. The upper third of the light tower is red, the lower 2/3 white. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. There are also several resorts in the area. Located in the surf inside the reef off a headland about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of the port. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E6047.68; NGA 112-30475.2.

Red Sea Reef Lighthouses
Akhaween (Al-Ikhwan, The Brothers)
1883. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. 31 m (102 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. This is a staffed station, with several crew quarters and other buildings. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. Jon Hanson's photo appears at the top of this page, and he also has a closeup of the tower. Trabas has a good photo by Günther Hess, but the reef is only a blur in Google's satellite view. This lighthouse was built by the British; the original Chance Brothers Fresnel lens remains in use and is still turned by clockwork that must be wound by hand every 4 hours. The station, refurbished in 1993, is staffed by the Egyptian Navy, but visitors are usually welcome. Saudi Aramco World has an article on the light station by Eric Hanauer. The island is included in Egypt's Red Sea Marine Park. Located atop a 400 m (1/4 mi) long rocky island in the middle of the Red Sea about 65 km (40 mi) east of Al-Qusayr. Accessible only by boat. Site open; visitors are sometimes allowed to climb the tower. ARLHS EGY-008; Admiralty E6047; NGA 112-30476.
Abu el-Kizan (Daedalus Reef) (2)
1931 (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes, in a 1+2 pattern, every 12 s. 30 m (98 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story crew quarters complex. Tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. Clifton Beard's photo appears at right, Jonathan Coates has an excellent closeup photo, Trabas has a photo by Günther Hess, and a 2008 photo is available, but the reef is only a blur in Google's satellite view. This light station is one of a series established by the French to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea after the opening of the Suez Canal. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, a round cast iron tower incorporating a 4-story keeper's quarters. The present lighthouse, refurbished in 1993, is staffed by the Egyptian Navy. Daedalus Reef, a popular stop for scuba divers, is included in Egypt's Red Sea Marine Park. Located on a reef barely breaking the surface of the sea, about 100 km (60 mi) east of Marsa Alam. Accessible only by boat. Site open; visitors are sometimes allowed to climb the tower. ARLHS EGY-010; Admiralty E6048; NGA 112-30492.
Daedalus Reef Light
Abu el-Kizan (Daedalus Reef) Light, Red Sea, May 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Clifton Beard

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Mediterranean Egypt | Northeast: Israel | East: Jordan | South: Sudan

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Posted July 25, 2006. Checked and revised April 27, 2013. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.