Lighthouses of Egypt: Red Sea Governorate

The Arab Republic of Egypt (Miṣr in Arabic) links northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia with the land bridge of Sinai connecting the two continents. This position has made it an important crossroads of the world for the many millennia of its history. In modern times it became a particularly crucial crossroads in 1869 with the completion of the Suez Canal by a French company, linking Egypt's Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts. At that time Egypt was nominally a province of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire but in fact it was ruled as a monarchy. British troops invaded and occupied the country in 1882, declaring its independence from the Ottoman Empire and establishing a de facto British protectorate. Egyot was declared an independent kingdom in 1922 but British troops remained until the republic was established in 1953.

Egypt is famous as the home of the prototype of all lighthouses, the Pharos of Alexandria, built in the early third century BC. At nearly 120 m (390 ft), it was as tall as a modern skyscraper and much taller than any modern lighthouse. It remained in operation until after the Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 CE and stood for centuries more, finally collapsing after several earthquakes.

Egypt is divided into 27 governorates and the governorates are subdivided into regions. This page includes lighthouses of the Red Sea Governorate, which includes the entire Red Sea coast south of the immediate Suez area; there are separate pages for the Mediterranean Sea coast and for South Sinai and Suez.

Aids to navigation in Egypt are operated by the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safely (EAMS). A private company, the Beacon Company of Egypt, maintains many of the lights under contract. Harbor lights at Hurghada and Safaga are maintained by the General Authority for Red Sea Ports.

The Arabic word for a lighthouse is mnarh or manara (منارة). Ra's is a cape, jaza'ir or jazirat is an island, mina' is a harbor, and shi'b is a reef. Transliteration of Arabic to Latin characters can be done in many ways, so alternate spellings are common.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Lights on this page were formerly included in volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals, but in 2013 they were moved to volume D with new numbers. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Beacon Company of Egypt - List of Lights
This light list provides data on each light, but no photos. Gulf of Suez lights are included, but not Red Sea lights.
EAMS - Projects
For lighthouse photos click to "Navigational Aids" and then on "ATON are divided as per their location."
 
Online List of Lights - Egypt Red Sea
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouses in Egypt
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Egypt
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the Red Sea.

Brothers Light
Akhaween (The Brothers) Light, Red Sea, June 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Jon Hanson

Lower Gulf of Suez West Shore Lighthouses
The Suez and Sinai page lists lighthouses of the upper Gulf of Suez and the entire east side of the Gulf.
Ra's az Za'farānah (Zaafarana, Zafarana)
1862. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 10 s. 25 m (82 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Nagi Hosni's photo is at right, EAMS has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Zafarana Point is the site of a large wind power generating farm. Located on a headland on the west side of the Gulf of Suez. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-019; Admiralty D7297 (ex-E6023); NGA 30260.
Marsa Thilimit (Thelemet) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at a small harbor about 7 km (4 mi) south of Ra's Zafarana. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.995 (ex-E6023.23); NGA 30260.3.
* Marsa Thilimit (Thelemet) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located beside the coastal highway 11 about 300 m (0.2 mi) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.9951 (ex-E6023.231); NGA 30260.4.
* Ra's Rawāhimī (Ra's Ruahmi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black. EAMS has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located beside the coastal highway about 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Ra's az Za'farānah. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.98 (ex-E6023.6); NGA 30264.
False Ra's Ghārib
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, colored white with a red stripe. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a point of land about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Ra's Ghārib. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.97 (ex-E6024.4); NGA 30276.
Ra's Ghārib (1)
1871. Inactive since 1987. 50 m (165 ft) cast iron tripod tower with central cylinder, lantern, and gallery. The lighthouse was originally painted black. Ahmed Badawy has a 2020 closeup photo, Hasan al Nabi has a photo, Abdelhalim Kresha has a photo of both Ra's Ghārib lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built by the French as part of the Suez Canal project. It is very rare, with only a few surviving examples anywhere of its design. Abandoned for two decades, it is clearly endangered. However, Fatma Mohamed has a distant 2018 photo that shows the lighthouse painted black, so some restoration work has been done. Located on a headland at Ra's Ghārib, on the west side of the Gulf of Suez about 160 km (100 mi) south of Suez city. Site status unknown; there is a tank farm and petroleum loading dock nearby.
Zaafarana Light
Ra's az Za'farānah Light, Gulf of Suez, July 2009
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Nagi M. Hosni; used by permission
Ra's Ghārib (2)
1987 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 39 m (128 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a large 1-story crew quarters building (probably an Egyptian Navy installation). Lighthouse painted white. An EAMS photo is at right, Abdelhalim Kresha has a photo of both Ra's Ghārib lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland at Ra's Ghārib. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-007; Admiralty D7296.95 (ex-E6025); NGA 30280.
* Al Mallāhah (El Mallaha)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is red. EAMS has a photo and Google has a satellite view. In a sense this light is nameless: mallāhah means "naviagtion" so the official name is simply "Navigation Beacon." Located beside the coastal highway about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Ra's Ghārib. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.85 (ex-E6027); NGA 30332.
Ra's Shuqayr (Ra's Shukier) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 89 m (279 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 17 m (56 ft) (?) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, carrying a white square daymark. Abdullah Elswa has a 2021 photo, EAMS has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent cape about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ra's Ghārib, in a Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company facility. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D7296.8 (ex-E6030); NGA 30340.
Ra's Dubb (Ra's Dib) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black. EAMS has a photo and Google has a satellite view. A nearby square masonry tower may be an older lighthouse. Located on a prominent cape about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Ra's Ghārib. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-006; Admiralty D7296.78 (ex-E6031); NGA 30348.
Ra's Zayt (Ra's Zeit)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is white with a red horizontal band. EAMS has a closeup photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a high bluff above the coastal highway about 80 km (50 mi) southeast of Ra's Ghārib. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.77 (ex-E6032); NGA 30384.

Ra's Ghārib Light, Ra's Ghārib
EAMS photo
Umm al Kīmān
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is black with a white horizontal band. EAMS has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff off the coastal highway on the mainland about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of the El Ashrafy lighthouse. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.75 (ex-E6033); NGA 30388.

Strait of Gubal (Gulf of Suez Entrance) Lighthouses
Juzur Ashrāfī (El Ashrafy) (1)
1862. Inactive since 1940; charted as "old light house" by Navionics. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) octagonal iron tower; lantern probably removed. The lighthouse is the lower left distance in an EAMS photo of the present lighthouse and Bing has a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard image of the lighthouse. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) north of the active lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown.
Juzur Ashrāfī (El Ashrafy) (2)
1940 (station established 1862). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); four white flashes, in a 3+1 pattern, every 15 s. Approx. 26 m (85 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A 2-story keeper's house curves around the lighthouse. Assem Nayal's photo is at right, Trabas has Werner Seiler's photo, EAMS has a photo, and Google has an excellent satellite view. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1987. The Ashrāfī Reef area has offshore oil rigs and is avoided by diving expeditions. Located about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Jemsa. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-001; Admiralty D7296.74 (ex-E6034); NGA 30396.
Jazīrat Jūbāl (Strait of Gubal, Bluff Point) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white fiberglass tower. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo, Sherif Aboul Gadayel has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. An earlier light was on the tall post near the current light. This light stands on the west side of the strait opposite the Shag Rock Light (see the Suez and Sinai page); the distance between the two lights is about 10 km (6 mi). Located on a promontory at the eastern end of Jūbāl (Gubal) Island about 25 km (15 mi) east of Gamasa. ARLHS EGY-021; Admiralty D7296.72 (ex-E6035); NGA 30400.
El Ashrafy Light
Juzur Ashrāfī Light, Gulf of Suez, August 2008
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Assem Nayal; used by permission
Suyūl al Khubrá (Jazirat Siyul, Siyul Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft) four white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Lighthouse is colored white with a black horizontal band. EAMS has a photo, Heike Paulick has a 2021 photo and video, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 6.5 km (4 mi) northwest of Shakir (Shadwan) Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-029; Admiralty D7296.65 (ex-E6036); NGA 30404.
Jazīrat Shākir (Ra's Shukheir, Shadwan Island)
1889. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower appears to be unpainted today; formerly it had a black horizontal band at the top and black and white vertical stripes below. Lantern painted white. An EAMS photo is at right, Trabas has Jim Smith's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Shaker or Shākir (also called Shadwan) is a rocky island, the largest of a group of islands in the center of the Gubal Straits, the entrance to the Gulf of Suez from the Red Sea. The island is a military base; during the War of Attrition (1968-70) artillery and missile batteries on the island shelled Israeli forces occupying the nearby Sinai Peninsula. The lighthouse was damaged by an Israeli counterattack in January 1970 and was not fully repaired until 1987. Located at the southeastern tip of the island. Site and tower closed. ARLHS EGY-018; Admiralty D7296.7 (ex-E6037); NGA 30408.

Ghardaqah (Hurghada) Area Lighthouses
Ghardaqah (Hurghada) is the capital of the Red Sea Governate and a beach resort city of about 260,000 people, making it easily the largest city of Egypt's Red Sea coast. The lights in this section are maintained by the General Authority for Red Sea Ports.

Shi'b al Irj
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); three very quick with flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. Tower colored black with a yellow horizontal band. Daniil Bartholomae's photo probably shows this light and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of a reef about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Ghardaqah. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.59 (ex-E6037.3); NGA 30406.4.
Jazīrat Umm Qamar (Umm Gamar)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. The upper half of the tower is red (?) and the lower half is white. A distant view is available, Jens Rössel also has a distant view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The upper half of the tower appears black in the photos. Located on an island in the northwestern corner of the Red Sea, about 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Ghardaqah. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-030; Admiralty D7296.58 (ex-E6037.5); NGA 30409.

Shākir (Shadwan) Island Light, Gulf of Suez
EAMS photo
Jiftūn al Kabīr (Gaza'ir Giftun)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped red fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. Serge Timoshe has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of a reef on the east side of the entrance to Ghardaqah. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.57 (ex-E6037.7); NGA 30410.
Al Fanādir (Sha'b el Fanadir)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped green fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. A 2017 photo is available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the west side of the entrance to Ghardaqah, opposite the Jiftūn al Kabīr light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.56 (ex-E6037.8); NGA 30410.2.
* Ghardaqah (Hurgada)
Date unknown. Active (unofficial but charted by Navionics); focal plane about 150 m (492 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Greg Hozta has a street view also seen at right, Tanya Dedyukhina has a photo, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a hilltop behind the Hurgada waterfront north of Franken Point. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.
* Franken Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two green flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped green fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete base. and adjoining a square 1-story equipment shelter. Tanya Dedyukhina has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. A small older beacon stands behind the current light. Located on the Ghardaqah waterfront near the Hotelux Marina Beach. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.55 (ex-E6037.9); NGA 30410.4.

Hurgada Light, Ghardaqah, July 2017
Google Maps street view by Greg Hozta
Abū Minqār
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two red flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a stone pier. Entire lighthouse is red. Constantin Voutsen's photo is at right, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo, a 2022 photo is available, Antonio Magrini has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the southeast end of a reef opposite the Ghardaqah waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.51 (ex-E6037.91); NGA 30410.6.
Ghardaqah (Hurghada) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 55 m (181 ft); red light, 3 s on, 2 s off. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a black and white daymark. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a bluff south of the waterfront in Hurghada. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.52 (ex-E6038); NGA 30411.
Ghardaqah (Hurghada) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (250 ft); red light, 3 s on, 2 s off. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a black and white daymark. Balazs Lorincz has a street view and Google has a satellite view. Located 420 m (1/4 mi) south of the front light. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.521 (ex-E6038.1); NGA 30411.5.
Jiftūn aş Şaghir (Giftun el-Saghir)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted black. Mohamed Farouk has a photo showing the lighthouse at the far right 400 m (1/4 mi) behind a coast guard station and Google has a satellite view. Jiftūn aş Şaghir is an island facing the Red Sea about 15 km (9 mi) east of Ghardaqah. Located on the east side of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS EGY-024; Admiralty D7296.5 (ex-E6037.6); NGA 30409.5.
Abu Minqar Light
Abū Minqār Light, Ghardaqah, January 2009
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Constantin Voutsen

Safājah (Safaga) Area Lighthouses
Safaga is a small port shipping phosphate and a minor resort area 53 km (33 mi) south of Hurghada. The lights in this section are maintained by the General Authority for Red Sea Ports.

* Ra's Abū Sawmah
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a slatted white daymark. Trabas has Werner Seiler's closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland about 25 km (15 mi) north of Būr Safājah (Safaga). Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS EGY-027; Admiralty D7296.4 (ex-E6047.2); NGA 30470.5.
Jazīrat Safājah (Safaga Island)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2019. 6 m (20 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower, mounted on a square concrete base. Lighthouse colored black with one yellow horizontal band. 1-story crew building, probably a navy or coast guard station. Trabas has Werner Seiler's photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view of the station. Safājah (Safaga) Island, about 10 km (6 mi) long and 2 km (1.25 mi) wide, shelters the Safājah beach and port area. Located on an isolated hill near the northeastern tip of the island. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty D7296.39 (ex-E6047.55); NGA 30471.4.
Jazīrat Safājah (Safaga Island) Leading
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower mounted on a stone pier. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located near the south end of Safājah (Safaga) Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.38 (ex-E6047.5); NGA 30471.5.
Panorama Reef
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); quick-flashing white light. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, colored yellow with a black band at the top, mounted on a stone pier. Trabas has a photo by Günther Hess and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the north end of a reef about 10 km (6 mi) east of Safaga Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.34 (ex-E6047.65); NGA 30471.
Middle Reef (Umm Hal Hal)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); quick-flashing white light. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, colored yellow with a black band at the top, mounted on a stone pier. Alexander Chupriyanov's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo by Günther Hess, Jens Rössel has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a reef about 10 km (6 mi) east of the southern tip of Safaga Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.33 (ex-E6047.66); NGA 30471.2.
Umm Hal Hal Light
Umm Hal Hal (Middle Reef) Light, Safaga, November 2011
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Alexander Chupriyanov
* Būr Safājah (Bur Safaga) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower carrying a rectangular slatted daymark painted red with a white vertical stripe. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's photo (also seen at right) and Google has a satellite view. This is an approach range for Būr Safājah, a port for shipment of phosphate from nearby mines. NGA confuses this light with the Bur Safaga Transit Beacon. Located at the south end of the port area. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.37 (ex-E6047.4); NGA 30472.
* Būr Safājah (Bur Safaga) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower carrying a rectangular slatted daymark painted red with a white vertical stripe. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located about 600 m (3/8 mi) northwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.371 (ex-E6047.41).
Hyndman (Handyman) Reef (Shab Shear West)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); nine very quick white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, colored yellow with a black horizontal band, mounted on a stone pier. Trabas has a distant view by Günther Hess and Google has a distant satellite view. This location is popular with scuba divers, who call it Shab Shear West, while "Handyman" appears to be a common corruption of the correct name Hyndman Reef. Located at the west end of a reef complex about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Safaga. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.31 (ex-E6047.67); NGA 30475.
Shi'b Shear (Shab Shear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); three very quick white flashes every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, colored yellow with a black horizontal band, mounted on a stone pier. Trabas has a closeup photo by Günther Hess and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the south end of a reef about 6 km (3.5 mi) due east of the Hyndman Reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.32 (ex-E6047.665); NGA 30475.1.
 

Bur Safaga Range Front Light, Safaga
photo copyright Douglas Cameron; used by permission
 
Safājah (Safaga) Ulber
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete pier. The upper third of the light tower is red, the lower 2/3 white. El Mohamady Ahmed has a 2022 photo and Google has a satellite view. There are also several resorts in the area. Located in the surf inside the reef off a headland about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of the port. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D7296.3 (ex-E6047.68); NGA 30475.2.

Red Sea Reef Lighthouses
Al Ikhwān (Akhaween, The Brothers)
1883. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. 31 m (102 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. This is a staffed station with several crew quarters and other buildings. Jon Hanson's photo appears at the top of this page and he also has a closeup of the tower. Trabas has a good photo by Günther Hess, Maciej Sikora has an excellent 2017 photo, EAMS has a photo, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built by the British; the original Chance Brothers Fresnel lens remains in use and is still turned by clockwork that must be wound by hand every 4 hours. The station, refurbished in 1993, is staffed by the Egyptian Navy, but visitors are usually welcome. The island is included in Egypt's Red Sea Marine Park. Located atop a 400 m (1/4 mi) long rocky island in the middle of the Red Sea about 65 km (40 mi) east of Al-Qusayr. Accessible only by boat. Site open; visitors are sometimes allowed to climb the tower. ARLHS EGY-008; Admiralty D7296.2 (ex-E6047); NGA 30476.
Abū el-Kizân (Daedalus Reef) (2)
1931 (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes, in a 1+2 pattern, every 12 s. 30 m (98 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story crew quarters complex. Tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. Fresnel lens in use. Clifton Beard's photo appears at right, Jonathan Coates has an excellent closeup photo, Trabas has a photo by Günther Hess, EAMS has a photo, Vinh H. Nguyen has a 2021 closeup street view, and Bing has a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. This light station is one of a series established by the French to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea after the opening of the Suez Canal. The original lighthouse was a round cast iron tower incorporating a 4-story keeper's quarters. Sometime around 1900 that lighthouse was enclosed; Huelse has a historic postcard view of the lighthouse in that form. The present lighthouse, refurbished in 1993, is staffed by the Egyptian Navy. Daedalus Reef, a popular stop for scuba divers, is included in Egypt's Red Sea Marine Park. Located on a reef barely breaking the surface of the sea, about 100 km (60 mi) east of Marsa Alam. Accessible only by boat. Site open; visitors are sometimes allowed to climb the tower. ARLHS EGY-010; Admiralty D7296.1 (ex-E6048); NGA 30492.
Daedalus Reef Light
Abū el-Kizân (Daedalus Reef) Light, Red Sea, May 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Clifton Beard

Medinet-el Haras (Berenice) Lighthouses
Berenice, in the extreme southeastern corner of Egypt, was an important port in classical times; in the Roman Empire it was the outlet for trade from Ethiopia and a port trading with India. Today it is the site of an Egyptian Navy base. It is located on a rather shallow bay known as Sinus Immundus, or Foul Bay. The bay is sheltered on the north by the mountainous peninsula of Ra's Banas.

Philadelphus Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flashing red light. 8 m (26 ft) round barbell-shaped red fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the Ra's Banas Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.09; NGA 30605.25.
Farida Point Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round barbell-shaped red metal tower painted with green and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is the approach range for Berenice. The front light is on a similar tower about 7 m (23 ft) tall. Located on the south side of the Ra's Banas Peninsula about 16 km (10 mI) northwest of the Philadelphus Point light. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D7296.081; NGA 30605.31.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Mediterranean Egypt | East: South Sinai and Suez | South: Sudan

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Posted July 25, 2006. Checked and revised November 13, 2023. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.