A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
104-741: Point Conception Light is a lighthouse in Santa Barbara County, California, on Point Conception at the west entrance of the Santa Barbara Channel , California . One of the earliest California lighthouses, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on the Gaviota Coast . Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed along the California coast in search for glory and gold. On October 18, 1542, he encountered heavy winds upon rounding
208-402: A rescue service , if necessary. Improvements in maritime navigation and safety, such Global Positioning System (GPS), led to the phasing out of non-automated lighthouses across the world. Although several closed due to safety concerns, Canada still maintains 49 staffed lighthouses, split roughly evenly across east and west coasts. The remaining modern lighthouses are usually illuminated by
312-640: A Diesel generator for backup. Many Fresnel lens installations have been replaced by rotating aerobeacons , which require less maintenance. In modern automated lighthouses, the system of rotating lenses is often replaced by a high intensity light that emits brief omnidirectional flashes, concentrating the light in time rather than direction. These lights are similar to obstruction lights used to warn aircraft of tall structures. Later innovations were "Vega Lights", and experiments with light-emitting diode (LED) panels. LED lights, which use less energy and are easier to maintain, had come into widespread use by 2020. In
416-673: A brief control of the Genoese fleet in 1101, the city was taken in 1103 by forces under the command of Tancred of Hauteville , a veteran of the First Crusade and acting regent of the Principality of Antioch . Following the defeat of Antiochene forces at the Battle of Harran in 1104, the city was reoccupied by the Byzantines led by Admiral Cantacuzenus , however they would again lose the city. Despite
520-674: A caliphate general, named 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit during the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century. The city was renamed al-Lādhiqīyah (اللَّاذِقِيَّة) and switched rule from the Rashidun Caliphate , to the Umayyad Caliphate and finally to the Abbasid Caliphate in a span of 9 centuries, attached to the large province of Bilad Al-Sham (Greater Syria). Arab geographer, Al-Muqaddasi (d. 991), mentions al-Lādhiqīyah as belonging to
624-457: A considerable distance from Lāŏdĭcḗa, sloping up gently and gradually from it, they tower above Apameia, extending up to a perpendicular height. Pompey the Great conquered the city along with most of Syria in the 1st century BC, and Julius Caesar declared the city a "free polis." The Roman emperor Septimius Severus rewarded the city with the title of "Metropolis" in the 2nd century AD, exempted it of
728-501: A consul in Latakia, due to the trade of cotton and silk from Persia. The city which was in despair was rebuilt after a visit by Qaitbay in 1477. An Alawite community was first established in Latakia by the missionary Abu Sa'id al-Tabarani (d. 1034) in the early 11th century. From then on it spread northward and into the coastal mountain range. Latakia came under the Ottoman control after
832-436: A filament source. Experimental installations of laser lights, either at high power to provide a "line of light" in the sky or, utilising low power, aimed towards mariners have identified problems of increased complexity in installation and maintenance, and high power requirements. The first practical installation, in 1971 at Point Danger lighthouse , Queensland , was replaced by a conventional light after four years, because
936-453: A form of concrete that will set under water used by the Romans, and developed a technique of securing the granite blocks together using dovetail joints and marble dowels . The dovetailing feature served to improve the structural stability , although Smeaton also had to taper the thickness of the tower towards the top, for which he curved the tower inwards on a gentle gradient. This profile had
1040-414: A horizontal plane, and horizontally the light is focused into one or a few directions at a time, with the light beam swept around. As a result, in addition to seeing the side of the light beam, the light is directly visible from greater distances, and with an identifying light characteristic . This concentration of light is accomplished with a rotating lens assembly. In early lighthouses, the light source
1144-415: A maximum length of 25 meters and 4 meters draught. The Syrian Navy has one of four bases in Latakia. Latakia has an extensive agricultural hinterland. Exports include bitumen ( asphalt ), cereals, cotton , fruits, eggs, vegetable oil, pottery, and tobacco . Cotton ginning, vegetable-oil processing, tanning, and sponge fishing serve as local industries for the city. The Cote d'Azur Beach of Latakia
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#17330926120221248-427: A more powerful hyperradiant Fresnel lens manufactured by the firm of Chance Brothers . While lighthouse buildings differ depending on the location and purpose, they tend to have common components. A light station comprises the lighthouse tower and all outbuildings, such as the keeper's living quarters, fuel house, boathouse, and fog-signaling building. The Lighthouse itself consists of a tower structure supporting
1352-510: A more violent crackdown was coming. Protests continued despite the increased security presence and arrests. Several civilians were allegedly killed in confrontations with security officers during this early period of the siege. On 13 August 2011, the Syrian Army and Syrian Navy launched an operation where more than 20 tanks and APCs rolled into the Alawi stronghold. The city was also attacked by
1456-583: A navigator with a line of position called a range in North America and a transit in Britain. Ranges can be used to precisely align a vessel within a narrow channel such as a river. With landmarks of a range illuminated with a set of fixed lighthouses, nighttime navigation is possible. Such paired lighthouses are called range lights in North America and leading lights in the United Kingdom. The closer light
1560-464: A number of screw-pile lighthouses. Englishman James Douglass was knighted for his work on the fourth Eddystone Lighthouse. United States Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant George Meade built numerous lighthouses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts before gaining wider fame as the winning general at the Battle of Gettysburg . Colonel Orlando M. Poe , engineer to General William Tecumseh Sherman in
1664-614: A partial military withdrawal from Syria, but with continuing Russian presence, as the Khmeimim airbase and the Russian naval facility in Tartus would still be operated by Russian forces. On 7 December 2021, Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike attack on Latakia's port, damaging the port's facilities and setting several containers on fire. On December 28, the port was attacked again after Israeli forces launched several precision missiles targeting
1768-402: A particular color (usually formed by colored panes in the lantern) to distinguish safe water areas from dangerous shoals. Modern lighthouses often have unique reflectors or racon transponders so the radar signature of the light is also unique. Before modern strobe lights , lenses were used to concentrate the light from a continuous source. Vertical light rays of the lamp are redirected into
1872-538: A population of 6,354 Palestinian refugees , mostly from Jaffa and the Galilee . The Port of Latakia is the main seaport in Syria. It was established on 12 February 1950, and has boosted the city's importance ever since. The port's imported cargo includes clothing, construction materials, vehicles, furniture, minerals, tobacco, cotton, and food supplies such as lintels, onions, wheat, barley, dates, grains and figs, and in 2008,
1976-411: A reservoir mounted above the burner. The lamp was first produced by Matthew Boulton , in partnership with Argand, in 1784, and became the standard for lighthouses for over a century. South Foreland Lighthouse was the first tower to successfully use an electric light in 1875. The lighthouse's carbon arc lamps were powered by a steam-driven magneto . John Richardson Wigham was the first to develop
2080-402: A result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War , which led to an influx of internally displaced persons from rebel held areas. It is the 5th-largest city in Syria after Aleppo , Damascus , Homs and Hama . Cape Apostolos Andreas , the north-eastern tip of Cyprus , is about 109 kilometres (68 mi) away. Although the site of the city has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC, the city
2184-647: A reward of 100,000 francs for information on his whereabouts. After the French gave up trying to capturing Shaykh Saleh, a pardon was issued by General Henri Gouraud . The state became part of the Syrian Federation in 1922, but it left the federation again in 1924. In 1930, the Alawite State was renamed as the Government of Latakia, the only concession by the French to Arab nationalists until 1936. On 3 December 1936, it
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#17330926120222288-510: A significant minority. The city itself, however, contained significant numbers of Sunni and Christian inhabitants. The landlords in the countryside tended to be Sunni and Orthodox Christians, while the peasants were mostly Alawi. Like the Druzes , who also had a special status before the end of World War I, the Alawis had a strained relationship with the Ottoman overlords. In fact, they were not even given
2392-415: A single stationary flashing light powered by solar-charged batteries and mounted on a steel skeleton tower. Where the power requirement is too great for solar power alone, cycle charging of the battery by a Diesel generator is provided. The generator only comes into use when the battery needs charging, saving fuel and increasing periods between maintenance. John Smeaton is noteworthy for having designed
2496-523: A sizable Antiochian Greek population exists in Latakia, and their diocese in the city has the largest congregation of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch . There is also an Armenian community of 3,500 in the city. The entire population speaks Arabic, mostly in the North Levantine dialect. Within the city boundaries is the "unofficial" Latakia camp , established in 1956, which has
2600-469: A system for gas illumination of lighthouses. His improved gas 'crocus' burner at the Baily Lighthouse near Dublin was 13 times more powerful than the most brilliant light then known. The vaporized oil burner was invented in 1901 by Arthur Kitson , and improved by David Hood at Trinity House . The fuel was vaporized at high pressure and burned to heat the mantle, giving an output of over six times
2704-627: A treaty in 1108 with Bohemond promising to return Latakia to the Byzantine Empire by 1110 it was firmly under the control of the Principality of Antioch, as it was called "La Liche". In 1126, the cities of Latakia and Jabala were the dowry of Princess Alice , daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem , who later donated a house in Latakia to the Knights Hospitaller , which became their main base in
2808-419: Is one example. Race Rocks Light in western Canada is painted in horizontal black and white bands to stand out against the horizon. For effectiveness, the lamp must be high enough to be seen before the danger is reached by a mariner. The minimum height is calculated by trigonometry (see Distance to the horizon ) as D = 1.22 H {\displaystyle D=1.22{\sqrt {H}}} , where H
2912-654: Is referred to as the beacon or front range; the further light is called the rear range. The rear range light is almost always taller than the front. When a vessel is on the correct course, the two lights align vertically, but when the observer is out of position, the difference in alignment indicates the direction of travel to correct the course. There are two types of lighthouses: ones that are located on land, and ones that are offshore. Latakia Latakia ( / l æ t ə ˈ k iː ə / ; Arabic : ٱللَّاذْقِيَّة , romanized : al-Lādhiqiyya ; Syrian pronunciation: [el.laːdˈʔɪjje, -laːðˈqɪjja] )
3016-510: Is the height above water in feet, and D is the distance from the lighthouse to the horizon in nautical miles, the lighthouse range . Where dangerous shoals are located far off a flat sandy beach, the prototypical tall masonry coastal lighthouse is constructed to assist the navigator making a landfall after an ocean crossing. Often these are cylindrical to reduce the effect of wind on a tall structure, such as Cape May Light . Smaller versions of this design are often used as harbor lights to mark
3120-556: Is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad Mare . In addition to serving as a port, the city is a significant manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages. According to 2023 estimate, the population of the city is 709,000, its population greatly increased as
3224-545: The Abbasid Caliphate from 750 to 968. The famous poet Al-Mutanabbi led a millenarian revolt at Latakia in 930. The Byzantine Empire recaptured the city in 970 by John I Tzimiskes , but it was lost to the Fatimids in 980. The Banu Munqidh managed to control the city until they were succeeded by the Seljuks during the reign of Malik-Shah I in 1086, despite a brief Byzantine control in 1074. Later on, Guynemer of Boulogne raided
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3328-523: The Azm family of governors established several new foundations in the city. The British, French and Spanish established consulates in the city, so that by mid-century Latakia was serving as co-capital of the entire province ( eyalet ) of Tripoli, Lebanon . In 1824, the Ottomans named Muhammad Paşa ibn Alman, a native of the area who was suspected of being an Alawite and a French sympathizer, governor of Latakia. He
3432-478: The Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516. It had a population of about 1400–1700 in the 16th century. From the late 17th century onward it was ruled by the Ibn al-Matarji family, some of whose members would go on to become governors of Damascus Eyalet . Under their leadership, and the development of the tobacco industry in the same period, the town developed rapidly in the 18th century. Several churches were rebuilt or restored and
3536-601: The Florida Reef along the Florida Keys, beginning with the Carysfort Reef Light in 1852. In waters too deep for a conventional structure, a lightship might be used instead of a lighthouse, such as the former lightship Columbia . Most of these have now been replaced by fixed light platforms (such as Ambrose Light ) similar to those used for offshore oil exploration . Aligning two fixed points on land provides
3640-491: The Latakia Sports City , a sports complex designed specifically to host the games. The Latakia Sports City Stadium served as the main venue for the games. In 1994, the city's population reached 303,000, with that number significantly rising to 383,786 by 2004. Although population assessment in recent years has become difficult due to the ongoing civil war, the city's population is estimated to have risen drastically in
3744-580: The 2010s due to the influx of refugees from the cities of Aleppo, Idlib and other cities which have been affected by the ongoing war. During the Syrian Civil War, Latakia had been a site of protest activity since March 2011. The Syrian government claimed 12 were killed there in clashes in late March, leading to the deployment of the military to restrict movement into and out of the city. Hundreds of Syrians were reportedly arrested, and by late July, activists in Latakia were telling foreign media they feared
3848-528: The 20th century, Latakia had a population of roughly 7,000 inhabitants; however, the Journal of the Society of Arts recorded a population of 25,000 in 1905. In a 1992 estimate, Latakia had a population of 284,000, rising to 303,000 in the 1994 census. The city's population continued to rise, reaching an estimated 402,000 residents in 2002. In 2010, Latakia City was 50% Alawite, 40% Sunni and 10% Christian; however,
3952-510: The 20th century. These often have a narrow cylindrical core surrounded by an open lattice work bracing, such as Finns Point Range Light . Sometimes a lighthouse needs to be constructed in the water itself. Wave-washed lighthouses are masonry structures constructed to withstand water impact, such as Eddystone Lighthouse in Britain and the St. George Reef Light of California. In shallower bays, Screw-pile lighthouse ironwork structures are screwed into
4056-499: The Alawite tribes, and the Alawite State was incorporated into Syria with little organised resistance. In 1942, the Latakia and Druze regions were returned to Syrian control, and by 1946, the French completely left Syria and a new independent government was created. All but a few classical buildings had been destroyed by the modern era, often by earthquakes; those remaining include a Roman triumphal arch and Corinthian columns known as
4160-522: The Colonnade of Bacchus . However, important remains from the city at Roman and Hellenistic periods including full body statues, Roman funerary art, and column capitals that once belonged to the ancient city, now found in its national museum. An extensive port project was proposed in 1948, and construction work began on the Port of Latakia in 1950, aided by a US$ 6 million loan from Saudi Arabia . By 1951,
4264-498: The French Mandate, has often been interpreted as a " divide and rule " strategy by the French, who sought to undermine anti-colonial nationalist movements. The French justified the creation of the Alawite state by citing the "backwardness" of the mountain-dwellers, religiously distinct from the surrounding Sunni population; they claimed that the division protected the Alawi people from more-powerful Sunni majorities. This division by
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4368-651: The French administration in Syria did not stop Alawites such as Sheikh Saleh al-Ali , who led the Syrian Revolt of 1919 , in continuing to protest French rule. Saleh al-Ali coordinated with the leaders of other anti-French revolts in the country, including the revolt of Ibrahim Hananu in the Aleppo countryside and Subhi Barakat 's revolt in Antioch , but Saleh al-Ali's revolt was put down in 1921. A French court-martial in Latakia sentenced Shaykh Saleh to death in absentia and offered
4472-461: The Ottomans, it was known as Lazkiye. The location of Latakia, the Ras Ziyarah promontory , has a long history of occupation. The Phoenician city of Ramitha was located here. Stephanus of Byzantium writes that the city was named Ramitha ( Ancient Greek : Ῥάμιθα ), then Leukê Aktê ("white coast") ( Ancient Greek : Λευκὴ ἀκτή ) and later Laodicea ( Ancient Greek : Λαοδίκεια ). The city
4576-503: The Point and was forced to turn back to San Miguel Island where he died. Second-in-command Bartolomé Ferrer took charge and again tried to round the Point but he was also unsuccessful. The Point was named Punta de la Limpia Concepcion by Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602, who was the next Spanish sailor to venture the Pacific waters along the California coast after Juan Cabrillo. The 1835 experience of
4680-462: The Swiss scientist Aimé Argand revolutionized lighthouse illumination with its steady smokeless flame. Early models used ground glass which was sometimes tinted around the wick. Later models used a mantle of thorium dioxide suspended over the flame, creating a bright, steady light. The Argand lamp used whale oil , colza , olive oil or other vegetable oil as fuel, supplied by a gravity feed from
4784-633: The Syrian army on 14 August 2011. Activists claimed that 25 people died during the attack. Latakia is the home of Russia's largest foreign SIGINT facility. Khmeimim Air Base is an airbase near Latakia converted to use by the Russian military in 2015. Russian president Vladimir Putin , accompanied by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad visited the Khmeimim airbase , Russia's main military base in Syria, located just outside Latakia near Jableh on 11 December 2017. Declaring victory over ISIL, and announcing
4888-405: The United Kingdom and Ireland about a third of lighthouses had been converted from filament light sources to use LEDs, and conversion continued with about three per year. The light sources are designed to replicate the colour and character of the traditional light as closely as possible. The change is often not noticed by people in the region, but sometimes a proposed change leads to calls to preserve
4992-486: The added advantage of allowing some of the energy of the waves to dissipate on impact with the walls. His lighthouse was the prototype for the modern lighthouse and influenced all subsequent engineers. One such influence was Robert Stevenson , himself a seminal figure in the development of lighthouse design and construction. His greatest achievement was the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in 1810, one of
5096-464: The assassination of an Alawite religious leader in the city. The following day 2,000 paratroopers, commanded by Rifaat al-Assad , were sent to restore order. In the violence that followed around forty people were killed including ten pilots from the Latakia air base. In 1987, the city hosted the tenth round of the Mediterranean Games , with the opening ceremony hosted by Hafez al-Assad in
5200-481: The beam was too narrow to be seen easily. In any of these designs an observer, rather than seeing a continuous weak light, sees a brighter light during short time intervals. These instants of bright light are arranged to create a light characteristic or pattern specific to a lighthouse. For example, the Scheveningen Lighthouse flashes are alternately 2.5 and 7.5 seconds. Some lights have sectors of
5304-406: The choice of light sources, mountings, reflector design, the use of Fresnel lenses , and in rotation and shuttering systems providing lighthouses with individual signatures allowing them to be identified by seafarers. He also invented the movable jib and the balance-crane as a necessary part for lighthouse construction. Alexander Mitchell designed the first screw-pile lighthouse – his lighthouse
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#17330926120225408-523: The city on 19 August 1097, with 28 ships coming from Cyprus during the First Crusade . In 1098, Raymond of Saint-Gilles captured the city, with the Byzantine fleet presence; hence, the city became contested between the crusaders and the Byzantines who controlled Latakia and Baniyas in the meantime. After failed efforts by Bohemond I of Antioch to capture Latakia from the Byzantine Empire in 1099, and
5512-506: The city range from around 16 °C (61 °F) in January to around 30 °C (86 °F) in August. Latakia on average receives around 760 millimetres (30 in) of rainfall annually. One of the first censuses was in 1825, which recorded that there were 6,000–8,000 Muslims, 1,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, 30 Armenian Christians , 30 Maronite Catholics , and 30 Jews . At the beginning of
5616-506: The city, until they were defeated by the Mamluks of Qalawun , on 20 April 1287. In circa 1300, Arab geographer al-Dimashqi noted that Latakia had no running water and that trees were scarce, but the city's port was "a wonderful harbor... full of large ships". In 1332, the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Latakia in his journeys. During the late 14th and 15th century, Venetians had
5720-525: The collapse of the Soviet government in 1990s, most of the official records on the locations, and condition, of these lighthouses were reportedly lost. Over time, the condition of RTGs in Russia degraded; many of them fell victim to vandalism and scrap metal thieves, who may not have been aware of the dangerous radioactive contents. Energy-efficient LED lights can be powered by solar panels , with batteries instead of
5824-407: The commerce through the port of Laodicea. The heretic Apollinarius was bishop of Lāŏdĭcḗa in the 4th century. The city minted coins from an early date, but decreasing in importance after the cities of Alexandria and Antioch flourished in coin minting and overshadowed other cities. The city was also famed for its wine produced around the port's hills which were exported to all the empire. During
5928-589: The completion of a railway line to Homs . The port became even more important after 1975 due to the troubled situation in Lebanon and the loss of Beirut and Tripoli as functioning ports. In 1973, during the October War (Yom Kippur War), the naval Battle of Latakia between Israel and Syria was fought just offshore from the city. The battle was the first to be fought using missiles and ECM (electronic countermeasures). On 2 September 1979 clashes broke out following
6032-488: The construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length , without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. A Fresnel lens can also capture more oblique light from a light source, thus allowing the light from a lighthouse equipped with one to be visible over greater distances. The first Fresnel lens
6136-621: The development of the lighthouse. In antiquity, the lighthouse functioned more as an entrance marker to ports than as a warning signal for reefs and promontories , unlike many modern lighthouses. The most famous lighthouse structure from antiquity was the Pharos of Alexandria , Egypt , which collapsed following a series of earthquakes between 956 and 1323. The intact Tower of Hercules at A Coruña , Spain gives insight into ancient lighthouse construction; other evidence about lighthouses exists in depictions on coins and mosaics, of which many represent
6240-575: The district of Hims ( Homs ). The Mardaites controlled the region from Jebel Aqra to northern Palestine , including Latakia in 705. However, they later withdrew from the city after an agreement with the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I . Afterwards, the Mardaites sacked it in 719, but it was rebuilt by Umar II . The city lost its importance due to its location on the border between the Byzantine Empire and
6344-588: The east in the Coastal Mountain Range , and Jableh and Baniyas to the south. Latakia is the capital of the Latakia Governorate, in western Syria, bordering Turkey to the north. The governorate has a reported area of either 2,297 square kilometres (887 sq mi) or 2,437 square kilometres (941 sq mi). Latakia is the administrative centre of the Latakia District that occupies
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#17330926120226448-473: The emitted light into a concentrated beam, thereby greatly increasing the light's visibility. The ability to focus the light led to the first revolving lighthouse beams, where the light would appear to the mariners as a series of intermittent flashes. It also became possible to transmit complex signals using the light flashes. French physicist and engineer Augustin-Jean Fresnel developed the multi-part Fresnel lens for use in lighthouses. His design allowed for
6552-400: The empire's taxation, fortified the city, made it for a few years the capital of Roman Syria and also built the city's famed Tetraporticus around the same time. Some Roman merchants moved to live in the city under Augustus , but the city was always culturally "Greek" influenced. Subsequently, a Roman road was built from southern Anatolia toward Berytus and Damascus, that greatly improved
6656-468: The entrance into a harbor, such as New London Harbor Light . Where a tall cliff exists, a smaller structure may be placed on top such as at Horton Point Light . Sometimes, such a location can be too high, for example along the west coast of the United States, where frequent low clouds can obscure the light. In these cases, lighthouses are placed below the clifftop to ensure that they can still be seen at
6760-481: The first stage of its construction was completed, and the port handled an increasing amount of Syria's overseas trade. In August 1957, 4,000 Egyptian troops landed in Latakia under orders from Gamal Abdel Nasser after Turkish troops massed along the border with Syria, accusing it of harboring Turkish Communists . A major highway linked Latakia with Aleppo and the Euphrates valley starting in 1968, supplemented by
6864-455: The lantern room where the light operates. The lantern room is the glassed-in housing at the top of a lighthouse tower containing the lamp and lens. Its glass storm panes are supported by metal muntins (glazing bars) running vertically or diagonally. At the top of the lantern room is a stormproof ventilator designed to remove the smoke of the lamps and the heat that builds in the glass enclosure. A lightning rod and grounding system connected to
6968-531: The light is concentrated, if needed, by the "lens" or "optic". Power sources for lighthouses in the 20th–21st centuries vary. Originally lit by open fires and later candles, the Argand hollow wick lamp and parabolic reflector were introduced in the late 18th century. Whale oil was also used with wicks as the source of light. Kerosene became popular in the 1870s and electricity and acetylene gas derived on-site from calcium carbide began replacing kerosene around
7072-457: The lighthouse at Ostia . Coins from Alexandria, Ostia, and Laodicea in Syria also exist. The modern era of lighthouses began at the turn of the 18th century, as the number of lighthouses being constructed increased significantly due to much higher levels of transatlantic commerce. Advances in structural engineering and new and efficient lighting equipment allowed for the creation of larger and more powerful lighthouses, including ones exposed to
7176-469: The lighthouse keepers. Efficiently concentrating the light from a large omnidirectional light source requires a very large diameter lens. This would require a very thick and heavy lens if a conventional lens were used. The Fresnel lens (pronounced / f r eɪ ˈ n ɛ l / ) focused 85% of a lamp's light versus the 20% focused with the parabolic reflectors of the time. Its design enabled construction of lenses of large size and short focal length without
7280-581: The lighthouse was severely damaged during the Fort Tejon earthquake of January 9, 1857. The lighthouse was moved in 1881 because the fog would be less likely to obscure the light, and was rebuilt from the top of the bluff to a mesa halfway down, 133 feet (41 m) above the Pacific Ocean . The light station was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1973. The lighthouse was used as
7384-569: The location for the film The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959), and has appeared on two Toad the Wet Sprocket music videos: Come Back Down (Pale) and Walk on the Ocean (Fear). In recent years Vandenberg Air Force Base restricts access from the northwest, and the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve restricts access from the adjoining land although a few people have reached the lighthouse by hiking west along
7488-466: The luminosity of traditional oil lights. The use of gas as illuminant became widely available with the invention of the Dalén light by Swedish engineer Gustaf Dalén . He used Agamassan (Aga), a substrate , to absorb the gas, allowing the gas to be stored, and hence used, safely. Dalén also invented the ' sun valve ', which automatically regulated the light and turned it off during the daytime. The technology
7592-421: The metal cupola roof provides a safe conduit for any lightning strikes. Immediately beneath the lantern room is usually a Watch Room or Service Room where fuel and other supplies were kept and where the keeper prepared the lanterns for the night and often stood watch. The clockworks (for rotating the lenses) were also located there. On a lighthouse tower, an open platform called the gallery is often located outside
7696-485: The most impressive feats of engineering of the age. This structure was based upon Smeaton's design, but with several improved features, such as the incorporation of rotating lights, alternating between red and white. Stevenson worked for the Northern Lighthouse Board for nearly fifty years during which time he designed and oversaw the construction and later improvement of numerous lighthouses. He innovated in
7800-499: The narrow rugged public beach several miles from the nearest road during low tide. You are not allowed on private land. Vandenberg Space Force base now has ownership of the land and the lighthouse. This article relating to a United States lighthouse is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lighthouse Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals , reefs , rocks, and safe entries to harbors; they also assist in aerial navigation . Once widely used,
7904-591: The northern portion of the Latakia Governorate. Nahr al-Kabir al-Shamali flows into the Mediterranean Sea south of Latakia. Under Köppen's climate classification , Latakia has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with warm, humid summers and cool, wet winters. Latakia's wettest months are December and January, where average precipitation is around 160 mm. The city's driest month, July, only has on average about 1 millimetre (0.04 in) of rain, despite being rather humid. Average high temperatures in
8008-402: The number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and the advent of much cheaper, more sophisticated, and more effective electronic navigational systems. Before the development of clearly defined ports , mariners were guided by fires built on hilltops. Since elevating the fire would improve visibility, placing the fire on a platform became a practice that led to
8112-498: The port handled about 8 million tons of cargo. The largest area of the port, with 43 hectares, occupies the container terminal. The storage capacity is up to 17,000 containers. Latakia was connected to six ferry lines to Alexandria (Egypt), İzmir (Turkey) and Beirut (Lebanon). It is not known whether the lines still exist in the Syrian civil war , which has been going on since 2011. The marina Latakia has 150 berths for ships up to
8216-447: The port. The attack killed 2 Syrian Army soldiers, destroyed several containers and set the port on fire for several hours. Latakia is located 348 kilometres (216 mi) north-west of Damascus, 186 kilometres (116 mi) south-west from Aleppo, 186 kilometres (116 mi) north-west of Homs, and 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Tartus. Nearby towns and villages include Kasab to the north, Al-Haffah , Slinfah and Qardaha to
8320-466: The region. In April 1136, the city was sacked by Emir Sawar ibn Aytakin, governor of Aleppo , then it was struck by the 1157 Hama earthquake and the 1170 Syria earthquake . This situation remained the same with the city serving as the primary port for the Principality until it was captured following a siege by the Ayyubids , under the rule of Saladin on 23 July 1188. By 1260, the crusaders recaptured
8424-466: The rural hinterland has an Alawite majority of roughly 70%, with Sunni Muslims making up 14%, Christians making up 12%, and Ismailis representing the remaining 2%. The city serves as the capital of the Alawite population and is a major cultural center for the religion. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, large numbers of Alawites from the area emigrated to the country's capital Damascus. Of the Christians,
8528-500: The sailing ship Pilgrim, which was damaged and nearly capsized in a sudden change of weather here, is typical of boaters even today. It was here at Point Conception in 1856, that the lighthouse was built high on the sandstone cliffs, above the location of the present lighthouse. The first order Fresnel lens and steel tower for the lighthouse were made in France at a cost of $ 65,068 and was transported around Cape Horn . A report indicates that
8632-458: The sea. The function of lighthouses was gradually changed from indicating ports to the providing of a visible warning against shipping hazards, such as rocks or reefs. The Eddystone Rocks were a major shipwreck hazard for mariners sailing through the English Channel . The first lighthouse built there was an octagonal wooden structure, anchored by 12 iron stanchions secured in the rock, and
8736-451: The seabed and a low wooden structure is placed above the open framework, such as Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse . As screw piles can be disrupted by ice, steel caisson lighthouses such as Orient Point Light are used in cold climates. Orient Long Beach Bar Light (Bug Light) is a blend of a screw pile light that was converted to a caisson light because of the threat of ice damage. Skeletal iron towers with screw-pile foundations were built on
8840-541: The siege of Atlanta, designed and built some of the most exotic lighthouses in the most difficult locations on the U.S. Great Lakes . French merchant navy officer Marius Michel Pasha built almost a hundred lighthouses along the coasts of the Ottoman Empire in a period of twenty years after the Crimean War (1853–1856). In a lighthouse, the source of light is called the "lamp" (whether electric or fuelled by oil) and
8944-634: The split of the Roman Empire , it belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire . An earthquake damaged the city in 494, but the city was later reconstructed by Justinian I and made the capital of the Eastern Roman province of Theodorias from 528 AD until Muslim conquest around 637 AD. All of Syria, including the Roman province of Theodorias and its capital, Laodicea fell into Muslim rule after its attacked by
9048-475: The status of millet , although they enjoyed relative autonomy. In 1920, Latakia fell under the French mandate, under which the Alawite State was established. The state was named after the locally-dominant Alawites and became a French mandate territory after World War I. The French Mandate from the League of Nations began in 1920. The creation of the Alawite State, as well as the other states of Syria under
9152-516: The surface during periods of fog or low clouds, as at Point Reyes Lighthouse . Another example is in San Diego , California : the Old Point Loma lighthouse was too high up and often obscured by fog, so it was replaced in 1891 with a lower lighthouse, New Point Loma lighthouse . As technology advanced, prefabricated skeletal iron or steel structures tended to be used for lighthouses constructed in
9256-587: The third and most famous Eddystone Lighthouse , but some builders are well known for their work in building multiple lighthouses. The Stevenson family ( Robert , Alan , David , Thomas , David Alan , and Charles ) made lighthouse building a three-generation profession in Scotland. Richard Henry Brunton designed and built 26 Japanese lighthouses in Meiji Era Japan, which became known as Brunton's "children". Blind Irishman Alexander Mitchell invented and built
9360-483: The traditional light, including in some cases a rotating beam. A typical LED system designed to fit into the traditional 19th century Fresnel lens enclosure was developed by Trinity House and two other lighthouse authorities and costs about € 20,000, depending on configuration, according to a supplier; it has large fins to dissipate heat. Lifetime of the LED light source is 50,000 to 100,000 hours, compared to about 1,000 hours for
9464-476: The turn of the 20th century. Carbide was promoted by the Dalén light , which automatically lit the lamp at nightfall and extinguished it at dawn. In the second half of the 20th century, many remote lighthouses in Russia (then Soviet Union ) were powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). These had the advantage of providing power day or night and did not need refuelling or maintenance. However, after
9568-523: The watch room (called the Main Gallery) or Lantern Room (Lantern Gallery). This was mainly used for cleaning the outside of the windows of the Lantern Room. Lighthouses near to each other that are similar in shape are often painted in a unique pattern so they can easily be recognized during daylight, a marking known as a daymark . The black and white barber pole spiral pattern of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
9672-643: The weight and volume of material in conventional lens designs. Fresnel lighthouse lenses are ranked by order , a measure of refracting power, with a first order lens being the largest, most powerful and expensive; and a sixth order lens being the smallest. The order is based on the focal length of the lens. A first order lens has the longest focal length, with the sixth being the shortest. Coastal lighthouses generally use first, second, or third order lenses, while harbor lights and beacons use fourth, fifth, or sixth order lenses. Some lighthouses, such as those at Cape Race , Newfoundland, and Makapuu Point , Hawaii, used
9776-437: Was a kerosene lamp or, earlier, an animal or vegetable oil Argand lamp, and the lenses rotated by a weight driven clockwork assembly wound by lighthouse keepers, sometimes as often as every two hours. The lens assembly sometimes floated in liquid mercury to reduce friction. In more modern lighthouses, electric lights and motor drives were used, generally powered by diesel electric generators. These also supplied electricity for
9880-459: Was built by Henry Winstanley from 1696 to 1698. His lighthouse was the first tower in the world to have been fully exposed to the open sea. The civil engineer John Smeaton rebuilt the lighthouse from 1756 to 1759; his tower marked a major step forward in the design of lighthouses and remained in use until 1877. He modeled the shape of his lighthouse on that of an oak tree , using granite blocks. He rediscovered and used " hydraulic lime ",
9984-662: Was built on piles that were screwed into the sandy or muddy seabed. Construction of his design began in 1838 at the mouth of the Thames and was known as the Maplin Sands lighthouse, and first lit in 1841. Although its construction began later, the Wyre Light in Fleetwood, Lancashire, was the first to be lit (in 1840). Until 1782 the source of illumination had generally been wood pyres or burning coal. The Argand lamp , invented in 1782 by
10088-492: Was decided that the Alawite state would be re-incorporated into Syria as a concession by the French to the Nationalist Bloc , which was the ruling party of the semi-autonomous Syrian government; the decision went into effect in 1937. There was a great deal of Alawite separatist sentiment in the region, but their political views could not be coordinated into a unified voice. There was also a great deal of factionalism amongst
10192-509: Was described in Strabo 's Geographica : It is a city most beautifully built, has a good harbour, and has territory which, besides its other good crops, abounds in wine. Now this city furnishes the most of the wine to the Alexandreians, since the whole of the mountain that lies above the city and is possessed by it is covered with vines almost as far as the summits. And while the summits are at
10296-556: Was founded in the 4th century BC under the rule of the Seleucid Empire . Latakia was subsequently ruled by the Romans and Byzantines , followed by the Rashiduns , Ummayads and Abbasids during the 7th–10th centuries AD. Byzantine ruling groups frequently attacked the city, periodically recapturing it before losing it again to Arab powers, particularly the Fatimids . Afterward, Latakia
10400-512: Was killed in an urban revolt later that year that was inspired by the fundamentalist shaykh Muhammad al-Moghrabi. During the Egyptian occupation of Syria (1831–1841) there was a major Alawite revolt (1834-1835) in both the town and the surrounding countryside. In 1888, when Wilayat Beirut was established, Latakia became its northernmost town. In the Ottoman period , the region of Latakia became predominantly Alawi . The Turkmen also consisted
10504-519: Was named after a member of the ruling dynasty. It was first called Laodikeia on the Coast ( Greek : Λαοδίκεια ἡ Πάραλος ) by Seleucus I Nicator in honor of his mother, Laodice . In Latin , its name became Laodicea ad Mare . The original name survives in its Arabic form as al-Ladhiqiyyah ( Arabic : اللاذقية ), from which the French Lattaquié and English Latakia (or Lattakia) derive. To
10608-708: Was ruled successively by the Seljuk Turks , Crusaders , Ayyubids , Mamluks , and the Ottomans . Following World War I , Latakia was assigned to the French mandate of Syria , in which it served as the capital of the autonomous territory of the Alawites . This autonomous territory became the Alawite State in 1922, proclaiming its independence a number of times until reintegrating into Syria in 1944. Like many Seleucid cities, Latakia
10712-502: Was the predominant light source in lighthouses from the 1900s to the 1960s, when electric lighting had become dominant. With the development of the steady illumination of the Argand lamp, the application of optical lenses to increase and focus the light intensity became a practical possibility. William Hutchinson developed the first practical optical system in 1777, known as a catoptric system. This rudimentary system effectively collimated
10816-588: Was used in 1823 in the Cordouan lighthouse at the mouth of the Gironde estuary ; its light could be seen from more than 20 miles (32 km) out. Fresnel's invention increased the luminosity of the lighthouse lamp by a factor of four and his system is still in common use. The introduction of electrification and automatic lamp changers began to make lighthouse keepers obsolete. For many years, lighthouses still had keepers, partly because lighthouse keepers could serve as
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