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The Giordan, Ġordan (
Maltese: ''Il-Fanal ta' Ġurdan'') is an active
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
on the
Maltese island of
Gozo
Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...
. It is located on Ġurdan hill above the village of
Għasri on the northern coast of the island.
History
An earlier lighthouse was known to exist at the site in 1667, which was financed by the Knight Fra Henry de Gourdan (Langue of Auvergne).
A
semaphore station was installed on the light in the 1840s. The current light began operation on 15 March 1853, and was built during the period when the islands were part of the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the lighthouse was used as the location for an early warning
radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
station. The radar would provide information about bombers coming south from
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, allowing air raid sirens to be activated prior to the raids.
[
Due to its hilltop location it has a considerable focal height of 180m above the sea, and can be seen for 20 nautical miles, and consists of a flashing white light every 7.5 seconds.][
The lighthouse site is a tourist attraction, providing a panoramic viewpoint across the island, and can be accessed by car or by walking up the steep hill from the village.][
]Air quality
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
instruments based at the lighthouse measure a number of parameters including sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide as part of the Global Atmosphere Watch system of atmospheric monitoring. The site is the primary station for the central Mediterranean, and was upgraded from 2008 to 2011. Information is transmitted back to the University of Malta campus in Xewkija for analysis.[
]
See also
* List of lighthouses in Malta
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giordan Lighthouse
Lighthouses completed in 1853
Lighthouses in Malta
Għasri