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After being closed for over three months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Eiffel Tower reopened on June 25th to welcome visitors. Since its inauguration, the Eiffel Tower has been the world's most visited paid tourist attraction, attracting 6-7 million visitors annually.
Despite its fame, the Eiffel Tower has been the subject of controversy regarding its aesthetics and functionality since its completion. Let's explore the ups and downs the Eiffel Tower has experienced since its inauguration.
1. The Eiffel Tower was originally named differently.
Originally named the "300-meter Tower" (Tour de 300 mètres), this structure was designed and built by engineer Gustave Eiffel and his colleagues from 1887 to 1889 for the 1889 World's Fair, which also commemorated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Gustave Eiffel with his drawings of the 300-meter tower.
Upon completion, the tower was named after its patent holder, Gustave Eiffel. However, Gustave's birth surname was actually Bonickhausen. So, if Gustave hadn't changed his surname, the tower might have been named Bonickhausen.
2. Gustave Eiffel was not the person who directly designed the tower.
The tower was originally the idea of two engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, who were employees of Gustave's company.
Gustave played a key role in using his influence to persuade politicians to allow the large-scale project to proceed. He was also the main investor, providing the funding for its implementation. Later, for business and marketing purposes, Gustave purchased the rights from his two engineers and named the tower after himself.
3. The Eiffel Tower was originally supposed to be built in Barcelona (Spain).
The Eiffel Tower was originally planned for Barcelona, but the Spanish government refused to fund the project. That was undoubtedly a mistake, as the famous tower is now worth €400 billion, four times the value of the Colosseum (Rome, Italy) and six times the value of the Tower of London (England).
4. The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world when it was completed.
The Eiffel Tower was once a project beyond the imagination of engineers at the time. At over 300 meters tall, it surpassed any structure built before. This was a significant challenge at a time when engineering technology was limited, and much of the construction relied on human labor.
The tower took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to complete with the help of over 300 workers. Since its inauguration in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world and held this position for over 40 years.
It wasn't until 1930 that the Eiffel Tower was dethroned by the Chrysler Building in New York (319 m) and the Empire State Building (381 m). Today, many other towers are twice the height of the Eiffel Tower, such as the Taipei Tower (508 m) or the Burj Dubai (828 m).
5. The Eiffel Tower has nearly been torn down several times.
Despite its grandeur, the Eiffel Tower was unpopular with Parisians at the time of its construction. The structure faced much criticism, particularly in February 1887 when it received condemnation from some of the greatest artists of the era. The controversies surrounding the tower concerned both its functionality and its aesthetics.
However, upon its inauguration, the Eiffel Tower immediately attracted a large number of visitors. In the first week, even before the elevators were operational, 28,922 people climbed the tower using the stairs.
The construction of the Eiffel Tower faced a wave of public opposition because it was considered to have no practical purpose and was merely for show.
Despite its initial success, the tower was only a temporary structure and was planned to be demolished after 20 years of operation. Aware of the risks and as anticipated before construction, Gustave Eiffel agreed to allow experiments and the installation of an observation station from the tower's first year.
Thanks to the broadcasting antenna installed on top of the tower, the Eiffel Tower has repeatedly escaped demolition orders. To this day, the antenna is still used to transmit radio signals from satellites.
6. The Eiffel Tower was almost moved to Canada.
The iconic Paris Tower was nearly moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1960 after former French President Charles De Gaulle made a secret deal with the Montreal governor. The tower was intended to be featured in the Universal Exhibition in Canada, but the move was ultimately cancelled because the company managing the tower rejected the relocation plan.
7. Taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower at night is "illegal".
The Eiffel Tower, brilliantly illuminated at night, captivates countless tourists. However, this sight can only be admired; photographing and posting it on social media is prohibited.
The Eiffel Tower operator stated on their website: “Taking photos of the Eiffel Tower during the day is perfectly legal. However, the tower’s nighttime lighting is under government control. Therefore, the use of photos of the tower taken at night requires permission from the Eiffel Tower operator.”
The reason is that the lighting system illuminating the tower is considered a work of art and is protected by copyright law.
8. A con artist once successfully "sold" the Eiffel Tower.
In 1925, a man named Victor Lustig "put up for sale" the Eiffel Tower even though he didn't own it. Specifically, he had read an article about repairs to the tower and planned to fraudulently sell it. He approached scrap metal dealers and persuaded them to buy the tower, even asking them to keep the transaction a secret.
Victor Lustig once tried to sell this tower and succeeded.
What seemed like a clumsy scheme ultimately tricked someone. A scrap metal dealer signed a large check for Victor and waited anxiously for the demolition and sale of the building. Only when he inquired with local authorities did he realize he had been scammed. By then, Victor Lustig had already fled. The owner, too embarrassed to file a lawsuit, did not pursue legal action.
9. Someone once… “married” the Eiffel Tower.
An American woman named Erika Aya has a peculiar condition: she only feels affection for inanimate objects, not people. She "loved" the Eiffel Tower so much that she decided to... marry it in 2007 and renamed it Erika La Tour Eiffel. Erika's humorous "love affair" inspired American filmmakers to produce the documentary *The Woman Who Married the Eiffel Tower*.
Erika wants to hold her wedding ceremony with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
10. The Eiffel Tower has three colors.
From a distance, the Eiffel Tower appears to be a uniform color; however, this is merely an optical effect. Gustave Eiffel therefore had the tower painted in three colors during construction: a darker shade at the bottom and a lighter shade at the top. This technique is still used today.
The tower wasn't always painted brown. The Eiffel Tower is repainted every seven years. Between its original color and its current color, nearly 12 different official colors have been used, including reddish-brown, brown, ochre, and beige.
Painting the Eiffel Tower was no easy task; it was done entirely by hand and took 18 months to complete.
