New Lighthouse Al Manara, Beirut

The words "Al Manara" in Arabic mean, "the Lighthouse." Beirut has had five different lighthouses since the 19th century. By the early 1800s Beirut had become a vital maritime nexus between east and west. To guide ships safely, the lighthouses were erected in succession at the tip of land called Ras-Beirut.

All five lighthouses have been operated by the Chablis family. The first lighthouse was a brick tower, a little less than fifty feet high and it burned kerosene. The second light, built in the 1920s, was on a little higher ground than the first. It was concrete, measuring 66 feet in height. In 1990 it was renovated by order of President Hrawe.

The third lighthouse was also built in Ras-Beirut. It's construction followed the loss of the French ship Champollion in 1952. The ship's navigator confused the lighthouse with the lights of the airport while trying for the harbor. The second lighthouse was replaced.

The third lighthouse and the fourth lighthouse were darkened by war and by subsequent shoreside constructions after the war that obscured them from the sea. In 2003 Beirut's fifth lighthouse was built. It is situated well away from built-up areas at the edge of the waterfront. It is 118 feet high, its light flashes white two times, every ten seconds.