A light source comprising: a plurality of planar emitters (302, 303) for emitting light, wherein an emission of each said emitter is characterized by a slow-axis divergence and a fast-axis divergence; a plurality of fast-axis collimating means (304, 305), one per each emitter, for collimating the emission of each emitter into a fast-axis collimated beam, wherein said fast-axis collimated beams (306, 307) continue to diverge in a slow-axis divergence plane; a slow axis collimating means, disposed downstream of the fast-axis collimating means, for collimating the fast-axis collimated beams into a single collimated beam; and a plurality of mirrors (316, 317) for redirecting the fast-axis collimated beams impinging thereon, so as to couple said fast-axis collimated beams to the slow axis collimating means such that; the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other and to an optical axis of the slow axis collimating means, the slow-axis divergence planes of the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other and to planes of incidence of the fast-axis collimated beams impinging onto the corresponding mirrors, and optical path lengths from the planar emitters to the slow axis collimating means are substantially equal, wherein at least two of the mirrors (316, 317) are disposed so that projections thereof onto the planes of incidence of the fast-axis collimated beams cross each other; and wherein the planar emitters are disposed on both sides of an optical axis of the slow-axis collimating means and are mutually offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the slow-axis divergence planes. a plurality of planar emitters (302, 303) for emitting light, wherein an emission of each said emitter is characterized by a slow-axis divergence and a fast-axis divergence; a plurality of fast-axis collimating means (304, 305), one per each emitter, for collimating the emission of each emitter into a fast-axis collimated beam, wherein said fast-axis collimated beams (306, 307) continue to diverge in a slow-axis divergence plane; a slow axis collimating means, disposed downstream of the fast-axis collimating means, for collimating the fast-axis collimated beams into a single collimated beam; and a plurality of mirrors (316, 317) for redirecting the fast-axis collimated beams impinging thereon, so as to couple said fast-axis collimated beams to the slow axis collimating means such that; the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other and to an optical axis of the slow axis collimating means, the slow-axis divergence planes of the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other and to planes of incidence of the fast-axis collimated beams impinging onto the corresponding mirrors, and optical path lengths from the planar emitters to the slow axis collimating means are substantially equal, wherein at least two of the mirrors (316, 317) are disposed so that projections thereof onto the planes of incidence of the fast-axis collimated beams cross each other; and wherein the planar emitters are disposed on both sides of an optical axis of the slow-axis collimating means and are mutually offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the slow-axis divergence planes.