Lighthouses have been a part of the maritime domain right from its initial hey-days. In the ancient times, even when the architectural arena wasn’t as advanced as today, several wonderful marine lighthouses were constructed and erected. The lighthouse at Alexandria in Egypt is a long-standing testimony to this statement-of-fact, once being rated as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. These lighthouses served as an important navigational aid for ships in the past.
In our previous articles, we mentioned about the ten most beautiful lighthouses in the world and ten most beautiful lighthouse hotels in the world ; however we missed the tallest ones.
Although lighthouses aren’t still important as far as marine navigation is concerned, contemporarily there are many marine lighthouses which can be rated as being the world’s amazing lighthouses, not to mention the world’s tallest and biggest.
1. Lighthouse of Jeddah: The city of Jeddah has world-wide acclaim as a port city in the otherwise arid Saudi Arabia.
The lighthouse of Jeddah is the tallest lighthouse and the first in this list of amazing lighthouses in the world at a staggering 436 feet. Unlike conventional lighthouses, the Jeddah lighthouse acts as a control room for the city’s port and harbour.
2. Yokohama Tower: Located in the Japanese province, the Yokohama Marine Tower was built as a centenary memorial for the port of Yokohama in 1961.
At present, amongst the world’s biggest lighthouses, the Yokohama Tower ranks second at 348 feet. Initially, while the lighthouse’s flash-lighting colours used to interchange in red and green, presently, the flash lights are white in colour.
3. Pointe de Barfleur Light: The Pointe de Barfleur Light is built in the Manche section of Barfleur in the Normandy province of France.
Anglicised as the Pointe de Barfleur Light, the lighthouse’s French title is the Phare de Gatteville. The lighthouse measures 247 feet and is the third tallest lighthouse in the world.
4. The Lighthouse of Genoa: Referred in Italian as the ‘La Lanterna’, the lighthouse is located in the Genoese province of Italy.
Measuring 253 metres, the lighthouse was built as far back dating the early 12th century, according to sources. Extensive redevelopment activities were carried out in the years ’95 and ‘04 to ensure the lighthouse’s functionality. The La Lanterna is the biggest lighthouse in the country of Italy.
5. Punta Penna Lighthouse: The second-biggest lighthouse in Italy, the Punta Penna lighthouse, featuring fifth in this list of tallest lighthouses in the world, is located in the province of Abruzzo.
The lighthouse is a vital presence in the harbour of Vatso and measures 230 feet.
6. Mulantao: Lighthouse Mulantao is situated in the Hainan region in China.
The lighthouse measures 237 feet and was built in the year 1995. It’s regarded to be the biggest of marine lighthouses in the Oriental nation.
7. Baishamen: The lighthouse Baishamen is also situated in the Hainan region.
The second-biggest in the country after its counter-part – Mulantao – the lighthouse measures 236 feet.
8. Storozhno Light: A Russian lighthouse marvel, the Storozhno lighthouse is located near the Ladoga Lake in the Leningrad region of Russia.
The lighthouse demarcates the village of Storozhno from the lake and the Bay of Volkhov. The lighthouse measures 233 feet and is said to be the world’s fourth biggest stone lighthouse.
9. Vittoria Light: Built in the year 1927, as a World War I memorial, the Vittoria Lighthouse stands at 223 feet.
Although its construction was proposed to be started right at the time of World War I, due to certain problems, construction work and completion began only after the war was completed. The Vittoria lighthouse is located in the Trieste region and caters to the Gulf of Trieste.
10. Cordouan Lighthouse: This lighthouse is referred to as the ‘patriarch of lighthouses’ in its native French.
The lighthouse was built in the early 17th century and is still operational in the region of Gironde. The lighthouse combines a unique flavour to the architectural offering of France in that era, successfully bringing about a confluence of palatial, fort and church-like constructional aspects.
The need and relevance of lighthouses has changed a lot with the passing of years even though they remain a vital cog in the nature of maritime operations world-wide.
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