Ilha do Goa Light, Mozambique

Here we have one of Mozambique's oldest and best known lighthouses. The Ilha do Goa is a small island obstructing the approach to the old Portuguese fortress town of Moçambique, which gave its name to the country. The lighthouse was first built in 1876 and is the oldest example of a robust square tower design that became typical of lighthouses in Zanzibar and on the coast of German East Africa (now Tanzania). Silva Pais writes that in 1923 the station was upgraded with a new lantern and lens and the tower was raised in height by 12 meters to the present 31 meters (102 ft). The lighthouse is still in service.


photo from Silva Pais pamphlet

 

Posted June 2005. Images in this section are believed to be in the public domain. The Lighthouse Directory site is copyright 2005 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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