Great Basses Reef Lighthouse, Offshore lighthouse on Maha Ravana reef, southeastern Sri Lanka.
Great Basses Reef Lighthouse is a white cylindrical tower with a black horizontal band and double balcony rising about 37 meters above the reef. The structure sits on Maha Ravana reef off the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka and serves shipping in the Indian Ocean.
The structure was designed by architects James Douglass and Alexander Gordon in 1867 and built using Scottish and English stone blocks. The granite tower was completed in 1873.
The reef's name in Sinhalese, Maha Ravana Kotuwa, means Fort of Great Ravana and links this location to Sri Lankan mythology. This connection to local legend gives the site cultural importance for people in the region.
Visiting requires a boat journey from Kirinda, taking about 90 minutes depending on sea conditions. Access is only possible during calm seas, so check weather and tide conditions before attempting the trip.
The structure uses a hyperradiant Fresnel lens system that projects light visible over 34 nautical miles across Indian Ocean shipping routes. This makes it one of the farthest-reaching light signals in the region.
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