Lighthouses of Northwestern Turkey

Most of the modern nation of Turkey occupies the broad peninsula of Anatolia (Asia Minor) between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The northwestern corner of the country is the region of eastern Thrace, a part of Europe adjoining Greece and Bulgaria. Between Anatolia and Thrace is the small Sea of Marmara, connected to the Black Sea by the Bosporus and to the Aegean Sea by the Dardanelles. These narrow passages form a famous international waterway, lit by several historic lighthouses, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. This page describes the lighthouses of Thrace, the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmora, the Dardanelles, and the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea adjacent to the Dardanelles. This includes the lighthouses of the İstanbul area. The other lights of Turkey's Black Sea coast are on the Northern Turkey page, while lights of the rest of the Aegean and Mediterranean are on the Southern Turkey page. The Turkish phrase for a lighthouse is fener (plural fenerler) or deniz feneri ("sea lantern"). Burnu is a cape or headland, ada or adası is an island, and limani is a harbor. Lighthouses in Turkey are operated by the Directorate General of Coastal Safety (Kıyı Emniyeti Genel Müdürlü). 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. General Sources Deniz Senyalleri ve Fenerer Official light lists posted by the Coastal Safety Directorate. Photos of nearly all the lighthouses are available here, but Microsoft Internet Explorer may be needed to follow the links. Historical Lighthouses Historical accounts in English for 12 lighthouses, posted by the Coastal Safety Directorate. Deniz Fenerleri Photos of 22 lighthouses by Haluk Özözlü. Online List of Lights - Turkey Photos by Capt. Peter Mosselberger (Capt. Peter), posted by Alexander Trabas. Europäische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Ahırkapı Feneri, May 2007 anonymous Creative Commons photo

Eastern Black Sea Lighthouses

*** Anadolu (2)

1856 (station established 1830). Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); one long (2 s) white flash every 20 s. 19 m (62 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. 2-story masonry keeper's house; attached to the house is a slender round tower with gallery resembling a minaret. A closeup and another photo is available, and Özözlü has a distant photo. Anadolu is the Turkish name for Anatolia, and the lighthouse stands on the east (Anatolian) side of the entrance to the Bosporus from the Black Sea. Located on a high promontory above the village of Anadolufeneri. Site open, tower listed by the Coastal Safety Directorate as open to visitors. ARLHS TUR-014; Admiralty E4958; NGA 17508.

*** Rumeli (Türkeli) (2)

1856 (station established 1830). Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 30 m (98 ft) 2-stage octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. An octagonal control tower in front of the lighthouse monitors ship traffic entering the Bosporus from the Black Sea. Özözlü has a good photo, Akin Ozyazici also has a photo, Capt. Peter has a good view from the strait, an excellent 2008 closeup is available, Feryal Alayont has posted a panoramic view, and the Coastal Safety Directorate has the history of the station. This is Turkey's tallest lighthouse. Rumeli (or Rumelia) is an old name for the Turkish possessions in Europe, and this lighthouse stands on the west (Rumelian or Thracian) side of the entrance to the Bosporus from the Black Sea. During early phases of construction, the French builders discovered that the chosen site is on top of an ancient mausoleum. They revised their plans to allow access to the mausoleum, which remains open today. Located on a hillside above the village of Rumelifeneri. Site open, tower listed by the Coastal Safety Directorate as open to visitors. ARLHS TUR-053; Admiralty E4956; NGA 17496.

* Rumeli Karaburun (2) 1968 (station established 1856). Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with 8 ribs, lantern, and gallery. 1° Fresnel lens in use. Entire lighthouse is white. ARLHS has an excellent photo, and Ozan Kilic has a dramatic nighttime photo. NGA lists the light as a stone tower and mentions a keeper's house not seen in the photo. The original lighthouse was much higher, with a focal plane of 92 m (302 ft); we don't know if that lighthouse survives. Located on a short, sharp promontory at Karaburun, about 40 km (25 mi) northwest of İstanbul. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-036; Admiralty E4964; NGA 17520. * Igneada Burnu (3) 1913 (station established 1866). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 8 m (26 ft) round masonry tower, adjoining a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, Izzet Kirbas has a fine photo, and Özözlü has a good photo. The original lighthouse was destroyed in 1903 and replaced by a temporary light. Located near Limanköy at the tip of the cape, which projects into the Black Sea about 8 km (5 mi) south of the Bulgarian border. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4966; NGA 17528.

Igneada Burnu Feneri; Coastal Safety Directorate photo

Bosporus (İstanbul) Lighthouses
Note: The Bosporus is the strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, which in turn connects to the Mediterranean Sea. Known to Turks as İstanbul Boğazı or simply as Boğaz (The Strait), the Bosporus is the narrowest of all the major straits commonly used by international shipping. It narrows from about 3700 m (2.3 mi) at the Black Sea entrance to about 700 m (2300 ft) at downtown İstanbul. Two major bridges cross the Bosporus, and a third is planned.
Pasabahce

1973. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three red flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower, painted white. Located on a short pier at Pasabahce, on the Asiatic side of the Bosporus about halfway between the Black Sea and downtown İstanbul. Capt. Peter has a view from the strait, and Google has a satellite view. Site status unknown (the light is in an industrial area that may be closed to the public). Admiralty E4949.4; NGA 17432.

* Balta Limanı

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse painted white with one narrow green horizontal band. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Bosporus in the Baltalimanı neighborhood, north of the Sultan Mehmet Bridge. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4947; NGA 17424.

* Aşiyan Burnu

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three green flashes every 15 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse painted white with three narrow green horizontal bands. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. An earlier light, still listed by NGA, was mounted on the wall of a nearby fortress. Located on the west side of the Bosporus at a pronounced bend in the channel in the Aşiyan neighborhood. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4946; NGA 17420.

* Kandilli Burnu

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); red flash every 3 s. Light mounted on a tower attached to the 2-story Bosporus Navigation Control building. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory at a sharp bend in the Bosporus in the Kandilli neighborhood., on the east bank of the Bosporus. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4944; NGA 17412.

* Arnavutköy (Akıntı Burnu)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse painted white with one narrow green horizontal band. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Bosporus in the Arnavutköy neighborhood, halfway between the Boğaziçi and Sultan Mehmet bridges. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4940; NGA 17408.

* Çengelköy

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three red flashes every 15 s. 13 m (43 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse painted white with three narrow red horizontal bands. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. For northbound ships the light marks the first sharp turn in the Bosporus. Located on the waterfront on the east bank of the Bosporus in the Çengelköy neighborhood. Admiralty E4938.3; NGA 17400.

* Salıpazarı Wharf

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three green flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse painted white with three narrow green horizontal bands. Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small wharf on the west side of the Bosporus opposite the Kız Kulesi (next entry). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4946; NGA 17420.

*** Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower, Leander's Tower) Date unknown, but very old. Inactive. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with a domed cupola, topped by a tall flagstaff. Adjacent to the historic building is an active light (focal plane 11 m (36 ft); flash every 3 s, red or white depending on direction) mounted on a 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower painted white with a narrow red horizontal band. Adam Franco's photo is at right, Turkish Wikipedia has several photos, Emre Çagatay has a good 2008 nighttime photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. Capt. Peter has a closeup of the active light. This building has a long and complicated history. The first structure known to have been built here was a fortress built by the Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 BC. Another fortress was built by the Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus in 1110 AD. The first record of a lighthouse dates from 1509, in the early Ottoman period. The present form of the tower results from reconstructions by the Ottoman emperors Mustafa III in 1763 and Mahmud II in 1832. It has been the subject of several romantic legends, leading to its name as the Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi in Turkish). The oldest legend is the classic Greek tale of Leander and Hero, who supposedly met at this spot. The building was restored by its present owners in 2000; it houses a museum and a popular restaurant. The tower was featured in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough and (for U.S. television viewers) in season 7 of The Amazing Race. Located on an islet 200 m (220 yd) off the Asiatic shore at the southern entrance to the Bosporus. Accessible by passenger ferries from both sides of the strait. Site open, restaurant and tower open daily. Site manager: Hamoglu Holding Co. (Kız Kulesi). ARLHS TUR-038; Admiralty E4903.8; NGA 17372.

Kız Kulesi, June 2005; Creative Commons photo by Adam Franco

* Haydarpaşa Outer Breakwater Northwest

1963. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 2 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. Özözlü has a good closeup photo (near the bottom of the page), Can Balci has a fine 2008 photo, Capt. Peter has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern end of the detached Haydarpaşa breakwater, which shelters the commercial harbor on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the Bosporus. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E4904; NGA 17352.

* Kadıköy Breakwater

1977. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. A closeup photo is available, Urho Kekkonen has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater on the south side of Kadıköy harbor, just southeast of the entrance to the Bosporus. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4904.6; NGA 17360.

* Fenerbaçe (Fenerbahce, Fener Burnu, Seraglio Point) 1856. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two long (1.5 s) white flashes every 12 s. 20 m (66 ft) 2-stage round cylindrical stone tower with double gallery, painted white. Fog siren (blast every 60 s). Özözlü has a good photo, Ahmet Tanju has a closeup, another photo is available (third lighthouse on the page), Huelse has a historic postcard view, the Coastal Safety Directorate has the history of the station, and Google has a satellite view. Note: the Yoroz lighthouse near Trabzond in northeastern Anatolia is also called Fener Burnu (Lighthouse Point). Located on an island, separated from the mainland by only a narrow channel, near the end of the Fener Kalamis Caddesi about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of Kadıköy. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-021; Admiralty E4910; NGA 17328. * Ahırkapı (2) 1857 (station established 1755). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 6 s. 26 m (85 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with one narrow black horizontal band. A photo appears at the top of this page, a good closeup is available, Capt. Peter has a view from the water, the Coastal Safety Directorate has the history of the station, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands on the west side of the entrance to the Bosporus from the Sea of Marmara. Located on the land side of the waterfront boulevard, the Kennedy Caddesi, on Ahırkapı Burnu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-056; Admiralty E4903; NGA 17340. * Yeşilköy (Agios Stefanos, St. Stefanos) 1856. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) octagonal stone tower centered on a 1-story octagonal keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Özözlü has a good photo showing how a skyscraper overshadows the lighthouse today, E.H. Crea also has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, the Coastal Safety Directorate has the history of the station, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse serves as a landfall light for vessels arriving in İstanbul from the Sea of Marmara. Located at the end of the Fener Yolu Caddesi in Yeşilköy, about 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of downtown İstanbul, near the international airport. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-055; Admiralty E4902; NGA 17104.

Yeşilköy Feneri; Coastal Safety Directorate photo

Sea of Marmara Lighthouses: East and South Sides
Note: The Sea of Marmara occupies a basin opened by the North Anatolian Fault. Joined to the Black Sea by the Bosporus and to the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas by the Dardanelles, the sea is about 280 km (175 mi) long east to west and 80 km (50 mi) wide.

Pendik South Breakwater

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); green flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the south breakwater at Pendik, about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of İstanbul. Site status unknown, possibly open. Admiralty E4916.2; NGA 17293.

Yelkenkaya Burnu

1896. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); one long (1.5 s) white flash every 15 s. 9 m (30 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the seaward end of a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. Habib Atınç has a view from the sea, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This lighthouse marks the north side of the entrance to the Gulf of Izmit, a narrow eastward arm of the Sea of Marmara. The house is clearly in use, but we do not know for what purpose. Located on a prominent cape about 3 km (2 mi) west of Darica. Site status unknown, possibly open. ARLHS TUR-054; Admiralty E4922; NGA 17232.

Kava Burnu (2)

1955 (station established 1896). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) skeletal tower atop a square 1-story concrete keeper's house. The building appears to be unpainted white concrete. Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north side of the Gulf of Izmit, directly opposite Dil Burnu. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4926; NGA 17268.

Dil Burnu

1863. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) metal post light mounted atop a 1-story masonry keeper's house. House painted white with a red tile roof. Google has a satellite view. The house has a modern addition and appears to be in service, but we don't know its role. Dil Burnu is a sharp-pointed cape projecting abruptly into the south side of the entrance to the Gulf of Izmit. Located at the tip of the cape, about 20 km (13 mi) east northeast of Yalova. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4924; NGA 17256.

Boz Burnu 1949. Active; focal plane 77 m (252 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) stone tower, painted white, with keeper's house. Fog siren (two blasts every 30 s). Google has a distant satellite view. Located in a rugged area at the tip of the Boz Peninsula, which projects into the southeastern corner of the Sea of Marmara. Site status unknown, possibly open. Admiralty E4900; NGA 17204. Değirmen Burnu (İmrali) 1959. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); red flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) concrete post light attached to a small 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse is white. Located at the northeastern tip of the island of İmrali, which is about 16 km (10 mi) due west of Boz Burnu. The island is accessible by ferry from İstanbul and from Mudanya on the south shore of the Sea of Marmara. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4899.9; NGA 17196. Fener Adası (2) Date unknown (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) steel post light rising from one of several 1-story keeper's houses. Houses painted white with red roofs. Fikret Gedik has a 2009 photo in which it appears that the post light has replaced an older light on a small skeletal tower. Google has a very distant satellite view. "Fener Adası" means "lighthouse island." Located on a small island in the Mola Adalari (Mola archipelago) about about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east southeast of Kapsül Burnu and 11 km (6.5 mi) northeast of Bandirma on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4886; NGA 17188.

Boz Burnu Feneri; Coastal Safety Directorate photo

Kapsüle Burnu

1945. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) concrete post light, attached to a small 1-story concrete equipment room. 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, house white with a red tile roof. Google has a very distant satellite view. Located on the northeastern tip of the club-shaped Erdek Peninsula. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4890; NGA 17172.

Balyos (2)

Date unknown (station established 1861). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower, painted white. The tower stands next to a ruined 1-story masonry keeper's house. Bahadir Sari has a closeup photo, and Fatih Setefoğlu has a later photo in which the roof of the house has collapsed. According to NGA, the previous light was on a skeletal tower. Located on the northwestern tip of the Erdek Peninsula just west of İlhanköy. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4884; NGA 17164.

Asmalı (2)

Date unknown (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 9 m (30 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. 1-story masonry keeper's house, painted white with a red tile roof. Habib Atınç has a distant view from the sea. Located on a small island off the eastern tip of Marmara, the largest island in the sea of the same name. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4892; NGA 17152.

Ekinlik (2)

Date unknown (station established 1861). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower, painted white. A distant view from the sea is available. Located on Avsar, a small island about 2 km (1.25 mi) west of Turkeli. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4882; NGA 17160.

Karabiga Karaburun (İnce Burnu)

1964. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. This is one of at least four İnce Burnu lighthouses in Turkey; the name Karaburun is preferable although there is another Karaburun lighthouse on the Black Sea coast of Thrace (see above). Located on a rugged promontory on the south side of the eastern entrance to the Dardanelles from the Sea of Marmara. Site status unknown, probably difficult to reach. ARLHS TUR-028; Admiralty E4880,6; NGA 17112.

Sea of Marmara Lighthouses: North and West Sides * Marmara Ereğli (1) 1861. Inactive since about 2004. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. This lighthouse was replaced recently by a much higher tower (next entry). We do not know the fate of the historic lighthouse, but we hope it was not demolished. Located on a sharp promontory at Marmara Ereğli, about 32 km (20 mi) east of Tekirdag on the central north coast of the Sea of Marmara. Site apparently open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-059. Marmara Ereğli (2) About 2004. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); white flash every 10 s. 26 m (85 ft) "metal tower," according to the 2005-06 Admiralty Light List. No photo and no further information available. If the focal plane data is correct, this tower must be lower on the slope than the historic lighthouse. Located on a sharp promontory at Marmara Ereğli, about 32 km (20 mi) east of Tekirdag on the central north coast of the Sea of Marmara. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4898; NGA 17072. ** Hoşköy (Hora) 1861. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) 12-sided cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. The Coastal Safety Directorate has the photo at right and the history of the station; a 2008 photo is also available. This historic lighthouse, on the west side of the Sea of Marmara, guides ships into the Dardanelles. Located near the village of Hoşköy, about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of the larger town of Sarköy. Site open, tower may be open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS TUR-025; Admiralty E4896; NGA 17060. İnce Burnu 1953. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white. Located on a prominent cape on the northwest side of the Dardanelles entrance about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Sarköy. Site status unknown. ARLHS TUR-027; Admiralty E4880; NGA 17056.

Hoşköy Feneri; Coastal Safety Directorate photo

Dardanelles Lighthouses
Note: The Dardanelles is the strait connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. Known in Turkish as the Çanakkale Boğazı, the strait is 61 kilometers (38 mi) long but only 1.2 to 6 kilometers (0.75 to 4 mi) wide.

* Gelibolu (Gallipoli)

1856. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. A good photo is available, Izzet Kirbas has a closeup, Serdar Sagkan has a closeup taken from the land side, Ben Rose has a distant view, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the northern entrance to the narrow portion of the Dardanelles. Gelibolu (Gallipoli) was the scene of an unsuccessful siege by Allied troops in 1915, during World War I. The battlefields are a major tourist attraction, but the lighthouse doesn't get much attention from visitors. Located on a bluff in Gelibolu, on the northwest side of the strait. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-023; Admiralty E4878; NGA 17048.

Karakova (2)

Date unknown (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped metal or fiberglass tower, painted white. A ruined keeper's cottage, white with a red tile roof, stands near the lighthouse. A view from the strait is available. Located on a point of land projecting from the European side of the strait about 9 km (4.5 mi) southwest of Gelibolu. Site status unknown. Admiralty E4872; NGA 17036.

Eceabat Range Front

1969. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); quick-flashing white light. 11 m (36 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. Beside the lighthouse is a square 1-story concrete equipment building. The tower also carries a diamond-shaped slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse and daymark painted white. The range guides southbound vessels approaching a near right-angle turn in the strait. Located on a hillside in Eceabat, on the west (European) side of the strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty 4858; NGA 17004.

Eceabat Range Rear

1969. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); quick-flashing white light. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. The tower also carries a diamond-shaped slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse and daymark painted white. Located on a hillside in Eceabat, on the west (European) side of the strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty 4858.1; NGA 17008.

* Çimenlik (Çanakkale Kalesi) (4) Date unknown (since 2002). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); flash every 5 s, green or red depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) round hourglass-shaped metal or fiberglass tower, painted white. Garry Fletcher has a sunset photo, and Google has a satellite view. A view from the strait shows the light at the foot of Çimenlik Kalesi (castle), built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452. The first two lights were mounted on the castle and the third was a skeletal tower. Çanakkalle is on the southwest (Asian) side of the strait at the first major turn for northbound ships. Located on the bank of the strait on the south side of Çanakkale. Site apparently open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-017; Admiralty E4857; NGA 16996. * Kepez (Kanlidere Burnu) (2) 1936 (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern, gallery, and four ribs. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. The first lighthouse was also a cast iron tower. Located on a prominent cape on the Asiatic side of the strait about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Çanakkale. Site apparently open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-033; Admiralty E4854; NGA 16988. * Mehmetçik (Cape Helles) (2) 1919 (station established 1856). Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); flash every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 25 m (82 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. A good 2005 photo is available, and the Coastal Safety Directorate has the history of the station. The original lighthouse, a 10 m (33 ft) stone tower, did not survive World War I. Cape Helles is the cape at the north (European) side of the Dardanelles (or the Hellespont, as it was known in ancient Greece). Located on the point of the cape near Seddülbahir. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TUR-042; Admiralty E4850; NGA 16956.

Kepez Feneri, November 2006 Coastal Safety Directorate photo

Gökçeada and Bozcaada Lighthouses
Note: The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne between Greece and Turkey confirmed Turkish ownership of all of the Anatolian mainland and Greek ownership of all of the Aegean islands except Gökçeada (Imbros or Imroz) and Bozcaada (Tenedos). These two islands were placed under Turkish administration because they flank the entrance to the Dardanelles.

* Kaleköy 1960. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted atop a square 1-story concrete equipment room. Entire lighthouse painted white. Google has a satellite view. This light guides ships into the harbor of Kaleköy, the principal port of Gökçeada. Gökçeada, the largest Turkish island in the Aegean Sea, is about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Cape Helles, the entrance to the Dardenelles. Located atop a steep bluff on the east side of the harbor of Kaleköy, on the north side of Gökçeada. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4559.4; NGA 16932. * Batı Burnu (Bozcaada) 1861. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The tower was formerly attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house, but only ruins of the house remain. A good photo is available, Seçkin Çavuşlar has a 2008 closeup, a 2009 photo shows the lighthouse and the adjoining windfarm, and Google has a satellite view. This site appears gravely endangered. Bozcaada is an island about 6 km (3.5 mi) off the Turkish coast about 20 km (13 mi) southwest of the entrance to the Dardenelles. The island is accessible by ferry from Geyikli. Located on the western tip of the island. Site and tower closed, but according to Ad. Hovestadt the guard at the windfarm may allow lighthouse fans to enter to take photos. ARLHS TUR-001; Admiralty E4564; NGA 16856. * Mermer Burnu (Tuzburnu) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery and four ribs. Entire lighthouse painted white. Ad. Hovestadt contributed the photo at right, another photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the southeastern tip of Bozcaada, where it guides vessels through the strait between the island and the mainland. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E4568; NGA 16864.

Mermer Burnu Light, June 2007 photo copyright Ad. Hovestadt used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted April 16, 2007. Checked and revised June 26, 2009. Lighthouses: 43. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.