Jaffa Light ( he, מגדלור יפו) is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. It is located on a hilltop above the old

Jaffa Port Jaffa Port ( he, נמל יפו, ; , ) is an ancient port situated on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in Old Jaffa within Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel. The port serves as a fishing harbour, a yacht harbour, and as a tourist destination. It offer ...

, in the historical part of the city. It operated between 1865 and 1966, although now deactivated it is still used as a daylight navigation aid.

History

Jaffa Light was built by French engineers in 1865. It was constructed as part of operations carried out by the Ottoman authorities to improve the port facilities, mainly due to the increase in export of

citrus fruit ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to So ...

, and especially

oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...

, the well known "

Jaffa orange The Jaffa orange (Arabic: ‏برتقال يافا), also known by their Arabic name, Shamouti orange, is an orange variety with few seeds and a tough skin that makes it particularly suitable for export. Developed by Arab farmers in the mid-19t ...

s". The

lighthouse keeper A lighthouse keeper or lightkeeper is a person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Lighthouse keepers were sometimes referred to as ...

from 1875 was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

who came from

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. He was trained by the same French company who built the lighthouse. Around 1938 his son was trained by the same French company and replaced him, probably as result of the lighthouse being rebuilt. His grandson, Abu George, was the "technician", responsible for keeping the lamp lit. The son was the official keeper until the lighthouse was shut down in 1966. Note that Abu George is quoted saying "I had to watch the Carbide lamp, feed it kerosene every two hours.", which makes little sense. In 1936 the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

expanded the port and rebuilt the lighthouse. The light source used in this lighthouse was a

Carbide lamp Carbide lamps, or acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water (H2O). Acetylene gas lamps were used to illuminate buildings, as lighthouse b ...

. In 1965 the

Port of Ashdod The Port of Ashdod ( he, נמל אשדוד) is one of Israel's three main cargo ports. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River. Its establishment significantly enhanced the c ...

was built, replacing Jaffa Port. In 1966 the glass optic was taken to be used in the Ashdod Light, and the lighthouse was deactivated. Jaffa Port become a small craft port. The lighthouse appeared on a stamp issued on 26 November 2009 in Israel.

References

{{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1865 Lighthouses completed in 1936 Lighthouses in Israel Buildings and structures in Tel Aviv Old Jaffa

History

See also

References