Stella Maris Light, Lighthouse on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
Stella Maris Light is an octagonal tower on Mount Carmel with red and white vertical stripes and a black dome on top. The structure rises about 20 meters above ground and sits within an Israeli Navy base near the Stella Maris Monastery.
A lighthouse stood on Mount Carmel in Roman times, and one was recorded at the original Stella Maris Monastery site by 1631. The present site was Abdullah Pasha's summer palace, built from masonry of the Carmelite monastery he had destroyed; in 1831 Ibrahim Pasha exiled him and returned the building to the Carmelites. After First World War damage, the Carmelites added a second floor in 1926, and the current lighthouse was built in 1928 with a donation from the Spanish Honorary Consul.
Stella Maris is Latin for "Star of the Sea", a title of the Virgin Mary; the name came to the mountain through the Carmelite monastery beside the tower. The lighthouse stands inside an Israeli Navy base, which pays rent to the church for the site.
The lighthouse stands inside an Israeli Navy base and is closed to the public, with no access to the building. It can be viewed from nearby, near the Stella Maris Monastery on the seaward face of Mount Carmel.
The original light lens system and building plans are preserved at the Israeli National Maritime Museum, documenting the region's maritime history. Original components from this early navigation period help visitors understand the technical advances in seafaring.
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