Mērsrags Lighthouse (Latvian: Mērsraga bāka) – a lighthouse located on the Bay of Riga, on the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea. It is located on a headland, stretching as a cape into the Bay of Riga, by a stony shoal.
| Mersrags lighthouse | |
| Location | Mērsrags, Latvia |
| Year first constructed | 1875 |
| Deactivated | 1917 |
| Construction | cast iron |
| Tower shape | cylindrical hold up by eight buttresses tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower with red trim |
| Tower height | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Focal height | 85 feet (26 m) |
| Range | 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) |
History
The lighthouse was built in 1875, and is called the Frenchwoman, as the lens, an invention of the French, is used as its signal. The lighthouse was devastated in World War I, when its metal structure was distorted by a fire. The current lighthouse was built in 1922, and is strengthened by eight wrought iron inserts, with the exterior walls sheathed with riveted metal plating.
en.wikipedia.org
The Mersrags lighthouse is situated at the tip of the shore shooting forth into the sea, near the place where a stony shoal lies. Old legends tell that plunderers would walk a cow with a lantern around its neck in order to mislead the passing ships, and should an accident occur, they would seize the loot. In 1875 one of the most beautiful Latvia’s lighthouses was constructed here. They called it a „Frenchwoman”, because the tower of the Mērsrags lighthouse, its optical system, and the lantern were manufactured in Paris, France. However, the lighthouse was severely damaged during World War I when its metal construction came under fires and was distorted. The present-day tower of the lighthouse was built in 1922. It is strengthened with eight wrought-iron inserts, and the external walls are sheathed with riveted metal plating.
Andris Cekuls
bakas.lv