It is that time, when the sun reigns and the sea darkens, the moment when, beyond the stars and the sky, all one can distinguish in the vast black that stretches before him is a strong light that flashes on and off , like an eye that opens and closes its eyelids. It is the light that sparkles in the depths of the ocean and is emitted by the immovable companions, observers and helpers of all seafarers, the Lighthouses.

To all those who sail the sea, this shining light means hope and comfort, and the Lighthouse Keeper never forgets, not for a moment, the weight of responsibility that rests upon him.

“It is a huge responsibility, but also my satisfaction, to know that I contribute individually and professionally to the people and the crews traveling safely, as well as the goods moving smoothly”, notes Tasos Betakis, Lighthouse Keeper, speaking to APE-MPE Kassandra in Poseidi, Halkidiki, underlining the importance of his professional position on a cultural level as well.

“Part of the lighthouse keeper’s job is to be responsible for a large cultural part of the local and wider society”, he emphasizes and recalls the efforts made in recent years to promote the Lighthouses in our country as Cultural Heritage Monuments.

Referring to the responsibilities of the Lighthouse Keeper, he points out that these include the maintenance of the building he “guards”, the proper operation of its lighting equipment and the control of light output.

He also notes that every Lighthouse Keeper, wherever he is stationed and beyond his working hours, whatever that may be, has the absolute responsibility and obligation to immediately restore any malfunction that occurs in the Lighthouse. “The contribution of the Sentinels to the good operation of the offshore network is enormous and in this context we have to ensure the good and reliable operation of the system on a 24-hour basis”, he explains.

Asked to talk about the difficulties of his position as a Lighthouse Keeper, Mr. Betakis smiles and answers laconically “everything is fine”, not because they don’t exist, as in all professional positions, but because possibly the positive things he achieves as a person are greater extensive and valuable.

So when he mentions his favorite moment in his 24 hours as a Lighthouse Keeper, his voice warms and the words begin to flow effortlessly from his lips.

“Since I was a child, I have liked contact with the sea and I always knew that the work I choose to do will keep me close to it,” notes Lighthouse Keeper Kassandras, expressing his joy at having fulfilled his childhood dream of being close to sea ​​that he loves so much.

Referring to the countless and unique images that he has stored as a Lighthouse Keeper on the “hard drive” of his brain, he emphasizes that “no painting, not even the most famous and famous, can capture their peace and beauty” and “they are images which even the most imaginative man cannot create.’

Tasos Betakis has been the Lighthouse Keeper at the Kassandra Lighthouse in Halkidiki for the last 12 years, while in the total of 21 years he has held this professional position he has served at the Lighthouse in Sigri, Mytilene and the one in Apolitares, Antikythera, and as he says without a second thought “if he came back back in time, I would become a Lighthouse Keeper again.”

On 20/8 the celebration of World Lighthouse Day

World Lighthouse Day was established in 2003 at the initiative of the International Lighthouse Association and is celebrated every year on the third Sunday of August. The purpose of the initiative is to inform citizens about the importance of lighthouses and other nautical aids in the safety of navigation, but also to promote the work performed by lighthouse keepers, often under difficult conditions. On this day, the lighthouses are open to the public, with the realization of various events, which also aim to highlight them as monuments of the cultural heritage of each country.

cassandra

So again this year, on August 20, lighthouses around the world celebrate, just like in Greece, where 29 of the 144 that operate in our country – the three in Northern Greece, namely the Megalo Embolos in Aggelochori, Radiofaros Thessaloniki and Kassandra in Poseidi of Halkidiki – they will open their doors to the public from 10 in the morning until two in the afternoon and from five in the afternoon until eight in the evening.

The 29 visitable Lighthouses in Greece this year are located in Ag. Nikolaos Keas, Akrotiri of Thira, Arkitsa of Fthiotida, Mudari of Kythira, Vrysaki of Lavrio, Gerogombo of Kefalonia, Vouri of Skopelos, Drepano of Chania, Kassandra of Halkidiki, Kastri of Othon, Schinari of Zakynthos, Kranai of Gytheio, Megalo Embolo of Thessaloniki, Melagavi of Loutraki, Plaka of Limnos, Koraka of Paros, Little Red Riding Hood Psaron, Alexandroupolis, Tainaro of Laconia, Kopraina of Arta, Kaki Kefali of Chalkida, Monemvasia of Laconia, Lakka of Paxos, Vasilina of Evia, Pappa of Ikaria, Spathi of Serifos, Dukato of Lefkada, Katakolo of Ilia and Conch of Salamis.

Saying that there is high traffic at the Lighthouses of our country that participate in the celebration of their International Day, Lighthouse Keeper Kassandra notes that in some of them up to more than 3,000 people flock, while in total last year the gates of the immovable “companions” of seafarers passed through a total of 18,500 Greeks and foreigners, with their families.

These are tourists who are in our country, and who, learning about the visitable Lighthouses, rush to pay their own tribute, since their contribution to the safety of navigation and to the correct and safe navigation in the seas, since they point out the dangerous places in it, whether they are shallow or dry.

The Kassandra Lighthouse in Poseidi, Halkidiki

The Kassandra lighthouse at Cape Poseidi in Kassandra, Halkidiki was built in 1864 by the French Company “Lighthouses” and joined the Greek lighthouse network after the Balkan Wars of 1912-13.

This particular lighthouse operated for the first time in 1864 while the area was under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire, during the Second World War it remained switched off and, as part of the reconstruction of the Lighthouse Network, it operated again in 1944 with oil as an energy source.

In 1975 the lighthouse was electrified and operated as an electric watch until 1980, when it was automated with a characteristic of two white flashes every 15 seconds and a beam of 24 nautical miles.

The height of the Kassandra Lighthouse tower is 14.5 meters and its focal height is 23 meters, while it is pointed out that its construction consists of a stone-built hexagonal tower on a ground-floor lighthouse keeper’s house.

In close proximity to the lighthouse, ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the god Poseidon have been identified, while the lighthouse falls under the category of protection of Antiquities (New Monuments) Law 3028/02 (F.E.K.: 153/A/28-6- 02).

It is pointed out that the lighthouses belong to the jurisdiction of the Lighthouse service of the Navy and are governed by the regulations concerning military installations, while it is noted that in our country all 144 lighthouses that operate are stone, made from the local materials of each region in which they are installed .