1. Léandre's Tower in Turkey
The Léandre Tower (or Léandros) in Turkish K?z Kulesi (Girl's Tower), is built on a small island located in the Bosporus Strait off the Üsküdar district of Istanbul. Originally (408 BC), it controlled the movements of Persian ships in the Bosporus Strait, between the ancient cities of Byzantium and Chrysopolis. It was transformed into a fortress by the Byzantine Emperor Alexis Comnenus in 1110 AD, then restored and slightly modified several times by the Ottoman Turks. Used as a lighthouse for years, it has been transformed into a popular café and restaurant, with a beautiful view of the ancient Roman capital.
Many legends surround the construction and location of this tower. But the most popular in Turkey is that of a sultan, who, to protect his beloved daughter from death, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosporus, to lock her in until her 18 e anniversary. An oracle who predicted the death of the girl, by the bite of a snake, on the day of her 18th e anniversary. Locked in his tower, the sultan thus moved him away from the land and therefore from the snakes and was the only one to visit him. The day of his 18 e on his birthday, his father, relieved, brought him a basket of fruit, in which was hidden a reptile, which stung the girl, and caused her death. This is how the Tower was called Léandre.
2. The Tower of Hercules in Spain
The Tower of Hercules has been used as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance to the port of A Coruña, in northwestern Spain, since the end of the 1st century AD, when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. It is located on a rock at an altitude of 57 m and culminates at 55 m - 34 m of original Roman lighthouse structure and 21 m due to the restoration of the eighteenth century and which added two octagonal shapes to the Roman structure.
The Tower of Hercules is the only Roman lighthouse truly preserved and still in operation for maritime signalling; it testifies to the elaborate navigation system of antiquity and helps to understand the history of the Atlantic maritime route in Western Europe. The Tower of Hercules was restored in the 18th century in an exemplary manner, which made it possible to preserve the central core of the original Roman monument while renovating its technical function.
The Tower of Hercules is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Santa Marta Lighthouse in Portugal
The Santa Marta (or Cascais) Lighthouse is located west of Lisbon, in the Extremadura region and marks the entrance to the Tagus. Built in 1864, it was opened to the public in 1868 and now houses a museum that houses a wide variety of tiles, as well as the Museum of the Sea.
4. The Lanterna of Genoa in Italy
La Lanterna is the name given to the port lighthouse of the city of Genoa, the capital of the Liguria region. It is built on the hill of San Benigno, a short distance from the Sampierdarena district. This lighthouse, which is the symbol of Genoa and was rebuilt in 1543, stands on a 40 m high rock. Its summit is 117 m above sea level. A staircase of 172 steps leads the visitor to the first terrace from which the view of the port and the historic centre is breathtaking. It is topped by a cylindrical lantern equipped with a rotating optic that emits two 872,000 candle flashes every 20 seconds.
5. Gorliz Lighthouse in Spain
Gorliz Lighthouse is one of the last lighthouses built in Spain, inaugurated in 1991 on the Cabo Vilano promontory, with a 21-metre high, polygonal concrete tower and a focal plane of 165 metres above sea level. It is fully automated and guided from a distance, which is why it has been built without a housing and with a space just for the machines. The viewpoint on the edge of the building offers splendid views. On site are the remains of a gun that had been used to defend the bay.
