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Kolka Lighthouse (
Latvian: ''Kolkas bāka'') is a lighthouse located in
Irbe Strait
Irbe Strait, also known as Irben Strait ( et, Kura kurk, lv, Irbes jūras šaurums, liv, Sūr mer), forms the main exit out of the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic Sea, between the Sõrve Peninsula forming the southern end of the island Saaremaa in ...
, off the Latvian coast on a specially created artificial island. The lighthouse guides ships around the dangerous
Cape Kolka
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, photo_caption = Cape Kolka
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, at the eastern entrance to the Irbe Strait from the
Gulf of Rīga.
History
A pair of range lights was built on the point of the cape in 1818 to guide ships around the offshore shoals. These proved inadequate so a lightship station was established in 1858. A temporary wooden lighthouse was lit offshore in 1875, well before completion of the permanent iron tower, which was built in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
Пушки Курляндского берега
/ref> and delivered by sea in parts.
Originally the artificial island was built closer to the coast, but due to damage to Kolka beach, the Cape Kolka
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, type =Cape
, photo = Kolkas rags.jpg
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, photo_alt =
, photo_caption = Cape Kolka
, map = Latvia
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is constantly being washed out. The island was built in the winters 1873-1875 by bringing big stones from the coast via ice road. The area of the island is about 2000 square meters.
Historical names are Domesnäs, Domes Ness or Домеснес.
See also
* List of lighthouses in Latvia
References
Lighthouses in Latvia
Lighthouses completed in 1875
Islands of Latvia
Baltic islands
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