History of the Eiffel Tower

Standing near the Seine River in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited places in the world. It is the pride of France and has hugely contributed to boosting the tourism of France.

History of the Eiffel Tower

The first question that needs to be answered before looking at the history of the Eiffel Tower is: "When was the Eiffel Tower built?" The Eiffel Tower was built between 1887 and 1889. Initially, it was built to serve an entrance arch to the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair held in Paris on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Previously, the tower was planned to be built in Barcelona. The Barcelonian authorities did not find it suitable to build the Eiffel Tower in their city. They refused to implement the plan in Barcelona thinking of the construction of the Eiffel tower as strange and expensive. Perhaps, the fate of Paris was better. The draft of the plan for building the Eiffel Tower was submitted to the authorities of the Universal Exhibition in Paris. They sanctioned the plan and with it, the creation of one of world’s most recognized structures had begun!

The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1989. In a month’s time, that is on May 6, the tower opened. Gustave Eiffel, a French structural engineer and architect specialized in metallic structures, was the brain behind the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The structural design of the tower was a brainchild of Maurice Koechlin, a French-Swiss structural engineer. A task force of 300 workers started building this tower from pieces of puddle iron and rivets. The tower was an open frame with just two platforms. It was a high-risk venture. But, thanks to the safety measures taken by Gustave, the construction did not prove fatal for many except for one misfortunate death.

After the successful completion of building the Eiffel Tower, it received criticism from many people in Paris. Eiffel was granted a permission of 20 years, after which the tower would become a possession of the City of Paris and would be dismantled. It found utility for purposes of communication, for which it was retained. Today, it is recognized as one of the outstanding pieces of art and engineering. According to Gustave Eiffel, the major concern of his design of the tower was wind resistance and that the construction of the tower was purely based on mathematical calculations.

The Eiffel Tower got its name from the engineer Gustave Eiffel. It is the tallest building in Paris and the most visited monument in the world. It is 325 meters high and its metal structure, along with its non-metal components sums up to a weight of 10,000 tonnes. The thermal expansion of the metal causes the top of the tower to shift by about 18 cms and the winds cause it to sway. Lifts and stairways provide the tourists with access to the first two levels of the tower. The tower needs to be painted every seven years, so that it appears uniform to its visitors. Apart from being a tourist attraction, it is also a commemoration of some of the eminent people of France. Names of seventy-two French scientists, engineers and other prominent figures of France are engraved on the tower.

This iconic monument that stands on the Champ de Mars in Paris, continues to attract millions of tourists from all around the world.