Tahkuna Lighthouse is located in the northern part of Hiiumaa Island on Cape Tahkuna. The tower was assembled according to the so-called Gordon system. This means that the lighthouse was assembled from lighthouse was assembled from already manufactured and imported parts, which significantly reduced the time required for the overall construction and simplified the assembly of the lighthouse.
The parts of the lighthouse were manufactured in Paris in the early 1870s. The design was purchased by the Czar of Russia in Paris during the world's fair. The parts of the lighthouse are cast iron.
The lighthouse has a height of 42.6 metres, the light can be seen from 18 nautical miles away (one nautical mile corresponds to 1.852 kilometres). There is a complex of farm buildings built around the tower of the 19th century, which have now been converted into a museum. Visitors here can learn about the history of the Tahquon Lighthouse, the farm buildings and the atmosphere of the time by ordering a black bath.
The Tahkun lighthouse is incredibly beautiful - white, red-roofed lighthouse stands proudly on a promontory above the surrounding farm buildings.
The lighthouse is open to the public. Once there, you should definitely take a look at the magnificent view from the top even if the weather is overcast. Not far from the lighthouse, at the place where the waves brought the first victims of the Estonian ferry wreck to the island in 1994, a memorial has been erected. The memorial is a cross swinging on a parallelogram, to the base of the cross is attached a bell, which can be rung, to honour the memory of the dead. On the diamond-shaped base are carved the coordinates of the shipwreck and the date of the unfortunate incident.
The sinking of the ferry "Estonia" is one of the worst tragedies of the 20th century. According to available data, there were 989 people on board: 803 803 passengers and 186 crew members. Only 137 people were rescued, most of them men. Children and women had much less chance of rescue. Not a single child under the age of 12 was rescued.
According to the official version, the reason for the of the wreck was water entering the hold of the ferry through a car hatch. However, there are various unofficial theories and investigations that suggest there are many mysteries there are many secrets in this tragedy that the state does not wish to divulge.
