Location | Marsaxlokk, Malta |
---|---|
Coordinates | 35°49′19″N14°33′32″E / 35.822°N 14.559°E Coordinates: 35°49′19″N14°33′32″E / 35.822°N 14.559°E |
Tower | |
Constructed | 1855/1990s |
Construction | masonry |
Height | 18 metres (59 ft) |
Shape | two-story building with communications equipment |
Markings | unpainted building |
Light | |
Focal height | 35 metres (115 ft) |
Range | 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl (2) W 12s. |
The Delimara Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the island of Malta. It is the second lighthouse to be built on the Delimara point near Marsaxlokk at the southern end of the island. [1] The original lighthouse which was built in the mid 19th century still exists alongside the more modern rectangular tower which opened in 1990. This newer two storey building has observation windows, with roof mounted radar and aerials, and is used for coastal traffic control. [1]
The lighthouse has views of Marsascala and Birżebbuġa which is found opposite the lighthouse. It is also close to Saint Peter's Pool. The original 1850s lighthouse is still present and near the contemporary rectangular two storey tower that was inaugurated in 1990.
The first lighthouse opened in 1855. [2] It was constructed at the same time as the Giordan Lighthouse, which marks the northern end of the island of Gozo. Both were built during the time of British rule on the islands. [3]
The initial light system produced a constant red light, using lamps powered by olive oil. This was replaced in 1896 by a rotating optic system supplied by the Chance Brothers of Smethwick, which used a rotating table coupled with a Fresnel lens to produce an alternating red and white flash every thirty seconds. The apparatus was powered by a weight slowly descending from the lantern room, which drove a clockwork mechanism turning the table at a set rotation. It was lit using lamps powered by paraffin, which was stored in a copper tank with ornate brass fittings. [3]
The light continued in operation, until 1990 when it was deactivated. The building which consists of an octagonal 22m tower with a two-storey house was found to be in a poor state of repair, and was handed over to Din l-Art Helwa for renovation. [3] [2]
Throughout the years the Delimara Lighthouse acted as a beacon to the Maltese shipping industry. It is also considered by some to be a landmark of British architecture. [4]
The restoration has been carried out in three phases. The first part of the refurbishment involved the restoration of the external part of the tower. The outside openings needed maintenance, and lost timber apertures were changed. Moreover, the entire fabric of the lighthouse was restored, including damage to the walls, timber apertures, roof and the lantern tower, which had been in a moderate state of conservation prior to the refurbishment. All cement deposits that were included in the years before were taken out and the mortar joints were plastered with a hydraulic lime-based mix.
The second phase concentrated on the interior of the lighthouse. Works such as plumbing and electricity, maintenance of internal apertures and the installation of a kitchen and bathrooms were carried out in order to convert the lighthouse back to a livable environment. These restoration projects were finished by the first months of 2008.
The third and final phase involves the restoration of the lantern machinery and mechanism. This includes the lantern's housing and gas prisms. This last phase took 5 years to be completed. [5] The restoration was being sponsored by the Malta Maritime Authority. [2] It has been carried out by Din l-Art Helwa [2] and supported by GasanMamo Insurance. The ultimate aim of the project, besides giving back life to an important historic landmark through the works of volunteer's, is to offer visitor accommodation in a historic site. [5]
The Delimara lighthouse keeper's accommodations have been transformed into two apartments available for rent. The apartments can accommodate up to ten people in total, five in each flat. These are situated around the central funnel of the lighthouse, and have views of the surrounding coast. [6]
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of 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.
The Nab Tower was a tower planned for anti-submarine protection in the Solent in World War I. It was sunk over the Nab rocks east of the Isle of Wight to replace a lightship after the war, and is a well-known landmark for sailors as it marks the deep-water eastern entry into the Solent.
Fort Delimara is a polygonal fort in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British as part of a chain of fortifications intended to protect Marsaxlokk Harbour. Today, the fort is still intact but is in need of restoration, and is in danger of collapse due to coastal erosion.
Cordouan lighthouse is an active lighthouse located 7 kilometres at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary in France. At a height of 67.5 metres (221 ft), it is the tenth-tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
Wignacourt Tower, also known as Saint Paul's Bay Tower, is a bastioned watchtower in St. Paul's Bay, Malta. It was the first of six Wignacourt towers to be built, and it was completed in 1610. It replaced the role of Ta' Tabibu farmhouse which was previously known as Dejma Tower. An artillery battery was added a century later in 1715. Today the tower is a museum.
Saint Agatha's Tower, also known as the Red Tower, Mellieħa Tower or Fort Saint Agatha, is a large bastioned watchtower in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built between 1647 and 1649, as the sixth of the Lascaris towers. The tower's design is completely different from the rest of the Lascaris towers, but it is similar to the earlier Wignacourt towers. St. Agatha's Tower was the last large bastioned tower to be built in Malta.
The Our Lady of Victory Church, formerly known as the Saint Anthony the Abbot Church, was the first church and building completed in Valletta, Malta. In 1566, following the Great Siege of Malta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette and his Order showed interest to build a church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin as a form of thanksgiving; the construction was funded by De Valette.
The De Redin Towers are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which still survive.
Din l-Art Ħelwa is a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1968 by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Curran to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment. Since its foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous cultural sites of historic and environmental importance. The organisation promotes the preservation and protection of historic buildings and monuments, the character of Malta's towns and villages, and places of natural beauty. They stimulate the enforcement of existing laws and the enactment of new ones for the protection of Malta's natural and built heritage.
The VRB-25 is a lighthouse optical system designed and built by Vega Industries Ltd. in Porirua, New Zealand. It was originally designed in 1993-95 with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard to meet USCG requirements for a robust mechanism requiring minimum maintenance. It has become the Coast Guard's standard 12 volt rotating beacon. The company's literature says there are more than 400 installations worldwide. More than a quarter of the active lighthouses in Maine have one installed.
Old Caloundra Light, also known as Old Caloundra Head Light or Cape Caloundra Light, is an inactive lighthouse located in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. It is the oldest surviving building in Caloundra. The lighthouse was active between 1896 and 1968. The tower was relocated twice. In 1970 it was relocated from its original location to Woorim Park in Caloundra, and in 1999 it was returned to its original site on Canberra Terrace near downtown Caloundra, where it stands today.
Double Island Point Light is an active lighthouse located at the summit of Double Island Point, a coastal headland within the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park. It is located at the southern end of Wide Bay, 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia.
Xlendi Tower is a small watchtower near Xlendi Bay, within the limits of Munxar on the island of Gozo in Malta. The tower is one of the Lascaris towers and dates to 1650; it is currently undergoing restoration.
Dwejra Tower is a small watchtower in Dwejra Bay, San Lawrenz, which is on the island of Gozo in Malta. It was completed in 1652, and is part of the Lascaris towers. Today, it is in good condition and is open to the public.
Sciuta Tower, also known as Sciutu Tower or Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower, is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1638 as the fifth of the Lascaris towers. The tower was restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa.
Saint Mary's Battery, also known as Comino Battery, is an artillery battery on the island of Comino in Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John between 1715 and 1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Islands.
The Chapel of St Mary is a medieval chapel located in Bir Miftuħ, limits of Gudja, Malta.
The Punta de Arinaga Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria in the Canary islands. The current lighthouse tower is the third to be constructed on the rocky headland of Punta Arinaga, near the town of the same name in the municipality of Agüimes. Arinaga is on the south-east side of the island and marks the coastline between the Maspalomas lighthouse to the south and the Punta de Melenara lighthouse of Telde to the north.
The Gannet Rock Lighthouse is a Canadian lighthouse located on a rocky islet 8 miles (13 km) south of Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy. It was first lit in 1831 and was staffed until 1996. It was solarized in 2002 and remains operational in 2022. It was declared "surplus to requirements" by the Canadian Coast Guard in 2010 and is no longer being maintained.
Mew Island Lighthouse is an active lighthouse within the Copeland Islands of County Down in Northern Ireland. The current 19th-century tower is the most recent in a series of lighthouses that have been built in the islands, which have helped to guide shipping around the archipelago and into Belfast Lough.
Media related to Delimara Lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons