LIGHTHOUSES OF GREECE

LIGHTHOUSES OF GREECE

www.faroi.net

Pavlidis Savas SV2AEL #2001#

Greek phone cards and stamps with lighthouses

The world's first lighthouse towers were erecting about 2000 years ago...the Colossus at Rhodes Island , of Greece and Pharos at Alexandria , in Egypt.

In 1940, there were 206 store lighthouses while till the end of the War only 19 remained functional.

National Cooperation

The development of telecommunications and especially Statelite communications was the final blow to the lighthouse monuments. Until 1980 the Service of Lighthouse network occupied 320 lighthouse keepers, who took care of the conservation and the damages of the structures. The number of lighthouse keepers was reducing slowly and today there are not more than 70.

Greek phone cards and stamps with lighthouses

One of the most important and up to date monuments that stands at as a characteristic of Greece and the notable position Greece had from the beginning of World Naval history is fading out due to wear and tear and abandonment. The Lighthouse network of Greece has 120 Traditional lighthouses today, which are approximately two centuries old. Only 20 of them are in very good condition, where as 30 are in medium condition, and the marks of wear and tear are visible to the naked eye in the other structures.
In 1988, Greek Hydrographic and Lighthouses Services that belongs to the Naval Head Quarters (ΓΕΝ) which has the responsibility of the network's management, initiated a total conservation and restoration program for all lighthouses and in addition propelled this plan to be supported by the 2nd Community Support Department. The Ministry of Culture and the Services of historical monuments took the responsibility to inspect and evaluate the lighthouses one by one. Twenty of them have been visited and have been considered as historical monuments with the need to be conserved. Nevertheless the plan has not been funded and the renovation remained aside.
The Services of lighthouses has the financial ability to repair 3 to 4 structures annually. But with such rate the plan will be completed 40 years of time. The 3rd Community Support Department has revived the hopes to those people who are occupied with the conservation of those historical monuments. Their persistence has obtained a financial support of 1,5 billion drachmas (approximately 4,5 million EURO) in order to initiate a pilot program of the network's restoration. With these funds the Services of the Naval Headquarters (ΓΕΝ) can repair approximately 40 Lighthouses due to the fact that they offer the knowledge, specialized mechanics and architects.
The world's first lighthouse towers were erecting about 2000 years ago...the Colossus at Rhodes Island , of Greece and Pharos at Alexandria , in Egypt.
Destruction The largest destruction to the Greek lighthouse network occurred during the 2nd World War and specifically during the German's Armed Forces departure from Greece.	In 1940, there were 206 store lighthouses while till the end of the War only 19 remained functional. The old lighthouse in Patras harbour The first attempt of restoration of the network had been made in 1945, and continued till the mid 50s . Approximately 80 lighthouses were rebuilt the rest were left to their own demise. Lightbeacons took their place. They were much more cheaper, easier to be placed and maintained. Due to these facts 1.188 of lightbeacons are used in all the important Ocean areas. The lightbeacons
Lighthouses & Amateur Radio Foreigner Radioamateurs in Greece Greek PhoneCards & Stamps with Lighthouses Photo Gallery Over 350 photos (!) with Greek lighthouses	Usefull links List with Traditional Greek Lighthouses The history of Greek shipping

National Cooperation The development of telecommunications and especially Statelite communications was the final blow to the lighthouse monuments. Until 1980 the Service of Lighthouse network occupied 320 lighthouse keepers, who took care of the conservation and the damages of the structures. The number of lighthouse keepers was reducing slowly and today there are not more than 70.
In the beginning of summer 2001 the Service of Naval Headquarters hosted a convention for the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) in the island Spetses, in order to discuss about the alternative uses of the lighthouse network. Greece is the founding member of the Organization and participates in all its activities from 1970. The problem of the lighthouse network conservation concerns all countries and since 1996 there are 3 work groups who are occupied with the registration and the description of the lighthouses condition. In addition the groups work out the common initiative for their preservation and how to make the lighthouses useful.
A common idea is to convert the lighthouses into museums. From the Department of Lighthouses Studies an alternative plan has been considered. This plan indicated the fact to selfund the conservation program with a lighthouse tax. The Annual earnings from the taxes will be 1 billion drs (3 million EURO) which will be rended to the Department of Finance. The Ministry of Marinal Affairs studied the proposal of the tax increase as well as its return to the Lighthouse Department, so as to deal with the problems of the Greek Lighthouse network. Apart from the pilot program, the Lighthouse service initiated an ambitious plan in order to attract visitors. In the year 2000 for the first time 50 members of the Navy spent a part of their vacation in the lighthouses. They made a list of their observations in order to adapt this program for people who are interested to visit and stay a few days in the lighthouses. From last year till today 3 boy scout excursions were also organized and had positive results. Next year these kind of excursions will be more organized and systematic. All in all, in the island of IOS the lighthouse was restored and remains open to the public with the initiative of the local authorities. Likewise, there was another initiative of the Municipality of GITHIO for the KRANEAS lighthouse which lighthouse will be repaired in cooperation with the Greek National Tourism Organization in order to host the Naval Museum of MANIS.