ACB Images

Rumeli (Türkeli) Lighthouse | Istanbul, 2006

Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 1Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 2Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 3Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 4Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 5Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 6Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 7Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 8Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 9Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 10Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 11Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 12Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 13Rumeli Lighthouse, Istanbul, 2006 — photograph 14

At the northern entrance to the Bosphorus, where Istanbul meets the Black Sea, Rumeli Lighthouse rises above the rocky European shore. Also known as Türkeli Lighthouse, it has long been a landmark for vessels approaching the strait. I photographed the lighthouse in 2006, drawn both to its maritime function and to the life surrounding its white tower.

Built in 1856 during the Crimean War period, the lighthouse was intended to guide ships approaching the Bosphorus from the Black Sea. Its approximately 30-metre tower stands prominently above the coastline. The light has a nominal range of 18 nautical miles and a distinctive characteristic of Fl W (2) 12s: two white flashes repeated every twelve seconds, enabling mariners to distinguish it from other coastal lights. Across the strait, Anadolu Lighthouse marks the Asian side of the entrance; together they frame one of the world's most important maritime passages.

The lighthouse is more than a navigational structure. Within the tower is a shrine associated with Saltuk Baba, reflecting a local tradition in which a working maritime landmark and a place of remembrance share the same building. Beyond it, the village, its houses and the rugged shoreline form an inseparable part of the landscape.

During my visit, I photographed the exterior, architectural details and interior of the lighthouse. On my way up the stairs, however, I came upon something unexpected: crows had built a nest inside a window opening where daylight entered the tower. There were eggs and very young chicks in the nest. In a building constructed to guide ships through difficult waters, another kind of life was quietly unfolding.

That encounter remains one of my strongest memories of the visit. Historic buildings are not only the structures and mechanisms people create; over time, they can also become shelters for other living creatures. When I left Rumeli Lighthouse, I carried away images not just of a white tower facing the Black Sea, but also of the fragile lives sheltered within it.

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