At the Cape Greco lighthouse, the last lighthouse keeper recalls a life spent in isolation amid the sea, the storms, and the responsibility of keeping the lighthouse’s light always shining
Where the first sunrise in Europe appears, at the easternmost tip of the island, at Cape Greco, stands a stone lighthouse, built by the British way back in 1891 at a cost of £1,143. A crucial landmark for sailors, as it was the first piece of land visible to ships coming from the East. A beacon guiding sailors for 135 years now. It has guided countless ships to safe harbors, such as those of Larnaca and Famagusta, which was Cyprus’s main port until 1974. The lighthouse’s light must not—and never will—go out. And once upon a time, the responsibility for this rested solely with the lighthouse keeper.
“Alpha” spoke with Giorgos Tsolakis, who served as a lighthouse keeper at the Cape Greco Lighthouse from 1966 for sixteen consecutive years. In fact, our visit to the lighthouse, 44 years after his retirement, brought back fond memories and recollections for him.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Challenges and Joys
“I was a permanent resident here for sixteen whole years, along with my family,” he recalls, explaining that he was 28 years old when he moved into the picturesque little houses next to the lighthouse with his wife, Andriani, and their three sons. A house that didn’t even have electricity in the early years. In fact, their fourth child was born in that very house, with the help of a “midwife” he brought from Trikomo and hosted for about a week. Despite the difficulties, Mr. Tsolakis says that life was carefree for him as well; during that time, he made sure to read extensively about fishing and the challenges he would face on the water, just as the children did. There, they learned to fish and swim.
He notes that the proper and uninterrupted operation of the lighthouse was his first and foremost concern. In fact, maintenance was performed daily. “Every day I had to climb up there to clean the windows. The salt from the sea would leave a film on them. I had to wipe them down and clean them.”
Storms and Smuggling
Of course, there were also difficult moments at the Lighthouse. He recalls leaving the Lighthouse one night in 1968, when the sea was so stormy that the waves were reaching their home. His family was in danger; the phone wasn’t working, so he decided they had to leave. They got into their car and headed for Paralimni.
“The sea came all the way up here,” he says. “It’s something I’ve never seen before. And there’s also the historical combination of fire, women, and the sea.” That day, as he recalls, the farmland behind the lighthouse turned completely white. “There were thousands of seagulls in the area. They couldn’t fly. I had a goose; it didn’t listen to me. And it tried to fly. It flew. And the wind swept it away.” The force of the wind and the sea was so great, he recalls, that the waves moved a massive boulder.
Storms, however, were not the only dangers in the area around the lighthouse, as according to Mr. Tsolakis, the limited mobility, combined with the terrain, made it particularly attractive to smugglers. In fact, he once discovered huge quantities of tobacco products.
He immediately notified the relevant officials in his department and the police. And as he recalls, they pointed out to him that such jobs are very dangerous. “If you know what’s good for you, turn a blind eye,” he was told. “I thanked him and replied that this is our job,” he recalls.
Abandonment and Hope
Our presence there, however, also brought sadness to the last lighthouse keeper of Cape Greco. “The dwellings, the houses, are being destroyed one after another. And no one seems to care,” he remarks, looking at the sight of the buildings. Concluding the conversation, he expressed his hope that the residence and its surroundings would be restored.
It is worth noting that after the end of the lighthouse-keeping era, the auxiliary buildings were used to accommodate guests and relatives of port authorities. The wider area around the lighthouse is fenced off, and a permit is required to visit the site from the Forestry Department, which is responsible for protecting the area’s natural resources, and from the Port Authority, which is responsible for managing the lighthouse.
