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Ahırkapı Lighthouse

Cankurtaran, Kennedy Cad. No:151, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

Name and Location

Ahırkap�� Lighthouse (Turkish: Ahırkapı Feneri) stands on a low promontory adjacent to Kennedy Avenue, overlooking the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey.

2. Construction and History

The construction date and original architect of the lighthouse are not recorded in publicly available sources. It appears on late-19th to early-20th-century nautical surveys of the Ottoman Empire as an observation tower (per seamark data).

3. Architecture and Materials

The structure is a tower-type "observation" installation, likely made of masonry or brick with a painted finish. The tower and lantern are white, modest in height compared with Black and Red lighthouses further east.

4. Light and Navigation

The focal height is 36 meters above mean sea level, with a light range of 16 nautical miles. The characteristic is flashing white, one flash every 6 seconds (0.5 second flash + 5.5 second eclipse). It serves as a coastal aid marking the Bosphorus entrance.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse stands beside a public roadway and offers unobstructed sea views. While there are no formal visitor facilities, visitors can approach on foot from the tram or bus lines serving Sultanahmet or Sirkeci, then walk south along the waterfront to reach the site.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding district of Cankurtaran is one of Istanbul's historic peninsulas, flanked by Topkapı Palace to the east and the old city walls to the north. Visitors can enjoy glimpses of passing Bosphorus traffic, Marmara ferries, and distant Princes' Islands.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is still active as a coastal aid, with no formal heritage designation found in public registers. The managing authority is not officially documented. There are no AIS or marine radar installations at the site.

9. Further Information

For more information, please refer to Wikidata (Q4696460), Wikimedia Commons (Category:Ahırkapı Lighthouse), Turkish Wikipedia (tr:Ahırkapı Feneri), and NGA List (U.S. NGA Pub. 113, Admiralty list E 4903).

Details

NameAhırkapı Lighthouse
CityFatih, İstanbul
CountryTürkiye
Coordinates41.0063129, 28.9854554
Eventsshipwrecks
Architectural styleobservation tower
Construction materialmasonry, brick
Focal height{"height":36}
Access descriptionApproach on foot from the tram or bus lines serving Sultanahmet or Sirkeci, then a short walk south along the waterfront.
Accessibletrue
View descriptionOffers unobstructed sea views and glimpses of passing Bosphorus traffic, Marmara ferries, and distant Princes’ Islands.
Facilities{}
Nearby attractionsTopkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Square, the ancient city walls
AIS Radarfalse
Light characteristicFl W 6s
Light range{"range":16}
Automatedtrue