The Eiffel Tower has been part of the urban landscape of Paris for a hundred years and has become its symbol. But it is also not only the heritage of all of France, but also a monument to the great technical achievements of the late 19th century.

Who built the Eiffel Tower?

Since the second half of the 19th century, progress has led many countries around the world to build high-rise structures. Many of the projects suffered defeats even at the conception stage, but there were also those engineers who firmly believed in the success of their plans. Gustave Eiffel was one of the latter.

Gustave Eiffel

For the centenary of the Industrial Revolution in 1886, Paris opens a competition to create new outstanding achievements of our time. According to its concept, this event was to become one of the most outstanding events of its time. In the course of this idea, the Palace of Machines made of metal and glass, destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century, and the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, 1000 feet high, were born.

Work on the Eiffel Tower project began back in 1884. By the way, Eiffel was not new to his business; before that, he brilliantly managed to find solutions in the field of construction of railway bridges. For the design competition, he provided about 5,000 sheets of drawings of the tower parts in the original scale. The project was approved, but this was only the beginning of hard work. There were still 3 years left before Eiffel would forever immortalize his name in history.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower

Many famous residents did not accept the construction of a tower in the middle of the city. Writers, artists, sculptors, and architects protested against this construction, which, in their opinion, violated the original beauty of Paris.

But, nevertheless, the work continued. A huge 5-meter pit was dug into which four 10-meter blocks were installed under each leg of the tower. Additionally, each of the 16 tower supports was equipped with hydraulic jacks to obtain an ideal horizontal level. Without this plan, the construction of the tower could have dragged on forever.

July 1888

250 workers were able to erect the tallest tower of its time in the world in just 26 months. Here it is only worth envying Eiffel’s capabilities in the field of accurate calculations and organization of work. The height of the Eiffel Tower is 320 meters, the total weight is about 7500 tons.

The tower is divided into three tiers - 60 meters, 140 meters and 275 meters. Four elevators inside the tower's legs take visitors up to the second. The fifth elevator goes to the third level. There is a restaurant on the ground floor, a newspaper office on the second, and Eiffel's office on the third.

Despite early criticism, the tower blended seamlessly with the city's views and quickly became a symbol of Paris. During the exhibition alone, about two million people visited here, some of whom immediately climbed to the very top on foot.

With the end of the exhibition, it was decided to demolish the tower. New technologies - radio - became her salvation. Antennas were quickly installed on the tallest structure. In subsequent years, television and radar antennas were installed on it. There is also a weather station and broadcasting of city services.

Until the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931, the tower remained the tallest structure in the world. It is difficult to imagine the city of Paris without this glorious image.

The most recognizable landmark of Paris, a symbol of France, named after its creator Gustav Eiffel. It is a place of real pilgrimage for tourists. The designer himself simply called it a 300-meter tower.

Eiffel Tower (Paris) - symbol of France

In 2006, the tower was visited by 6,719,200 people, and over its entire history - over 250 million people, making the tower the most visited attraction in the world. Eiffel Tower (Paris) was conceived as a temporary structure - it served as the entrance arch of the Paris World Exhibition of 1889. The tower was saved from the planned demolition 20 years after the exhibition by radio antennas installed at the very top - this was the era of the introduction of radio.

Where is the Eiffel Tower

If we talk about where is the Eiffel Tower specifically, it stands on the Champ de Mars opposite the Jena Bridge over the Seine River.

The question of how to get to the Eiffel Tower is also very simple: you need to navigate to the Bir-Hakeim station on line 6 of the Paris Metro. Another option is Trocadero station on line 9. Bus routes to the Eiffel Tower are: 42, 69, 72, 82 and 87.


If you wish, you can see in real time what is happening around the main attraction of Paris and see others. Webcams of the Eiffel Tower and Paris are not as popular and developed as in New York, so they offer only a limited view of the tower.

Height of the Eiffel Tower

Height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 meters (2000). For more than 40 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world, almost 2 times taller than the tallest buildings in the world at that time - the Cheops Pyramid (137 m), (156 m) and Ulm Cathedral (161 m) - until in 1930 it did not surpass the Chrysler Building in New York.

Throughout its history, the tower has repeatedly changed its paint color - from yellow to red-brown. In recent decades, the Eiffel Tower has been invariably painted in “Eiffel Brown” - an officially patented color close to the natural shade of bronze, which is barely visible in night photos of the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower in Paris: history

Eiffel Tower in Paris was created specifically for the World Exhibition of 1889, which was organized by the authorities for the centenary of the French Revolution. The famous engineer Gustave Eiffel submitted to the Paris administration his project for a 300-meter iron tower, which he was not actually involved in. On September 18, 1884, Gustav Eiffel received a joint patent for the project with his employees, and subsequently bought the exclusive right from them.

On May 1, 1886, a nationwide competition for architectural and engineering projects for the future World Exhibition opened, in which 107 applicants took part. Various extravagant ideas were considered, including, for example, a giant guillotine, which was supposed to be reminiscent of the French Revolution of 1789. Eiffel's project becomes one of the 4 winners and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative option.

In the end, the committee settled on Eiffel's plan, although the idea of ​​the tower itself did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel used special construction methods. This explains the decision of the exhibition committee in favor of this project.

In order for the tower to better meet the aesthetic tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stéphane Sauvestre proposed covering the base supports of the tower with stone, connecting its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, and placing spacious glazed halls, give the top of the tower a rounded shape and use a variety of decorative elements to decorate it.

In January 1887, Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement according to which Eiffel was provided with an operating lease of the tower for his personal use for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, amounting to 25% of all expenses for construction of a tower. On December 31, 1888, in order to attract the missing funds, a joint-stock company was created with an authorized capital of 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds contributed by three banks, the other half is the personal funds of Eiffel himself.

The final construction budget was 7.8 million francs. The tower paid for itself during the exhibition period, and its subsequent operation turned out to be a very profitable business.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower

Construction work was carried out by 300 workers for just over two years - from January 28, 1887 to March 31, 1889. The record-breaking construction time was facilitated by extremely high-quality drawings indicating the exact dimensions of more than 12,000 metal parts, for the assembly of which 2.5 million rivets were used. To finish construction of the Eiffel Tower At the appointed time, Eiffel used, for the most part, pre-fabricated parts. At first, high cranes were used. When the structure outgrew their height, mobile cranes specially designed by Eiffel were used. They moved along rails laid for future elevators. The first tower elevators were powered by hydraulic pumps. Two historic Fives-Lill elevators, installed in 1899 in the eastern and western pillars of the tower, are still in use to this day. Since 1983, their operation has been ensured by an electric motor, while the hydraulic pumps have been preserved and are available for inspection.

The second and third floors of the tower were connected by a vertical elevator, created by engineer Edu (Eiffel’s classmate at the Central Higher Technical School) and consisting of two mutually leveling cabins. Halfway to the landing, at an altitude of 175 m from the ground, passengers had to transfer to another elevator. Water tanks installed on the floors provided the necessary hydraulic pressure. In 1983, this elevator, which could not operate in the winter, was replaced by an Otis electric elevator. It consisted of four cabins and provided direct communication between two floors. The construction of the Eiffel Tower required special attention to the safety of continuous work. This became Eiffel's greatest concern. There were no deaths during the construction work, which was a significant achievement for that time.

The work progressed slowly but continuously. It aroused surprise and admiration among Parisians who saw the tower growing into the sky. On March 31, 1889, less than 26 months after the excavation began, Eiffel was able to invite several more or less physically strong officials to the first ascent of 1,710 steps.

Eiffel Tower (France): public reaction and subsequent history

The structure was a stunning and immediate success. During the six months of the exhibition, more than 2 million visitors came to see the “iron lady”. By the end of the year, three quarters of all construction costs were recovered.

In October 1898, Eugene Ducretet conducted the first telegraph communication session between the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon. In 1903, General Ferrier, a pioneer in the field of wireless telegraphy, used it for his experiments. It so happened that the tower was left at first for military purposes.

Since 1906, a radio station has been permanently located on the tower. January 1, 1910 Eiffel extends the lease of the tower for a period of seventy years. In 1921, the first direct radio transmission from the Eiffel Tower took place. A wide radio broadcast was broadcast, made possible by the installation of special antennas on the tower. Since 1922, a radio program began to be published regularly, which was called “Eiffel Tower”. In 1925, the first attempts were made to relay a television signal from the tower. The transmission of regular television programs began in 1935. Since 1957, a television tower has been located on the tower, increasing the height of the steel structure to 320.75 m. In addition to it, several dozen linear and parabolic antennas are installed on the tower. They provide retransmission of various radio and television programs.

During the German occupation of 1940, the French damaged the elevator drive just before Adolf Hitler arrived, so the Fuhrer never climbed it. In August 1944, as the Allies approached Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Koltitz, the military governor of Paris, to destroy the tower along with the rest of the city's landmarks. But Von Koltitz disobeyed the order. Surprisingly, a few hours after the liberation of Paris, the elevator drive started working again.

Eiffel Tower: interesting facts

• The weight of the metal structure is 7,300 tons (total weight 10,100 tons). Today, three towers could be built from this metal at once. The foundation is made of concrete masses. The vibrations of the tower during storms do not exceed 15 cm.
• The lower floor is a pyramid (129.2 m each side at the base), formed by 4 columns connected at a height of 57.63 m by an arched vault; on the vault is the first platform of the Eiffel Tower. The platform is a square (65 m across).
• On this platform rises a second pyramid-tower, also formed by 4 columns connected by a vault, on which there is (at a height of 115.73 m) a second platform (a square 30 m in diameter).
• Four columns rising on the second platform, pyramidally approaching and gradually intertwining, form a colossal pyramidal column (190 m), carrying a third platform (at a height of 276.13 m), also square in shape (16.5 m in diameter); there is a lighthouse with a dome on it, above which at an altitude of 300 m there is a platform (1.4 m in diameter).
• There are stairs (1792 steps) and elevators leading to the tower.

Restaurant halls were erected on the first platform; on the second platform there were tanks with machine oil for the hydraulic lifting machine (elevator) and a restaurant in a glass gallery. The third platform housed the astronomical and meteorological observatories and the physics room. The light of the lighthouse was visible at a distance of 10 km.

The erected tower was stunning with its bold design. Eiffel was severely criticized for the project and simultaneously accused of trying to create something artistic and non-artistic.

Together with his engineers - specialists in bridge construction, Eiffel was engaged in calculations of wind force, well aware that if they were building the tallest structure in the world, they must first of all make sure that it was resistant to wind loads.

The original agreement with Eiffel was for the tower to be dismantled 20 years after construction. As you might guess, it was never implemented, and the story of the Eiffel Tower continued.

Under the first balcony, on all four sides of the parapet, the names of 72 outstanding French scientists and engineers, as well as those who made a special contribution to the creation of Gustav Eiffel, are engraved. These inscriptions appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and were restored in 1986–1987 by the Société Nouvelle d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company hired by the mayor’s office to operate the Eiffel Tower. The tower itself is the property of the city of Paris.

Eiffel Tower lighting

The lights on the Eiffel Tower were first turned on on its opening day in 1889. Then it consisted of 10 thousand gas lamps, two searchlights and a lighthouse installed on the top, the light of which was colored blue, white and red - the colors of the national flag of France. In 1900, electric lamps appeared on the Iron Lady's designs. The current golden lighting was first turned on on December 31, 1985, and can be seen in many photographs of the Eiffel Tower taken in recent years. In 1925, Andre Citroen placed an advertisement on the tower that he called “Eiffel Tower on Fire.” About 125 thousand electric light bulbs were installed on the tower. One after another, ten images flashed on the tower: the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower, star rain, the flight of comets, the signs of the Zodiac, the year the tower was created, the current year and, finally, the name Citroen. This promotion lasted until 1934, and the tower was the tallest advertising location in the world.

In the summer of 2003, the tower was “dressed” in a new lighting robe. Over the course of several months, a team of thirty climbers entangled the tower structures with 40 kilometers of wires and installed 20 thousand light bulbs, manufactured to a special order from one of the French companies. The new illumination, which cost 4.6 million euros, was reminiscent of the one that first turned on on the tower on the night of New Year 2000, when the tower, usually illuminated by golden-yellow lanterns, in a matter of seconds was dressed in a fairy-tale glow, winking with silver lights.

From July 1 to December 31, 2008, during France's presidency of the EU, the tower was illuminated with blue stars (reminiscent of the European flag).

It consists of four levels: lower (ground), 1st floor (57 meters), 2nd floor (115 meters) and 3rd floor (276 meters). Each of them is remarkable in its own way.

On the lower level there are ticket offices where you can buy tickets to the Eiffel Tower, an information stand where you can grab useful brochures and booklets, as well as 4 souvenir shops - one in each column of the tower. In addition, in the southern column there is a post office, so you can send a postcard to your family and friends right from the foot of the famous building. Also, before starting to conquer the Eiffel Tower, you have the option of having a snack at the buffet located right there. From the lower level you can enter the offices where old hydraulic machines are installed, which in the past raised elevators to the top of the tower. They can only be admired as part of excursion groups.

The 1st floor, which can be reached on foot if desired, will delight tourists with another souvenir shop and the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant. However, in addition to this, there is a preserved fragment of a spiral staircase, which at one time led from the second floor to the third, and at the same time to Eiffel’s office. You can learn a lot about the tower by going to the Cineiffel center, where animation dedicated to the history of the structure is shown. Children will certainly be interested in meeting Gus, the hand-drawn mascot of the Eiffel Tower and the character of a special children's guide book. Also on the 1st floor you can admire posters, photographs, and all kinds of illustrations from different times dedicated to the “Iron Lady.”

On the 2nd floor, the first thing that attracts attention is the general panorama of Paris, opening from a 115-meter height. Here you can replenish your supplies of souvenirs, find out a lot about the history of the tower at special stands, and at the same time order yourself a delicious lunch at the Jules Verne restaurant.

The 3rd floor is the main goal of many tourists, in fact the top of the Eiffel Tower, located at an altitude of 276 meters, where elevators with transparent glass lead, so that already on the way there there is a stunning view of the French capital. At the top you can treat yourself to a glass of champagne at the Champange bar. Climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris is an experience that will last a lifetime.

If you want to experience this, then it's time to book a tour to the Eiffel Tower:

Eiffel Tower Restaurants

Having lunch or simply drinking a glass of wine in one of the restaurants located on the Eiffel Tower while admiring the view of Paris is the dream of many, so once you get to the top you should not deny yourself the pleasure of visiting a restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. In total, the tower houses two excellent restaurants, a bar and several buffets.

Opened recently on the 1st level of the Eiffel Tower, the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant offers its visitors both light lunches and classic dinners, which can be enjoyed in a cozy and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant, looking at Paris from a height of 57 meters. It's not a very fancy place, but it's a very nice place. You can book your two-course meal and lift ticket using the link below.

"Jules Verne"

The restaurant on the 2nd floor of the tower, named after the famous writer, is an excellent example of modern and refined French cuisine. A variety of delicacies and unique dishes combined with a designer interior and impeccable ambiance - all this turns an ordinary lunch at Jules Vernet into a real feast of taste.

The “Champagne Bar”, located at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and drinking a glass of sparkling drink there is a kind of logical conclusion to the climb to the main attraction of Paris. You can choose pink or white champagne, which cost between 10-15 euros per glass.

Eiffel Tower Tickets

As mentioned above, ticket offices are located on the lowest level of the tower. The cost of an adult ticket to the top of the tower is 13.40 euros, to the 2nd floor - 8.20 euros. You can find out about other tickets on this page in a separate section. In addition, tickets for the Eiffel Tower can be purchased online on the attraction's website. In this case, an electronic yuillet will be sent by e-mail, which you need to print out and take with you on the day of your visit. Tickets can be purchased at least one day in advance of your visit. You can book tickets for the Eiffel Tower on the website, where all instructions are also indicated.

The world-famous symbol of France, the most famous landmark of Paris, filmed in hundreds of films, sung in poetry, reproduced millions of times in souvenirs and postcards, an object of admiration and ridicule, depicted in paintings and caricatures - all this is the Eiffel Tower. Having initially caused a lot of controversy and mass discontent, it became a favorite meeting place for Parisians and an integral part of the appearance of Paris. More than 6 million people visit the tower every year; in terms of popularity, it ranks first in the world among paid attractions. In total, over a quarter of a billion people visited the Eiffel Tower during its existence.

History of the Eiffel Tower

“There is nothing more permanent than temporary” - this common expression can rightfully be applied to the Eiffel Tower. In 1889, the World Industrial Exhibition was planned to be held in Paris, at which all the latest achievements of mankind in science and technology were supposed to be presented. The year of the exhibition was not chosen by chance - France was preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.

According to the organizing committee, the symbol of the exhibition was to be a building that personified scientific and technological progress and demonstrated the country’s achievements. A competition was announced, to which 107 projects were submitted. Among them were very unique ones, for example, a huge model of the guillotine, a sad attribute of the Great French Revolution. One of the requirements for the project was the ease of dismantling the future structure, since they intended to remove it after the exhibition.

The winner of the competition was the French engineer and industrialist Gustav Eiffel, who presented a design for an openwork structure made of malleable cast iron 300 meters high. Eiffel's full partners were his employees Maurice Keuchelin and Emile Nouguier, who proposed the very idea of ​​a metal frame tower.

In the original version, the future design had a too “industrial” look, and the Parisian public actively opposed the appearance of such a structure, which, in their opinion, destroyed the aesthetic appearance of Paris. The artistic development of the project was entrusted to the architect Stéphane Sauvestre, who proposed to design the lower supporting part of the tower in the form of arches and arrange the entrance to the exhibition under them. It was planned to cover the supports themselves with stone slabs, build glazed rooms on some floors and add a number of decorative elements.

The project was patented by Eiffel and his two co-authors. Eiffel later bought out Keuchelin and Nouguier's shares and became the sole owner of the copyright.

The estimated cost of the work was 6 million francs, but eventually rose to 7.8 million. The state and municipality could allocate only 1.5 million francs, and Eiffel accepted the obligation to find the missing funds, subject to the tower being leased to him for 20 years until dismantling. After signing the agreement, Eiffel created a joint-stock company with a capital of 5 million francs, half of which was contributed by the engineer himself, half by three Parisian banks.

The publication of the final draft and terms of the agreement caused a flurry of protests from the French intelligentsia. A petition was sent to the municipality, which was signed by more than three hundred artists, architects, writers and musicians, including Maupassant, Charles Gounod, Alexandre Dumas fils. The tower was called a “lamppost”, “iron monster”, “hated column”, calling on the authorities to prevent the appearance in Paris of a structure that would disfigure its architectural appearance for 20 years.

However, the mood changed quite quickly. The same Maupassant later loved to dine at one of the tower’s restaurants. When the inconsistency of his behavior was pointed out to him, he calmly replied that the Eiffel Tower is the only place in Paris from where it itself cannot be seen.

The entire structure consisted of 18 thousand elements, which were manufactured at Eiffel’s own engineering plant in the town of Levallois-Perret near Paris. The weight of each part did not exceed three tons, all mounting holes and parts were carefully adjusted to make assembly as easy as possible and to avoid rework. The first tiers of the tower were assembled using tower cranes, then they moved on to the use of small cranes of Eiffel's own design, which moved along rails designed for elevators. The elevators themselves were supposed to be driven by hydraulic pumps.

Thanks to the unprecedented accuracy of the drawings (the error was no more than 0.1 mm) and the filigree adjustment of parts to each other already at the factory, the pace of work was very high. 300 workers took part in the construction. Working at height was very risky, and Eiffel paid special attention to safety precautions, thanks to which not a single fatal accident occurred at the construction site.

Finally, 2 years and 2 months after its foundation, Eiffel invited municipal officials to inspect the tower. The elevators were not yet working, and the unfortunate employees had to climb a staircase of 1,710 steps.

The three-hundred-meter tower, which became the tallest structure in the world, was a resounding success. During the first six months of the exhibition, about 2 million visitors visited the tower, dubbed the “Iron Lady” for its elegant, graceful silhouette. Revenues from ticket sales, postcards, etc., by the end of 1889 covered 75% of construction costs.

By the time the tower was scheduled to be dismantled in 1910, it became clear that it would be better left in place. It was actively used for radio and telegraph communications; in addition, the tower was liked by the general public and became a recognizable symbol of Paris in the world. The lease agreement was extended for 70 years, but Eiffel subsequently renounced both the agreement and his copyright in favor of the state.

A number of technical breakthroughs in the field of communications are associated with the Eiffel Tower. At the beginning of the 20th century, experiments with wireless telegraphy were carried out on it, and in 1906 a permanent radio station was installed. It was she who made it possible in 1914, during the Battle of the Marne, to intercept German radio transmissions and organize a counteroffensive. In 1925, the first television signal was broadcast from the tower, and 10 years later permanent television broadcasting began. Thanks to the installation of television antennas, the height of the tower increased to 324 meters.

The case of Hitler’s arrival in occupied Paris in 1940 is widely known. The Fuhrer was about to climb the tower, but right before his arrival, workers servicing the elevators disabled them. Hitler had to limit himself to a walk at the foot of the tower. Subsequently, specialists were sent from Germany, but they were unable to get the elevators working, and the German flag never flew at the top of the symbol of Paris. The elevators began operating again in 1944, a few hours after the liberation of the city.

The history of the tower could have ended in the same 1944, when Hitler ordered it to be blown up along with many other landmarks, but the commandant of Paris, Dietrich von Choltitz, did not carry out the order. This had no unpleasant consequences for him, since he immediately surrendered to the British.

"Iron Lady" of Paris

Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular places in the French capital, both among tourists and among Parisians themselves. According to statistics, the largest number of tourists coming to Paris for the first time go to the Eiffel Tower. As for the residents of the city, it is a common tradition among young Parisians to declare their love or propose marriage on the Eiffel Tower, as if calling all of Paris as a witness.

Eiffel himself, by the way, never called his brainchild the Eiffel Tower - he said “three hundred meters high.”

The metal structure weighs 7,300 tons and is very strong and stable. Its deflection in strong winds is 12 cm, at high temperatures - 18 cm. It is interesting that in working on the fastening designs, Eiffel was guided not only by technical calculations, but also by the work of paleontologist Hermann von Mayer, who studied the structure of human and animal joints and their ability to endure heavy load.

The lower floor is formed by four converging columns connected by an arched vault at a height of about 57 m. On the platform they support there are also four columns carrying a square platform with a side of 35 m. It is located at a height of 116 m. The upper part of the tower is a powerful column on which there is a third platform (276 m.). The highest platform (1.4 X 1.4 m) is located at an altitude of 300 m. You can climb the tower by elevator or by stairs of 1792 steps.

Between the third and fourth sites, television and radio equipment, cellular antennas, a beacon and a weather station are installed.

Initially, the tower was illuminated by gas lamps, of which there were 10 thousand. In 1900, electric lighting was installed on the tower. In 2003, the lighting system was modernized, and in 2015, LED lamps began to be used. The light bulbs (20 thousand of them) are easily replaced, which allows you to arrange multi-colored illuminations if necessary.

The color of the tower itself changed several times. Now it has a bronze shade, specially patented specifically for the Eiffel Tower. They paint it every 7 years, spending 57 tons of paint each time. At the same time, all parts of the tower are inspected and, if necessary, replaced with new ones.

Souvenir shops are open to visitors of the tower in the columns of the first tier, and there is also a post office in the southern support. Here, in a separate room, you can examine the hydraulic mechanisms that once lifted the elevators.

On the first site there is a restaurant “58 Eiffel”, a souvenir shop and a cinema center where films about the construction of the Eiffel Tower are shown. Here begins the old spiral staircase, along which one could once climb to the upper tiers and to the apartment of Eiffel himself, located on the third platform. On the parapet you can read the names of 72 famous scientists, engineers and industrialists of France. In winter, a small skating rink is built on the ground floor for ice skaters.

Eiffel's apartment was his favorite place to spend time when he came to the capital. It is quite spacious, furnished in the style of the 19th century, and even has a grand piano. In it, the engineer repeatedly received honored guests who came to look at the tower, including Edison. The Parisian rich offered Eiffel a lot of money for the apartments, or at least for the right to spend the night in them, but he refused every time.

On the second platform there is Maupassant's favorite restaurant, Jules Verne, an observation deck and the usual souvenir shop. Here you can also see an exhibition telling about the construction of the tower.

Access to the third floor is carried out using three elevators. Previously, there was an observatory and a meteorological laboratory here, but now the third platform is a magnificent observation deck with a fantastic view of Paris. In the center of the site there is a bar for those who want to admire the view of the city with a glass of wine in hand.

It is now impossible to imagine that the Eiffel Tower was once going to be demolished. On the contrary, it is the most copied landmark in the world. In total, more than 30 copies of the tower of varying degrees of accuracy are known; no one can actually say how many of them are known only to local residents.

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All about the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower ([` aɪfəl taʊər] EYE-fəl TOWR; French: Tour Eiffel) is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

Constructed in 1887-89 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, the tower was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals, but it soon became a cultural symbol of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument in the world; 6.91 million people climbed it in 2015.

The tower is 324 meters (1,063 ft) tall, approximately the same as an 81-story building. It is the tallest building in Paris. Its base is a square, each side measuring 125 meters (410 feet). During construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world. She held this title for 41 years until the Chrysler Building was completed in New York in 1930. With the addition of a broadcast antenna at the top of the tower in 1957, the Eiffel Tower again stood taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters (17 ft). Excluding transmitters, the Eiffel Tower is the second tallest structure in France after the Millau Viaduct.

The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The highest platform is 276 meters (906 feet) above the ground - the highest observation deck in the European Union accessible to the public. Tickets can be purchased to take the stairs or elevator on the first and second levels. The rise from ground level to the first level is more than 300 steps, the same height from the first level to the second. Although there are stairs to the upper level, usually only an elevator is available.

History of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

The idea of ​​creating the Eiffel Tower

The design of the Eiffel Tower was conceived by Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, two senior engineers working for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel, following a discussion about a suitable centerpiece for the 1889 Universal Exhibition to mark the centenary of the French Revolution. Eiffel openly admitted that he drew inspiration for the tower from the Latting Observatory building in New York in 1853. In May 1884, while working from home, Kochlin sketched his idea, which he described as "a large pylon consisting of four lattice beams that stand apart at the base and come together at the top, connected to each other by metal trusses at regular intervals." Eiffel initially showed little enthusiasm, but he approved further study, and the two engineers then asked Stephen Sourest, head of the company's architectural department, to provide input on the design. Sowrest added decorative arches to the base of the tower, a glass pavilion on the first level, and other decorations.

The new version received the support of Eiffel: he bought a patent for the design, which was received by Kochlin, Nougier and Sourest, after which the project was exhibited at an exhibition of decorative arts in the fall of 1884 under the company name. On March 30, 1885, Eiffel presented his plans to the Society of Civil Engineers; after discussing the technical problems, and emphasizing the practical significance of the tower, he ended his speech by saying that the tower would become a symbol

not only the art of modern engineering, but also a symbol of the age of industry and science in which we live, and the way for which was prepared by the great scientific movement of the eighteenth century and the revolution of 1789, in whose memory this monument will be built, as an expression of gratitude to France.

Little progress was made until 1886, when Jules Grévy was re-elected as President of France and Édouard Lockroy was appointed Minister of Trade. The budget for the Exhibition was approved, and on 1 May, Lockroy announced a change to the terms of the open competition, the focus of which was the central part of the Exhibition, which made the choice of Eiffel's design a foregone conclusion, since the data was to include a study of a 300 m (980 ft) tetrahedral metal tower on Field of Mars. On May 12, a commission was created to study the scheme of Eiffel and his rivals, which after a month decided that all proposals except Eiffel's were either impractical or lacked detail.

Who was against the construction of the Eiffel Tower?

The proposed tower was the subject of controversy, attracting criticism from those who did not believe it was feasible and those who objected on artistic grounds. These objections were an expression of a long-standing debate in France about the relationship between architecture and engineering. These thoughts began to emerge in people's minds when work began on the Champ de Mars: the "Committee of Three Hundred" (one member for every meter of tower height) was formed under the leadership of the famous architect Charles Garnier, as well as some of the most important figures of art, such as Adolphe Bouguereau , Guy de Maupassant, Charles Gounod and Massenet. A petition entitled "Artists against the Eiffel Tower" was sent to the Minister of Works and Commissioner for the Exhibition, Charles Alphand, and was published by Le Temps on February 14, 1887:

“We, writers, artists, sculptors, architects and passionate admirers of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, will test with all our might, with all our indignation, against the infringement of French taste, against the construction... of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower... so that our discontent will be reasoned, imagine for a moment an absurd tower reaching to the sky, which dominates Paris like a giant black chimney, and crushes Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of the Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe with its barbaric mass. All our humiliated monuments will disappear in this terrible dream. And within twenty years...we will see the ink stain of the hated shadow stretch from the hated column of dangling sheet metal."

Gustave Eiffel responded to these criticisms by comparing his tower to the Egyptian pyramids: “My tower will be the tallest structure ever erected by man. Why can’t it be equally grandiose? And why is it that what is delightful in Egypt becomes disgusting and ridiculous in Paris?" These criticisms were also addressed by Edouard Locroy in a letter of support written to Alphand, where he says with irony: “Judging from the majestic swell of rhythms, the beauty of metaphors, the elegance of a subtle and precise style, it can be said that this protest is the result of the collaboration of the most famous writers and poets of our time", and he explained that the protest had no significance, since the project had been decided several months earlier, and the construction of the tower was already in full swing.

Indeed, Garnier was a member of the Tower Commission that examined the various proposals, and had no objections. Eiffel was also unhappy that journalists were prematurely judging the effect of the tower solely on the basis of the drawings, that on the Champs de Mars the tower would be far enough away from the monuments mentioned in the protest and there was no threat that the tower would overwhelm them, and made an aesthetic argument in favor of the tower: “Do not the laws of the forces of nature correspond to the secret laws of harmony?”

Some of the protesters changed their minds when the tower was built; others were not satisfied. Guy de Maupassant allegedly dined in the tower's restaurant every day because it was the only place in Paris where the tower was not visible.

By 1918, the Eiffel Tower became a symbol of Paris and France after Guillaume Apollinaire wrote a nationalist poem in the shape of the tower (caligram) to express his feelings regarding the war against Germany. Today the tower is widely considered to be a remarkable piece of structural art, and often appears in films and literature.

How was the Eiffel Tower built?

Work on the foundation began on January 28, 1887. The eastern and southern bases of the tower were simple, with each beam standing on a 2 m (6.6 ft) wide concrete slab. The western and northern foothills, being closer to the Seine River, were more complex: each slab required two piles, installed using compressed air caissons 15 m (49 ft) long and 6 m (20 ft) in diameter, driven to a depth of 22 m (72 ft) to support 6 m (20 ft) thick concrete slabs. Each of these slabs is supported by a block of limestone with a sloping top to support the support block of the iron structure.

Each leg of the Eiffel Tower was secured to the masonry using a pair of bolts 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and 7.5 m (25 ft) in length. The foundation was completed on June 30, after which construction of the metal structure began. The visible work on site was complemented by the enormous amount of demanding preparatory work that took place behind the scenes: the design office produced 1,700 general drawings and 3,629 detailed drawings, 18,038 different parts needed. The task of composing the components was complicated by the difficult angles designed by the designer and the degree of precision required: the position of the rivet holes was specified to within 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) and the angles were designed to one second of arc. The finished components (some of them already forged together into knots) arrived on horse-drawn carts from the plant in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. At first they were fastened with bolts, which were replaced with rivets as the construction of the tower progressed. No drilling or milling was done on site: if a part didn't fit, it was sent back to the factory to be changed. A total of 18,038 parts were joined together using 2.5 million rivets.

The legs were initially cantilevered, but about halfway up the first level, construction was stopped to create a timber platform. This reopening raised concerns about the tower's structural integrity, as well as sensationalist tabloid headlines: "Eiffel Suicide!" and "Gustave Eiffel went mad: he was imprisoned in a mental hospital." At this stage, a small "creeping" crane was installed, designed to move up the tower in each leg. They used elevator guides that had to be installed in four legs. The critical stage of joining the legs on the first level was completed by the end of March 1888. Although the metalwork was prepared with great attention to detail, minor adjustments were later made to align the legs; hydraulic jacks capable of exerting a force of 800 tons were fitted to the beams at the base of each leg, and the legs were deliberately built at a slightly steeper angle than necessary, supported by sandboxes on the platform. Although 300 workers were involved in the construction, only one person died. Eiffel developed strict safety measures, the use of movable ladders, handrails and screens.

Elevators in the Eiffel Tower

Equipping the tower with high-quality and safe passenger elevators was a serious issue for the government commission overseeing the Exposition. Although some visitors would have been able to ascend to the first level, and even the second, the main means of ascent would definitely have been elevators.

Construction of the elevators to reach the first level was relatively simple: the legs were wide enough at the bottom and straight enough to contain a straight path. The contract was awarded to the French company "Roux, Combaluzier & Lepape" for two elevators, which were installed in the east and west legs. "Roux, Combaluzier & Lepape" used a pair of endless chains with rigid, hinged links to which the machine was attached. Weight some of the chain links were counterbalanced by the heavy weight of the machine. The machine was raised from the bottom up, rather than lowered from above: to prevent the chain from becoming unstable, it was enclosed in a tube. At the bottom of the run, the chains passed around sprockets with a diameter of 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) Smaller sprockets at the top controlled the chains.

Installing elevators leading to the second level was a more difficult task, since a direct route was not possible. No French company wanted to take on this work. The European branch of Otis Brothers & Company made a proposal, but this proposal was rejected: the rules of the fair excluded the use of any foreign materials in the construction of the tower. The deadline for bids was extended, but the French companies were slow to come forward, and the contract was eventually awarded to Otis in July 1887. Otis was confident that the contract would eventually be awarded to them and had already set about creating project.

The elevator was divided into two overlapping compartments, each to hold 25 passengers, with the elevator operator occupying the outer platform on the first level. Propulsion was provided by an inclined hydraulic rod 12.67 m (41 ft 7 in) long and 96.5 cm (38.0 in) in diameter, which was mounted in the foot of the tower with a 10.83 m (35 ft) stroke 6 inches): this required a wagon with six pulleys. Five fixed pulleys were mounted above the leg, creating a device similar to a block and tackle but acting in reverse, multiplying the stroke of the piston rather than the force produced. The hydraulic pressure in the control cylinder was produced by a large open reservoir on the second level. Once exhausted from the cylinder, the water was pumped back into a two-pump reservoir in the engine room at the base of the south leg. This reservoir also provided power to the first level lifts.

The original elevators for travel between the second and third levels were supplied by Leon Edux. A pair of 81-metre (266 ft) hydraulic rams were installed on the second level and extended almost halfway to the third level. One elevator machine was mounted on top of these cylinders, with cables running from the top to the pulleys on the third level and back down to the second machine. Each lift only covered half the distance between the second and third levels and passengers were required to change lifts halfway using a short ramp. Each 10-ton vehicle could carry 65 passengers.

Official opening of the Eiffel Tower

The main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889. On March 31, Eiffel celebrated the tower's completion by leading a group of government officials, accompanied by members of the press, to the top of the tower. Since elevators were not yet operational, the ascent was made on foot, and took an hour as Eiffel stopped frequently to explain the various functions. Most of the group decided to stay at the lower levels, but several of them, including structural engineer Emile Nouguier, construction manager Jean Compagnon, the Chairman of the City Council and reporters from Le Figaro and Le Monde Illustre, climbed to the upper level of the tower . At 14:35, Eiffel raised the large tricolor to the accompaniment of a 25-gun salute on the first level.

But there was still a lot of work to be done, particularly on the elevators and equipment, and the tower was not open to the public for another nine days after the exhibition opened on May 6; even then, the elevators were not completed. The towers were an instant hit with the public, and nearly 30,000 visitors took 1,710 steps to reach the top before the lifts went into service (May 26). Tickets cost 2 francs for the first level, 3 for the second and 5 for the upper part, half price on Sundays. By the end of the exhibition, the number of visitors totaled 1,896,987 people.

After dark, the tower was illuminated by hundreds of gas lamps, and the lighthouse sent out three beams of red, white and blue light. Two spotlights mounted on a circular track were used to illuminate the various buildings of the exposition. The daily opening and closing of the exhibition was accompanied by the roar of cannons at the top of the tower.

The second level was occupied by the office of the French newspaper "Le Figar". There was also a printing press for printing special souvenir editions from "Le Figaro de la Tour". They also sold baked goods there.

There was a post office at the top from where visitors could send letters and postcards to commemorate their visit to the tower. There was also the opportunity to write down your impressions of the tower on sheets of paper specially installed for visitors on the walls. Gustave Eiffel described some of the reviews as "vraiment curieuse" ("truly curious").

The tower was visited by such famous figures as the Prince of Wales, Sarah Bernhardt, "Buffalo Bill" Cody (his "Wild West show" attracted attention to the exhibition) and Thomas Edison. Eiffel invited Edison to his apartment at the top of the tower, where Edison presented him with one of his gramophones, a new invention and one of the many highlights of the exhibition. Edison signed the guest book with this message:

"For M. Eiffel - the engineer, the brave builder of such a gigantic and original piece of modern technology from the one who has the greatest respect and admiration of all engineers, including the great engineer Bon Dew, Thomas Edison."

After some debate about the exact location of the tower, a contract was signed on January 8, 1887. It was signed by Eiffel on his own behalf rather than as a representative of his company. He was given 1.5 million francs for construction costs: less than a quarter of approximately 6.5 million francs. Eiffel was to receive all profits from the commercial operation of the tower during the exhibition and for the next 20 years. He later created a separate company to manage the tower, investing half of the required capital from his own pocket.

Why wasn't the Eiffel Tower demolished?

Eiffel had permission for the tower to stand for 20 years. It was to be dismantled in 1909, when it became the property of the city of Paris. The city planned to demolish the tower (part of the rules of the competition to design the tower was that it must be easily dismantled), but since the tower proved valuable for communications purposes, it was allowed to remain after the permit expired.

Eiffel used his apartment at the top of the tower to make meteorological observations and also used the tower to conduct experiments on the effects of air resistance on falling bodies.

Reconstruction of the Eiffel Tower

Before the 1900 World's Fair, the elevators carrying passengers to the second level in the east and west legs were replaced by elevators from the French company Fives-Lille. They had a compensating mechanism to maintain the floor level as the angle of elevation changed at the first level. The elevators were operated by a similar hydraulic mechanism as the Otis elevators, although they were located at the base of the tower. Hydraulic pressure was provided by sealed accumulators located near this mechanism. At the same time, the lift to the first level in the north leg was removed and replaced with a staircase. The layout of the first and second levels has been changed. A space accessible to visitors on the second level was organized. The original elevator at the south leg was removed thirteen years later.

On October 19, 1901, Alberto Santos-Dumont, flying in his airship No. 6, won the prize of 100,000 francs, which was offered to him by Henri Deutsche de la Meerte, as the first person to fly from Saint-Cloud to the Eiffel Tower and back in less than in less than half an hour.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many innovations occurred at the Eiffel Tower. In 1910, Theodore Wolf's father measured radiation levels at the top and bottom of the tower. At the top, he discovered, as he expected, what is today known as cosmic rays. Just two years later, on February 4, 1912, Austrian tailor Franz Reichel died after jumping from the first level of the tower (57 meters high) to demonstrate his parachute design. In 1914, at the start of World War I, a radio transmitter located in the tower jammed German radio communications, seriously hampering their advance through Paris and contributing to the Allied victory at the First Battle of the Marne. From 1925 to 1934, illuminated Citroën signs adorned three sides of the tower, making it the highest advertising space in the world at the time. In April 1935, the tower was used for experimental low-resolution television transmission using a 200-watt shortwave transmitter. On November 17, an improved 180-line transmitter was installed.

Interesting facts from the history of the Eiffel Tower

Sale of the Eiffel Tower

On two separate but related occasions in 1925, fraudster Victor Lustig "sold" the tower for scrap. A year later, in February 1926, pilot Leon Collet died while trying to fly under the tower. His plane became entangled in an antenna belonging to a wireless station. On May 2, 1929, a bust of Gustav Eiffel by Antoine Bourdelle was unveiled at the base of the northern leg. In 1930, the tower lost its title as the tallest structure in the world when the Chrysler Building was completed in New York. In 1938, the decorative arcade around the first level was removed.

After the German occupation of Paris in 1940, the lifting cables were cut by the French. The tower was closed to the public during the occupation and the elevators were not restored until 1946. In 1940, German soldiers had to climb the tower to raise a swastika, but the flag was so large that it was blown away just a few hours later, after which it was replaced by a smaller one. When visiting Paris, Hitler decided not to climb the tower. In August 1944, as the Allies approached Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to demolish the tower along with the rest of the city. Von Choltitz disobeyed orders. On June 25, before the Germans were expelled from Paris, the Nazi flag was replaced by the tricolor by two men from the French naval museum, who were nearly beaten by three men led by Lucien Sarniguette, who lowered the tricolor on June 13, 1940, when Paris fell in front of the Germans.

Fire at the Eiffel Tower

On January 3, 1956, a fire started at the television transmitter, damaging the top of the tower. It took a year to repair, and in 1957, the radio antenna that had previously been there was attached to the top. In 1964, the Minister of Cultural Affairs André Malraux officially recognized the Eiffel Tower as a historical monument. A year later, an additional lifting system was installed in the northern column.

According to the interview, in 1967, Montreal Mayor Jean-Dropau made a secret agreement with Charles de Gaulle that the tower should be dismantled and temporarily moved to Montreal to serve as a landmark and tourist attraction during Expo 67. The plan was allegedly vetoed by the tower's operating company out of fear that the French government might refuse permission to rebuild the tower in its original location.

Replacing elevators at the Eiffel Tower

In 1982, the original elevators between the second and third levels were replaced after 97 years of service. They were closed to the public between November and March because the water in the hydraulic drive tended to freeze. The new machines work in pairs, one counterbalancing the other, and make the journey in one stage, cutting travel time from eight minutes to less than two minutes. At the same time, two new fire escapes were installed to replace the original spiral staircases. In 1983, the south column was equipped with an electrically driven Otis elevator to serve the Jules Verne restaurant. Installed in 1899, the Fives-Lille elevators, which ascend the east and west columns, were completely renovated in 1986. The machines were replaced and a computer system was installed to fully automate them. The driving force was transferred from the water hydraulic system to the new electrically driven oil hydraulics, and the original water hydraulics were retained solely as a counterbalance system. Three years later, a service elevator was added to the south pillar to move small loads and maintenance personnel.

On March 31, 1984, Robert Moriarty flew a Beechcraft Bonanza under the tower. In 1987, AJ Hackett made one of his first bungee jumps from the top of the Eiffel Tower using a special cord he helped develop. Hackett was detained by police. On October 27, 1991, Thierry Devaux, along with mountain guide Hervé Calvairac, performed a series of acrobatic feats along with bungee jumping on the second floor of the tower. Deveaux used an electric winch between the figures in front of the Champs de Mars to return to the second floor. He stopped after the sixth jump when firefighters arrived.

Lights and night illumination of the Eiffel Tower

On December 31, 1999, to celebrate the "Countdown to 2000", flashing lights and powerful spotlights were installed on the tower. Fireworks flickered around the tower. An exhibition above the cafeteria on the first floor was dedicated to this event. The floodlights at the top of the tower made it a beacon in the night sky of Paris, and 20,000 flashing lights gave the tower a brilliant appearance for five minutes every hour.

On December 31, 2000, the lights sparkled blue for several nights to usher in the new millennium. The brilliant illumination continued for 18 months until July 2001. The sparkling lights were turned on again on June 21, 2003, and the spectacle was planned to last for 10 years, after which the bulbs would need to be replaced.

Eiffel Tower attendance

On November 28, 2002, the 200,000,000th guest visited the tower. In 2003, the tower operated at maximum capacity and was visited by approximately 7 million people. In 2004, a seasonal ice skating rink was installed on the first level of the Eiffel Tower. During the 2014 renovation, a glass floor was installed on the first level.

Characteristics of the Eiffel Tower

What metal is the Eiffel Tower made of?

The wrought iron weight of the Eiffel Tower is 7,300 tons, and with the addition of elevators, shops and antennas, the total weight is about 10,100 tons. As a demonstration of the economics of the design, if 7,300 tons of metal were melted into the structure, it would fill a square base, 125 meters (410 ft) on each side, to a depth of only 6.25 cm (2.46 in), assuming a metal density of 7.8 tons per cubic meter. In addition, the cubic box surrounding the tower (324 m x 125 m x 125 m) would contain 6,200 tons of air, weighing almost as much as the iron itself. Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower can move away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7 in) due to thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun.

Stability of the Eiffel Tower structure

When the tower was built, many were shocked by its bold shape. Eiffel was accused of trying to create something artistic without paying attention to design principles. However, Eiffel and his team - experienced bridge builders - understood the importance of wind forces, and knew that if they were going to build the tallest building in the world, they had to make sure it could withstand these forces. In an interview for the newspaper Le Temps, published on February 14, 1887, Eiffel said:

Isn't it true that the very conditions that give strength also correspond to the hidden rules of harmony?...Consequently, what phenomenon should I have paid the main attention to when designing the Tower? This is wind resistance. Well then! I believe that the curvature of the four outer edges of the monument, which according to mathematical calculations should have been ... will give a great impression of strength and beauty, since it will reveal to the eye of the observer the boldness of the design as a whole.

He more often used graphical methods to determine the strength of the tower and empirical data to account for the influence of wind instead of mathematical formulas. Close examination of the tower reveals a mostly exponential shape. Careful work was carried out on every detail of the tower to ensure maximum resistance to wind force. The top half even suggested there were no gaps in the grille. In the years following the project's completion, engineers came up with various mathematical hypotheses in an attempt to explain its success. The most recent, developed in 2004 after letters sent by Eiffel to the French Society of Civil Engineers in 1885 were translated into English, is described as a nonlinear integral equation based on the opposition of wind pressure on any point of the tower with tension between the elements structures at this point.

Does the Eiffel Tower swing?

The Eiffel Tower sways up to 9 cm (3.5 inches) in the wind.

What's inside the Eiffel Tower?

When the Eiffel Tower was built, there were three restaurants on the first level - one French, one Russian and one Flemish, as well as an Anglo-American Bar. After the exhibition was closed, the Flemish Restaurant was converted into a theater with 250 seats. A 2.6 meter (8 ft 6 in) wide walkway ran outside the first level. At the top, there were laboratories for various experiments, as well as small apartments that served Gustave Eiffel to entertain guests. The apartment is now open to the public, complete with period decorations as well as lifelike mannequins of Eiffel and some of his notable guests.

In May 2016, an apartment was created on the first level to accommodate the four competition winners in June during the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament in Paris. The apartment has a kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room and views of Parisian landmarks including the Seine, Sacre Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe.

Passenger elevators in the Eiffel Tower

The location of the elevators has been changed several times during the tower's history. Given the elasticity of the cables and the time required to level the cars with the seats, each round trip, with normal service, takes an average of 8 minutes and 50 seconds, spending an average of 1 minute and 15 seconds at each level. Average travel time between levels is 1 minute. The original hydraulic mechanism is on display in a small museum at the base of the east and west legs. Because the mechanism requires frequent lubrication and maintenance, public access is often limited. Visitors can see the north tower's rope mechanism as they exit the elevator.

Lettering on the Eiffel Tower

Gustave Eiffel engraved the names of 72 French scientists, engineers and mathematicians on the tower in recognition of their contributions to the tower's construction. Eiffel chose this "challenge of science" because of his concern about the artists' protest. At the beginning of the 20th century, the engravings were painted over, but in 1986-87 they were restored by the Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel company working for the tower.

The aesthetic appearance of the Eiffel Tower

The tower is painted in three shades: lighter at the top, it gradually becomes darker towards the bottom and perfectly complements the Parisian sky. Originally it was reddish brown; this color changed in 1968 to bronze, known as "Eiffel Tower Brown".

The only non-structural elements are four decorative lattice arches added in Soverre's sketches, which served to make the tower more substantial and create a more impressive entrance to the exhibition.

Where can you see the Eiffel Tower?

One of the great clichés of Hollywood is that the view from a Paris window always includes a tower. In fact, since zoning restrictions allow the height of most buildings in Paris to be seven stories, only a small number of high-rise buildings have a clear view of the tower.

Eiffel Tower Maintenance

Maintenance of the tower includes applying 60 tons of paint every seven years to prevent corrosion. The tower has been completely repainted at least 19 times since it was built. Lead paint was used until 2001, when the practice was stopped out of concern for the environment.

Eiffel Tower and tourism

Where is the Eiffel Tower located?

The nearest metro station is "Bir-Hakeim" and the nearest RER station is "Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel". The tower itself is located at the intersection of the Branly embankment and Pont d'Iéna.

Popularity of the Eiffel Tower among tourists

More than 250 million people have visited the tower since it was completed in 1889. In 2015 there were 6.91 million visitors. The tower is the most visited monument in the world. On average 25,000 people climb the tower every day, which can lead to long queues. To avoid queues, tickets can be purchased online.

Eiffel Tower Restaurants

The tower has two restaurants: "Le 58 Tour Eiffel" on the first level, and "Le Jules Verne", a gourmet restaurant with private elevator, on the second level. This restaurant has one star in the Michelin Red Guide. Its author is Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse, who owes his name to the famous science fiction writer Jules Verne.

Replicas of the Eiffel Tower in cities around the world

As one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, the Eiffel Tower has inspired many replicas and similar towers. An early example is Blackpool Tower in England. The mayor of Blackpool, Sir John Bickerstaff, was so impressed when he saw the Eiffel Tower at the 1889 exhibition that he commissioned a similar tower to be built in his town. It was opened in 1894 and rose to 158.1 meters (518 feet). The designers of Tokyo Tower in Japan, built for communications in 1958, were also inspired by the Eiffel Tower.

There are various scale models of the tower in the United States, including a half scale model of the Paris Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada, one in Texas built in 1993, and two 1:3 scale models in Kings Island, Ohio. and King's Dominion (Virginia), amusement parks that opened in 1972 and 1975, respectively. Two 1:3 scale models can be found in China, one in Durango (Mexico) that was donated to the local French community, and several more throughout Europe.

In 2011, the National Geographic Channel TV show "Pricing the Priceless" estimated that it would cost about $480 million to build a full-size replica of the tower.

Functions of the Eiffel Tower

The tower has been used to provide radio transmissions since the early 20th century. Until the 1950s, sets of overhead wires ran from the top of the tower to anchors at Avenue de Suffren and Champ de Mars. They were connected to long-wave transmitters in small bunkers. In 1909, a permanent underground radio center was built under the south pillar, which still exists today. On November 20, 1913, the Paris Observatory used the Eiffel Tower as an antenna to exchange wireless signals with the United States Naval Observatory, which used an antenna in Arlington, Virginia. The purpose of the transmissions was to measure the difference in longitude between Paris and Washington, DC. Today, radio and television signals are transmitted using the Eiffel Tower.

FM radio

TV antenna on the Eiffel Tower

A television antenna was first installed on the tower in 1957, increasing its height by 18.7 m (61.4 ft). Work carried out in 2000 added a further 5.3 m (17.4 ft), giving the current height of 324 m (1,063 ft). Analog television signals from the Eiffel Tower were discontinued on March 8, 2011.

Why can't you photograph the Eiffel Tower at night?

The tower and its image have long been in the public domain. However, in June 1990, a French court ruled that the special lighting of the display on the tower in 1989, which commemorated the tower's 100th anniversary, was an "original visual design" that was protected by copyright. The Court of Cassation, France's court of last resort, upheld the decision in March 1992. "The Société d"Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel" currently considers any illumination of the tower to be a separate work of art that is subject to copyright. As a result, SNTE argues that it is illegal to publish contemporary photographs of the illuminated tower at night for commercial use without permits in France and some other countries.

The introduction of copyright was controversial. The Director of Documentation of the then-called "Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel" (SNTE), commented on this in 2005: "It's really just a way of managing the commercial use of the image, so that it's not used in ways that we don't approve of." SNTE ( the company that manages the Eiffel Tower) earned more than €1 million from royalties in 2002. However, it can also be used to restrict the publication of tourist photographs of the tower at night, as well as to discourage non-commercial and semi-commercial publication of images of the illuminated tower.

French doctrine and jurisprudence allows photographing of an illuminated copyrighted work if its presence is incidental or ancillary to the subject represented, which is analogous to the rule "De minimis" ("The law does not care about minutiae"). Therefore, SETE may not be able to claim copyright for photographs of Paris that may include the illuminated tower.

Eiffel Tower in popular culture

The Eiffel Tower is depicted in films, video games and television shows as a global landmark.

In a commitment ceremony in 2007, American Erica Eiffel "married" the Eiffel Tower; her relationship with the tower has been the subject of widespread global publicity.

Despite being the tallest structure in the world upon completion in 1889, the Eiffel Tower has lost its reputation as both the tallest lattice tower and the tallest structure in France. The height with the new antenna is 324 meters (as of 2010)

Construction Eiffel Tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was completed in 1889, initially it was conceived as a temporary structure that served as the entrance arch to the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889.

The exhibition took place in Paris and was timed to coincide with the centenary of the French Revolution. The Paris city administration turned to famous French engineers with an offer to take part in an architectural competition. At such a competition, it was necessary to find a structure that visibly demonstrates the engineering and technological achievements of the country.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:02

1886 In three years, the World Industrial Exhibition EXPO will begin in Paris. The exhibition organizers announced a competition for a temporary architectural structure that would serve as the entrance to the exhibition and would represent the technical revolution of its time, the beginning of grandiose transformations in the life of mankind. The proposed construction was supposed to generate income and be easily dismantled.

On May 1, 1886, a competition for architectural and engineering projects for the future World Exhibition opened in France, in which 107 applicants took part. Various extravagant ideas were considered, including, for example, a giant guillotine, which was supposed to be reminiscent of the French Revolution of 1789.

Among the competition participants was engineer and designer Gustave Eiffel, who proposed a project that was then unprecedented in world construction - a 300-meter metal tower, the tallest structure in the world. He drew the very idea of ​​the tower from the drawings of his company’s employees, Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nugier. Gustav Eiffel receives a joint patent for the project with them, and subsequently buys from them the exclusive right to the future Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel's project becomes one of the 4 winners and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative option. Thanks to the changes made by the engineer to the decorative design of the tower, the competition organizers preferred his “Iron Lady”.

In the end, the committee settled on Eiffel's plan, although the idea of ​​the tower itself did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel used special construction methods. This explains the decision of the exhibition committee in favor of this project.

In order for the tower to better meet the aesthetic tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stéphane Sauvestre proposed covering the base supports of the tower with stone, connecting its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, and placing spacious glazed halls, give the top of the tower a rounded shape and use a variety of decorative elements to decorate it.

In January 1887, Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement according to which Eiffel was provided with an operating lease of the tower for his personal use for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, amounting to 25% of all expenses for construction of a tower. On December 31, 1888, in order to attract the missing funds, a joint-stock company was created with an authorized capital of 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds contributed by three banks, the other half is the personal funds of Eiffel himself.

The final construction budget was 7.8 million francs.

• Eiffel Tower- this is the emblem of Paris and a high-altitude antenna.
• There can be 10,000 people on the tower at the same time.
• The project was drawn up by the architect Stéphane Sauvestre, but the tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel (1823-1923), better known to the public. Other works by Eiffel: Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, Viaduct de Gharabi, iron frame for the New York Statue of Liberty.
• Since the tower appeared, about 250 million people have visited it.
• The weight of the metal part of the structure is 7,300 tons, and the weight of the entire tower is 10,100 tons.
• In 1925, the rogue Victor Lustig managed to sell the iron structure for scrap, and he was able to pull off this trick twice!
• In good weather, from the top of the tower, Paris and its surroundings can be viewed within a radius of up to 70 kilometers. It is believed that the optimal time to visit the Eiffel Tower, providing the best visibility, is an hour before sunset.
• The tower also holds a sad record - about 400 people committed suicide by throwing themselves down from its upper platform. In 2009, the terrace was fenced with protective barriers and now this place is very popular with romantic couples kissing in front of the whole of Paris.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:32

One of the most talented swindlers of the 20th century was Count Victor Lustig (1890-1947). This man spoke five languages ​​and received an excellent upbringing. He was bold and fearless. 45 of his aliases are known, and in the United States alone he was arrested 50 times.

“As long as there are fools in the world, we can live by deception.”

There are a great many smart scammers who take advantage of not very smart fellow citizens. But for your name to be included not only in crime chronicles, but also in legends, you must truly have extraordinary abilities. One of these scammers is Victor Lustig.

His exploits include both minor sins and grandiose scams. A young man from a poor Czech family presented himself as a ruined Austrian count. And he stuck to this role so skillfully that no one doubted his title. Fluency in five languages, knowledge of all the subtleties of social and business etiquette, the ability to behave freely in society - these are the qualities thanks to which he belonged both in high society and in the gangster environment. However, in addition to his native “count” surname, the swindler used several dozen more pseudonyms for his activities. Under them, Victor went on various cruises and organized various raffles and lotteries on board the ships from those that we today habitually call “scams.”

Fair play, or the Al Capone scam

One of the legends associated with the name of Lustig was the story of his “collaboration” with Al Capone. One day, in 1926, a tall, well-dressed young man visited a famous gangster of the time. The man introduced himself as Count Victor Lustig. He asked to give him 50 thousand dollars to double this amount.

The gangster was not at all sorry to invest such an insignificant amount in a dubious enterprise, and he gave it to the count. The deadline for completing the plan is 2 months. Lustig took the money, put it in a safe deposit box in Chicago, and then went to New York. Lustig made no attempt to double the amount he left in Chicago.

Two months later he returned, took the money from the bank and went to the gangster. There he apologized, said that the plan did not work and gave the money back. To this the gangster replied: “I expected 100 thousand dollars or nothing. But... get my money back... Yes, you are an honest person! If you are in trouble, take this at least.” And he gave the count 5 thousand dollars. But these 5 thousand were the goal of Lustig’s scam!

Scrap metal, or how the Eiffel Tower was sold

But what is a “bonus” of five thousand? And the sums that Victor earned as a result of lotteries, bank fraud and not very fair poker games seemed meager to him. The soul demanded scope. So that the fraud was grandiose. Well, the proceeds, of course, should not lag behind either.

Lustig was hungry for action and the right opportunity was not long in coming. In May 1925, Victor Lustig and his friend and companion Dan Collins arrived in Paris. On the very first day of their arrival, their attention was attracted by an article in the local newspaper. It said that the famous one was in terrible condition and the city authorities were considering the option of dismantling it.

The idea for a brilliant scam was born instantly. To implement it, a luxurious room was rented in an expensive hotel and documents were made confirming that Victor Lustig is the deputy head of the Ministry of Post and Telegraph. Then invitations were sent out to the five largest metal traders. The letters contained an invitation to an important and absolutely secret meeting with the deputy general director of the department at the Crillon Hotel, at that time the most prestigious hotel in Paris.

Having met the guests in the luxurious apartments, Lustig began to give a lengthy speech about the contents Eiffel Tower costs the state a pretty penny. That it was built as a temporary structure for the World Exhibition in Paris, and now, 30 years later, it has become so dilapidated that it simply poses a threat to Paris and the city authorities are considering demolishing the tower. Therefore, a kind of tender was announced among those present to purchase the tower.

Such a proposal could not fail to arouse interest among the invitees, but Andre Poisson was especially interested in it. He was inspired not only by the obvious financial benefits of the deal, but also by the opportunity to make history. Maybe it was this vain interest that was noticed by Lustig and it was he who became the reason that after some time it was Monsieur Poisson who was assigned a confidential meeting.

During this meeting, Victor Lustig was somewhat restless. He told Poisson that he had every chance of winning the tender and for complete victory he only needed to “promote” his candidacy a little with the help of a small reward to Victor personally. Before this meeting, Monsieur Poisson had suspicions: why all meetings related to the tender take place in such a secret environment, and not in the offices of the ministry, but in a hotel room. But such extortion on the part of an official, oddly enough, dispelled Poisson’s last doubts regarding the suspicious transaction. He counted out several large bills and persuaded Lustig to take them, then wrote a check for a quarter of a million francs, received documents for the Eiffel Tower and left satisfied. When Monsieur Poisson began to suspect something was wrong, Victor Lustig had already disappeared to Vienna with a suitcase of cash received from a check he had written.

Even though Victor Lustig fell into the hands of the police more than fifty times, he always managed to get away with it. The police had to let the talented swindler go because they simply did not have enough evidence to prove his guilt. Victor Lustig was not only a talented swindler, but also a good psychologist. Most of the victims he deceived did not contact the police, not wanting to look like fools in the eyes of the public. Even Monsieur Poisson, who “bought” the Eiffel Tower for a substantial sum, was more willing to part with his money than to become the laughing stock of all of Paris and lose his reputation as an astute businessman.

The story of the Eiffel Tower became Lustig's swan song. Some time after the deal with Poisson, he returned to Paris and decided to sell the tower again to one of the tenderers. But the deceived businessman quickly saw through the scammer and reported to the police. Lustig managed to escape from the French police to the United States. But there he was caught and put on trial. American justice has also accumulated many claims against the talented swindler. In December 1935, the count was arrested. He received 15 years in prison for counterfeiting dollars, as well as 5 years for escaping from another prison just a month ago. He was transferred to the famous Alcatraz prison island near San Francisco, where he died of pneumonia in March 1947.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 14:08