![]() The Phoenicians, trading from the Mediterranean to Great Britain, marked their route with lighthouses. A fragment of the original Roman lighthouse at Dover still survives. These included a famous lighthouse at Ostia, the port of Rome, completed in 50 ce, and lighthouses at Boulogne, France, and Dover, England. ![]() The Romans erected many lighthouse towers in the course of expanding their empire, and by 400 ce there were some 30 in service from the Black Sea to the Atlantic. The first authenticated lighthouse was the renowned Pharos of Alexandria, which stood some 350 feet (about 110 metres) high. The forerunners of lighthouses proper were beacon fires kindled on hilltops, the earliest references to which are contained in the Iliad and the Odyssey (c. History of lighthouses Lighthouses of antiquity In addition, they can be used by vessels with no special equipment on board, providing the ultimate backup against the failure of more sophisticated systems. Among mariners there is still a natural preference for the reassurance of visual navigation, and lighted marks also have the advantages of simplicity, reliability, and low cost. Powerful lights are becoming superfluous, especially for landfall, but there has been a significant increase in minor lights and lighted buoys, which are still necessary to guide the navigator through busy and often tortuous coastal waters and harbour approaches. The development of electronic navigation systems has had a great effect on the role of lighthouses. From the sea a lighthouse may be identified by the distinctive shape or colour of its structure, by the colour or flash pattern of its light, or by the coded pattern of its radio signal. Lighthouse, structure, usually with a tower, built onshore or on the seabed to serve as an aid to maritime coastal navigation, warning mariners of hazards, establishing their position, and guiding them to their destinations. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. ![]() Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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