The Boujdour lighthouse (or Cabo Bojador Light; french: Phare de Boujdour, ar, منارة راس بوجدور) is a lighthouse located near
Cape Bojador
Cape Bojador ( ar, رأس بوجادور, trans. ''Rā's Būjādūr''; ber, ⴱⵓⵊⴷⵓⵔ, ''Bujdur''; Spanish and pt, Cabo Bojador; french: Cap Boujdour) is a headland on the west coast of Western Sahara, at 26° 07' 37"N, 14° 29' 57"W ...
in the city of
Boujdour
Boujdour (or Bujdur, Bojador, ar, بوجدور) is a city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, near Cape Bojador.
It is de facto administered by Morocco, which includes it in the administrative division of the Southern Provinces.
It is an ...
in the
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra ( ar, العيون - الساقية الحمراء, al-ʿuyūn as-sāqiya l-ḥamrāʾ; ber, ⵍⵄⵢⵓⵏ ⵜⴰⵔⴳⴰ ⵜⴰⵣⴳⴳⵯⴰⵖⵜ, lɛyun targa tazggʷaɣt) is one of the twelve regions of Morocc ...
region of Morocco. The Boujdour lighthouse became a historical monument in the southern provinces of Morocco after the
annexation of Western Sahara
The Annexation of Western Sahara was the occupation and incorporation of Western Sahara into Morocco in two stages in 1976 and 1979. On 14 April 1976 the area was annexed by Morocco and Mauritania via the Western Sahara partition agreement, followi ...
to Morocco in 1976.
History
The lighthouse is on the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
coast in the center of the city of Boujdour, south of
Laayoune
Laâyoune ( , also , ) or El Aaiún ( , ; Hassaniya Arabic: , romanized: ; ber, ⵍⵄⵢⵓⵏ, Leɛyun; ar, label= Literary Arabic, العيون, al-ʿUyūn/el-ʿUyūn, lit=The Springs) is the largest city of the disputed territory of W ...
. The present structure replaced a 1903 square tower on the fort of Boujdour. It was built while Western Sahara was a Spanish colony. Work began in 1953 and the lighthouse was commissioned in 1959. Morocco took control of the territory in 1975 and created
Boujdour Province
Boujdour Province ( ar, إقليم بوجدور) is a province in the Moroccan occupied region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Western Sahara. Its population in 2004 was 46,129. Its major town is Boujdour.
Its territory, which is part of Western Sah ...
in 1976. The legal status is still disputed.
Structure
The lighthouse tower is high. The building has a circular diameter of about . The structure contains a particularly hard stone, similar to granite. It is a white conical concrete tower, with beige vertical stripes. It has a spiral staircase with 246 steps. The equipment has been modernized. The light emits three white flashes every 15 seconds, at a focal height of above sea level, with a maximum range of approximately .
The lighthouse is considered a historical monument. It is managed by the Port and Maritime Authority within the
Ministry of Equipment, Transport and Logistics.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boujdour Lighthouse
Lighthouses in Morocco