Cycling to Rumeli Lighthouse on a Bright, Breezy Day

It was the first day of April. The wind was strong, but the sun was shining, and the air was surprisingly warm – the kind of day that almost insists you go outside. So I took my bike and headed north, toward the Black Sea coastline and Rumeli Feneri.

Rumeli Lighthouse (Turkish: Rumeli Feneri, also called Türkeli Feneri) stands at the northern entrance of the Bosphorus on the European shore of Istanbul. It has been guiding ships for more than a century and remains in use today. The name Rumeli refers to the historical Ottoman territories in Europe. Directly across the strait, just 2 nautical miles (about 3.7 km) away on the Asian side, stands its counterpart, Anadolu Feneri. The two lighthouses face each other across the narrow opening where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea – a place where the winds are almost always alive and the sea feels vast.

Rumeli Lighthouse

In the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece, the two islets on which these lighthouses were built were called the Symplegades. They clashed randomly, destroying any ship that passed between them. A line connecting the two lighthouses marks the northern boundary of the Port of Istanbul. The place where the lighthouse is erected is named Rumelifeneri, which today is a fishermen’s village in the Sarıyer district.

The lighthouse was built by the French in order to provide safe navigation for the French and British warships entering the Istanbul Strait from the Black Sea during the Crimean War (1853-1856). The lighthouse went into service on May 15, 1856, together with its counterpart. It was run by the French until 1933, when the 100-year concession was canceled and the Turkish authorities took over. Today, it is maintained by the Coastal Safety Authority of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

The lighthouse is situated on a hillside 58 meters (190 feet) high above sea level, and the entirely white painted tower has a height of 30 meters (98 feet). It is the tallest lighthouse in Turkey. The tower has the form of a two-staged octagonal prism. Initially, it was lit by kerosene, which was later replaced by Dalén light using carbide (acetylene gas). Today, the light source is electricity; however, a butane gas lighting system is also installed for backup purposes. The Fresnel lens with a 500 millimeters (1.6 feet) focal length allows the white light that group flash every 12 seconds, a range of 18 nautical miles (33 km).

The lighthouse is listed in Turkey under the code “TUR-053” and its radio call sign is TC1RLH.

Rumeli Feneri is open to public visits as a historical site.

The Genoese-built Rumeli Feneri castle, approached by a dirt road. The place where it stands is quite large, but much of what can be seen is simply the remains of what was once a large castle that was used to protect İstanbul.