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June 26, 2016

Eiffel Tower – The National Pride Of France

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The symbol that is a pride of all the citizens of the capitol of France, it used to be a mockery, and the famous writer Guy de Maupassant used to go to eat to the restaurant that is a top of the tower with the explanation that it is the only place in the city from where he couldn’t see the huge steel construction.
Today, one of the most recognizable constructions of the world, proudly stands in the heart of the capitol of France. But, even tho today, the people of Paris wouldn’t trade the tower for anything in the world, not long ago, the tower wasn’t that popular.

The construction of the tower began in 1887, and it was completed two years later, for the needs of holding the Exposition Universelle. When it was completed it was 324 meters tall, and it was the tallest construction in the world until 1930, when the Chrysler building in New York, was built. At the beginning of the construction, when the engineer Gustav Eiffel gave the idea for the tower, it came to a big resistance.

Guy de Maupassant and the other leading artists in that time were signing a petition against the building of the tower, considering it as ‘barbaric’ and that this ‘pile of steel’ would cast a shadow on all the other Paris monuments. But, even all the efforts, the construction of the tower proceeded, but with a contract that it can exist for only 20 years.

Soon after, the tower appeared to prove itself as very useful even for the communication purposes, as well as for the needs of the weather forecast. The citizens over time more and more started accepting it, so eventually the city decided that the tower can stay. Viewing from today’s perspective, this was an excellent decision. As you all know, the Eiffel tower is one of the most visited attractions of the world for which you pay a ticket to enter.

Numbers say that in the past year only the tower was visited almost 7 million people. Considering the price of the tickets (if you are over 24 years of age, official page says that the price of the elevator to the 2nd floor is €17 euro), leaving the “steel monster” seems like the best move that the Parisian authorities had made in their time.
10 unknown facts about Eiffel tower.
1) During the second World War, during the visit of Adolf Hitler in  Paris, the french people cut the cables of the elevator, so that if Hitler wanted to get to the top, he would’ve had use the stairs.
2) The project was originally intended for Barcelona, but the project was denied so the tower became a symbol of Paris.
3) The total height of the tower variate by 15 cm, depending the temperature.
4) If you want to climb up to the top of the tower, you will have to pass over 1665 steps.
5) There are over 30 replicas of the Eiffel tower all across the world, and most famous replica is the one in Las Vegas.

6) The paint that is used for painting the tower weights almost as much as 10 elephants.
7) In 1981 in London, there was a decision to build a tower higher than Eiffel’s. But it appeared as unstable, and it was never finished since it was destroyed in 1907.
8) Gustav Eiffel isn’t famous only by the tower. You know how the Statue of Liberty is a gift from France to the people of United States? Well, this very man is one of the most responsible ones for building of the statue.
9) 300 workers assembled 18.038 pieces of steel in order for the tower to be finished.
10) There are around 20.000 lights on the tower.
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