Page 4 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

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LIGHTHOUSES OF FALSE BAY

& THE SOUTH PENINSULA

Mike Young

Introduction

Before discussing the lighthouses of False Bay and the South Peninsula - Cape Point,
Roman Rock, Slangkop, and Hangklip - it is worth having a brief look at their place in

history.

The first mention of lights or fires being used to guide or warn ships of dangerous rocks

th
and shores was in Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey from about the 8 century BC. These
were simply fires kept burning on land as beacons near these dangers but they were

nevertheless the forerunners of what was to come.

The most famous and best-documented lighthouse from ancient times was the lighthouse

built by the Egyptians on the island of Pharos outside the port of Alexandria. The structure
was designed by a Greek architect by the name of Sostratos and completed during the reign

of Ptolemy between 283 and 247 BC. It was built on a large square base and pedestal with
an eight-sided top portion supporting the round fire container. The light was generated by a

huge fire built in the massive grate on top of the tower and could be seen many miles out to

sea. The height of the tower is not known and references cover a range from fifty to three
hundred metres, the latter seeming unlikely. Pearson (1998) gives a height of 142 metres

(466 ft), making it the tallest structure in the world until its collapse some 1500 years later
during an earthquake in 1326. This lighthouse is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of

the Ancient World. Looking at a modern chart of the area, there are no islands to be found

and it seems likely that Pharos and its famous lighthouse have sunk and disappeared due to
this seismic upheaval.

Other lighthouses were built by the Romans during this period and by 400 AD there were

approximately 30 in use stretching across the Mediterranean from the Black Sea in the East

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