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"Beacons of the bygone era. The lighthouses were made of wood, with a height of at least 10m, and they were rectangular with a narrow tip."
In the 1900s, Tumpat was a famous port town with lighthouses built at strategic places. One of the earliest was built at the beach near the jetty, but many were at a site now known as Padang Mahkota (Mahkota Square), near the residence of the Tumpat District Officer.
The lighthouses were made of wood, with a height of at least 10m, and they were rectangular with a narrow tip.
Another lighthouse, found in the compound of the K.T.M. store, was made of bricks, spherical in shape and narrow at the top. It is 23m high, with a bottom perimeter of 12m. Steps were built in the light houses for easy access to operate the light.
According to a local, the lighthouses were built before the Second World War by a marine team to guard the waters of Tumpat.
The Japanese during their occupation of Malaya (1941 - 1945) used the lighthouses for defence and navigation. Now they are no more, relics of a bygone era.
Last viewed - March 19, 2010
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