Kõpu lighthouse

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Kõpu lighthouse

Kõpu lighthouse is one of best known symbols and tourist sights on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. It is third oldest operating lighthouse in the world. The lighthouse has been previously known under its Swedish name, Upper Dagerort lighthouse. The light can be seen for 35 nautical miles (65 km).

1 Height and appearance
2 History
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Height and appearance

Kõpu lighthouse was built to the top of the highest hill of Hiiumaa, 67 meters. The height of the building is 36 meters, light is 102.6 meters above the sea level, making it highest lighthouse light of Baltic Sea. Lighthouse has the shape of a tetrahedral prism with massive counterforts in the directions of principal divisions on the compass.

[edit] History

Stairs of the lighthouse

Lighthouse was requested by Hanseatic League on 1490, to reduce the number of shipwrecks on Hiiu Shoal (also known as Neckmansgrund) and to warn them away from shoreline. Tallinn Town Council was granted permission by the bishop of Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek on year 1500 to erect a lighthouse.

Building started in 1505 and lasted with interruptions for twenty-six years. The light on top of the tower was lit in August 1531, however, lighthouse was considered to be ready in 1513. In 1659 the height of the lighthouse was raised to current.

Russian administration started to run the lighthouse in 1805. Major reconstruction of the tower was started in 1810. In its southern counterfort, a stone staircase was built and two subsidiary rooms were restored. A wooden structure with lamp-chimneys was built for the lantern and its optical devices in 1845. The counterfort with the staircase was roofed with wooden boards in 1869.

Lighthouse was bombed by German planes in 1941, but only the lantern structure and the optical system were destroyed.

In the beginning of 1970s and, later in 1979-81 the outside walls of the tower were repeatedly repaired because of progressing deterioration, finally 1989-1990 a reinforced concrete shirt was built to support the foundation and walls.