Eiffel Tower is an astonishingly popular structure and there must hardly be anyone who doesn’t know about it. It is so popular that even Gustave Eiffel said, ” I ought to be jealous of the tower. She is more famous than I am.” Gustave as you (NOW) know, built the magnificent structure in 1889 in Paris.
Here are few stupefying facts about the iconic Tour de Eiffel, as the French call it.
1. Genesis
The Eiffel Tower took exactly two years, two months and five days. The building was not intended to be permanent because the con artist, Lustig, popularly known as “the man who sold the Eiffel Tower twice”, thought that it was a heavy maintenance.
Source: Wikipedia, Image: biography.com
2. Saved the Demolishing
The Eiffel Tower was planned to be demolished but it was then re-thought for using as a giant radio antenna instead.
Source: wikipedia
3. More Labour for Hitler
When Hitler reached Paris during World War 2, the cunning Frenchmen cut the cable of the lift so that if Hitler wanted to reach to the top, he’d have to climb the stairs (which by the way are 1,655).
Source: wikipedia, Image: youtube
4. Shall Spain Regret?
Eiffel Tower was originally designer to be built in Barcelona, Spain. The plan was rejected eventually.
Source: worldsiteguide.com
5. Eiffel Tower is Married
Why not? A woman named Erika la Tour Eiffel married the architectural brilliance in 2007. Isn’t everything possible in love and war? …and buildings.
Source: telegraph.co.uk, Image: theeiffelfacts.com
6. Team Eiffel
There are a lot more than 30 replicas of the tower around the globe.
Source: eiffelfacts.com, Image: thelocal.fr
7. Living on the Top
Gustave Eiffel made himself an apartment on the top of the tower. Now that’s quite a view from up there.
Source: roomonethousand.com
8. Eiffel Suicides are Not a Trend
They aren’t unheard of but are not that much in number too. It has been noted that there have been just 349 suicides since the opening day. Some were jumpers, some were just hanging and the others didn’t really die.
Source: foxnews.com
9. Experiments
Being tall comes with disadvantages too (…and I’m talking about buildings here!). Aerial feats just couldn’t wait. In 1912, French tailor Franz Reichelt attempted to fly from the first floor with a spring-loaded parachute suit, but crashed 187 feet to the ground instead.
Source: foxnews.com, Image: uk.news.yahoo.com
10. Pain(t)
It requires about 60 tonnes of paint to give the tower its first coat. Also, till the date, it has been painted 18 times. You do the calculation.
Source: thelocal.fr, Image: prodigyexhibitions.com
11. Most Visited
Eiffel Tower is most visited paid-monuments. It has had more than 250 millions of visitors over the years. Were you one of them?
Source: encyclopedia, Image: news.france.fr
12. Fined for Clicking
Eiffel tower has 20,000 bulbs which lights up as the night falls till 1 AM. In addition to this, it is a crime to click pictures during that time since it is considered an art work and you can be fined under the copyright law. Beware!
Source: thelocal.fr
