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According to existing documentation
the Angelohori Lighthouse is constructed at 1864. The lighthouse
is built upon Cape Karabournou, Near Thessaloniki, at the entrance
of Thermaikos Gulf. It is reported by a greek officer at 1886 that
the lighthouse is installed on a “white stone tower, housing a military
station”. The same source is referring that it is a 4th grade phare,
with a white light, that can be seen from a distance of 10 miles
and a red light, that can be seen from a distance of 10 miles and
a red light, that can be seen from a distance of 6 miles. The main
importance of this phare is that It protects the ships entering
Thermaikos gulf form the south to avoid Cape Touzla at the southern
part of Cape Karabournou.
The whole region of Cape Carabournou has a very important historic
past. Near Cape Touzla has been documented the existence of Aineia,
an ancient City and a Colony of the Corinthians of the 7th century
b.C.
Near the lighthouse and up to an altitude of 20 meters from sea
level has been constructed at 1880 a coastal defense military station
planed by German officers on behalf of the Ottoman State. It is
also documented that a lighthouse seems to operate at the same Cape
Karabournou (or Emvolon) at the first two decades of the 19th century.
The lighthouse construction of 1864 is part of the Lighthouse system
of the Ottoman State, That includes also the lighthouses in Cassandra
(Cape Posseidi) and Alexandroupolis. According to informations of
the Greek Lighthouse Service, alterations have been made to the
lighthouse at three phases: 1926, 1944 and 1959.
The whole coastal defense military site of Karabournou, including
the Phare, has been classified at 1998 as a monument, under protection
by the Greek Ministry of Culture, on the basis of its importance
for the military defence architecture of the late 19th century and
as a rare example of the kind in Greece.
The 4th Ephorate of Early Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture
has proposed to the Ministry a project of restoration, rehabilitation
and reuse of the whole site, focusing a. the rivival of the site
as a major historic site of the countryside around Thessaloniki
and A coastal defense site of first grade and b. its opening to
the life of the neighborhood two small suburb towns Angelohori and
Mihaniona and of course of all Thessaloniki. The inhabitants of
the two towns have embraced the idea of the reuse of the site. They
have a strong mentality for the protection of the monuments of the
region. They are organizing an annual local festival each June related
to their naval and fishing traditions.
The user of the whole site is the Military Marine Authority of Northern
Greece. The authority is contributing to the protection of the site.
The control of the lighthouse is undertaken by the Greek Lighthouse
Authority itself.
The proposal for including the Angelohori of Karabournou lighthouse
to the INCOMED research program will support the whole task of the
general project of the study of the whole coastal defense site and
open the discussion of the revival of lighthouse sites and of a
new direction to the research of the lighthouses. The project will
provide a closer view to the history of the site, to its building
phases and to the evolution of the functional machinery technologies.
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