Name and Location

The Phare de Ras Bir, also known as the Ras Bir Lighthouse, stands on a remote headland northeast of Obock, on the Gulf of Tadjoura (entrance to the Red Sea) in Djibouti. Its official address is X9J6+5Q Obock, Djibouti (Plus Code), and its coordinates are 11°58′49″ N, 43°21′42″ E (11.980465° N, 43.361902° E).

Construction and History

The Phare de Ras Bir was first established by French colonial authorities in 1886 to mark the western entrance to the Red Sea. The current cylindrical concrete tower was constructed in 1952, replacing an earlier masonry structure. It is likely that the lighthouse was automated in the latter 20th century, although the exact date of automation is unknown.

Architecture and Materials

The Phare de Ras Bir stands at a height of 53 meters (174 feet) from base to top of lantern. The tower is made of concrete and tapers slightly toward the lantern gallery. The markings are white, with a single gallery and lantern platform (unpainted metalwork). Access to the lighthouse is via a spiral staircase of approximately 250 steps to the lantern level.

Light and Navigation

The focal height of the light is 74 meters (243 feet) above mean sea level, with a range of 20 nautical miles. The characteristic is a group flashing – two white flashes every 10 seconds (Fl(2) W 10 s). The light sequence details are: 0.5 s flash + dark for 2 s + 0.5 s flash + dark for 7 s.

Accessibility and Visiting

The grounds of the Phare de Ras Bir can be reached by 4×4 along Ras Bir track, but the interior is normally closed to casual visitors (no regular guided tours). There are no facilities on site.

Notable Views and Landscape

The coastal cliffs east of the tower offer panoramic views of the Red Sea entrance and the distant Yemen coast. The surrounding landscape is a stark, arid environment with rocky outcrops and sparsely vegetated desert.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Stories persist of early French keepers enduring sandstorms and isolation, although no published memoirs are known. Occasional reports describe unusual mirages of ships on the horizon, which local fishermen attribute to Djibouti's heat haze.

Technical and Operational Details

The Phare de Ras Bir is an active navigational aid, managed by the Presumed Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority or national maritime safety agency (exact agency not publicly documented). It does not have co-located radar or AIS installations.

Further Information

For further reading and references, please consult the US NGA Publication 112 (2010), Light List entry D 7272; Monde des Phares – http://mondedesphares.fr/?Phare-de-Ras-Bir.html; OpenStreetMap (way/266318886) – https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/266318886; and Wikidata Q56282668.