Dili Harbor Lighthouse

The Dili Harbor Lighthouse (Portuguese: Farol do Porto de Díli) is a lighthouse next to the beach on the west side of Dili, capital city of East Timor.

Dili Harbor Lighthouse
Dili Harbor Lighthouse, 2018
Dili Harbor Lighthouse
LocationDili, East Timor
Coordinates8°32′54.0″S 125°34′6″E
Year first constructedc. 1860s
Year first lit1896 (1896)
FoundationMasonry
ConstructionMetal
Tower shapeOctagonal
Tower height17 metres (56 ft)
Focal height19 metres (62 ft)
Range12 nautical miles (22.2 km)
CharacteristicFl W 6s.
Admiralty numberQ1368
NGA number25708
ARLHS numberARLHS TIM-001
HeritageHeritage of Portuguese Influence 

History
View of the earlier lighthouse, 1864
Credit: "Pharol de Timor", Archivo Pittoresco, Vol. X, 1867, p.325.

The lighthouse was erected to replace an earlier structure, which was only 7 m (23 ft) high, emitted a light that was blending with other lights of the city, and was already in danger of falling into ruin.[1]

The date of construction of the earlier lighthouse is not known. However, there is evidence of studies during the tenure of José Manuel Pereira de Almeida as Governor of Portuguese Timor (1863–1864) for the construction of a lighthouse 3.75 m (12.3 ft) high. The studies depict a structure with a stone base, quadrangular mechanism, and an upper terrace with a cylindrical structure supporting the lamp.[1]

Construction of the present lighthouse began in 1889, during the governorship of Rafael Jácome Lopes de Andrade (1888–1890).[1] In that year, the masonry base was completed.[2] Maps published in 1892 and 1893 document both lighthouses simultaneously.[1]

The present lighthouse was completed in 1896,[3] and has twice been reconstructed and improved: in 1932, and between 1948 and 1949 after the Japanese occupation of Portuguese Timor.[1] The latter refurbishments included the landscaping of the lighthouse's platform.[2]

In 1949, a nearby house, which had been built before the Japanese occupation on the other side of what is now the Avenida de Motael, was adapted to become the residence of the lighthouse keeper.[2]

In the early 1950s, the adjacent area, informally named "Bairro do Farol", was developed in accordance with the 1951 General Urban Plan of Díli, as a residential area for high level colonial public servants and Europeans.[1][2]

Architecture and fittings

Currently, the lighthouse consists of a 17 m (56 ft) octagonal metal skeletal tower rising from a massive masonry base, with a lantern and gallery at its peak. Access to the lantern is by an exposed stairway spiralling around a central column.[1][3][4]

See also

References
  1. Boavida, Isabel. "Farol do Porto Díli, Díli, Timor". Heritage of Portuguese Influence / Património de Influência Portuguesa (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  2. Miranda, Flávio; Boavida, Isabel, eds. (2015). Património Arquitetónico de Origem Portuguesa de Dili / Patrimoniu Arquitetoniku Origem Portuguesa Dili nian / Architectural Heritage of Portuguese Origins of Dili (in Portuguese, Tetum, and English). Dili: Secretária de Estado da Arte e Cultura. pp. 51, 133–135. ISBN 9789892060200. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  3. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Timor Leste (East Timor)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. List of Lights, Pub. 112: Western Pacific and Indian Oceans Including the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2018. p. 461.

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