The Darkest Tower? Creepy And Intreseting Facts About The Eiffel Tower
Say what you will about the Eiffel Tower – over-commercialized, over-rated, or even ugly – there is no doubt that it is one of the most famous structures in the world. The undisputed symbol of Paris is more than a building or a tourist attraction, but is an absolute icon. Almost every tourist who comes to the French capital climbs to the top of the tower at some point during his visit or at least notices it from a distance. It is also a romantic structure, as evidenced by the marriage proposals on the tower or beside it at almost any moment.
With all due respect, we are here to show you some other sides of the famous tower. We will start with some interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower, some of which are well-known and some much less so. From there, we will continue – as is tradition – to some scary Eiffel Tower sides, with stories about tragic accidents, ghosts, a mysterious underground bunker, and many more surprises.
What Is The Eiffel Tower?
If you live in our world, you can recognize the Eiffel Tower while asleep. However, here are a few words to explain what you are seeing. The Eiffel Tower is a monumental iron structure built in a way resembling a pyramid. It consists of four curved columns, hereinafter “the legs,” which converge to a single point at the top of the tower.
What Is The Eiffel Tower Made Of?
The tower reaches a height of more than 300 meters, but despite its great height, it is relatively lightweight thanks to the structure and the materials used. The Eiffel Tower was built using trusses (a widespread engineering element consisting of rods and articulated connections set between “junctions”) and 18,038 wrought iron beams (that is, iron with a low carbon content). The connection was made using no less than 2.5 million rivets and about 300 acrobatic climbers.
According to reports, the company created iron plates and materials in a factory to construct the tower, and they arrived when all that had to be done was to assemble them. It weighs over 10,000 tons and reportedly used about 7,300 tons of iron to build it. Under these conditions, the fact that it is a structure that manages to be lightweight and stable is a complex engineering marvel.
When Was The Eiffel Tower Built?
The Eiffel Tower was originally made for Barcelona, Spain. However, someone noticed that in 1889, the Paris World Exhibition would be held, which would solemnly mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, and they decided to recalculate the route for the tower.
Initially, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be temporary. The plan was to destroy it sometime after the exhibition. However, due to its success, it remained permanent and became an integral part of the skyline of the City of Lights and one of the most famous buildings in the world.
Who Built The Eiffel Tower?
Most people know that the Eiffel Tower was designed and built by the French engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel and his company. The Eiffel Tower was named after him.
Gustave Eiffel, who lived during the Industrial Revolution, was one of the first experts in the world to use steel in his buildings for both functional and aesthetic purposes. He is also responsible for designing the internal skeleton of the Statue of Liberty in New York, another famous building.
The Eiffel Tower was officially inaugurated on March 31, 1889. To mark the occasion, the engineer managed to climb all the stairs to the third floor and hung the French tricolor flag on top of the tower. The tower opened to the public a few months later, on May 6. The tower became a great success almost instantly. Its high costs were covered after only one year, thanks to the sale of tickets to the Great Exhibition in Paris.
How Long Did It Take To Build The Eiffel Tower?
The truth is that the answer to this question is quite surprising, and awe-inspiring, considering the period we are talking about. The design of the Eiffel Tower was a complex undertaking, lasting more than a year and a half before construction began. The construction reportedly lasted two years, two months, and five days, from January 1887 to March 1889. When you consider the endless number of components in the tower, the need for their precise assembly, and the lack of technology that makes life easier, you realize how great an achievement this is.
Gustave Eiffel’s team employed about 300 workers who worked around the clock in difficult weather conditions to meet a tight deadline. In fact, the tower’s construction was not wholly complete even when the exhibition was already underway.
The tower has undergone several changes over the years, including:
1900 – Construction of an additional observation deck on the second floor
1942 – Construction of a television transmitter for German television at the top of the tower
1957 – Preparation of a base for an antenna, which “elevated” the tower
1983 – Completion of construction of the new elevator system and an additional floor for the French television station
1986 – Installation of a modern lighting system
How Tall Is The Eiffel Tower?
The height of the Eiffel Tower is about 324 meters or 330 meters if we also consider the new radio antenna it got in 2002. As we saw earlier, its construction occurred in several stages, when the original height was “only” about 312 meters.
For decades, believe it or not, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest in the world. When the tower was completed, it replaced the Washington Monument, which held the title until 1889. The tower was the tallest building in the world until 1930, till the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York, which rises to a height of 319 meters and 77 floors.
How Many Floors Does The Eiffel Tower Have?
At present, the Eiffel Tower has three main floors open to the general public (very broad, since we are talking about more than six million visitors a year).
Floor 1, at a height of about 57 meters above ground
Floor 2, at a height of about 115 meters above ground
Floor 3, which is about 276 meters above ground
A closed summit floor, mainly for communication and broadcasting purposes, which is not open to the public
One can make the transition between the floors in two main ways. The first is by elevator: large elevators (about 60 people) reach the second floor, and from there, a smaller elevator makes the journey to the third floor.
Another option is to climb the stairs, which is a difficult journey because you have to climb 1,120 steps to reach the second floor. A total of 1,665 steps reach the third floor, but the last part (from the second to the third floor) is not currently open to the public.
One Tower, Many Criticisms
The appearance of the Eiffel Tower is somewhat controversial. At the time, it received much criticism, to the point that the leaders of Paris considered dropping the project.
The main argument was that the tower didn’t fit the city it was located in and stood out negatively. While in Paris, we tend to see relatively low, ornate, massive buildings made mainly of stone, the residents got, in this case, a very tall, sharp, and angular structure made mostly of steel. Some criticized the astronomical financial investment or feared the construction would not end soon, so Gustave Eiffel promised to complete it.
After the completion of the Eiffel Tower, it became the object of ridicule among several opinion leaders. Oscar Wilde, who was probably not a fan of Paris (“When good Americans die, they go to Paris”), said that when he was in Paris, he would want to live in the Eiffel Tower not to see its ugliness. The French author Guy de Maupassant reportedly ate lunch in the tower’s restaurant because, according to him, it was the only place in Paris from which he wouldn’t see the tower.
In the early 20th century, protests led to serious consideration of dismantling the tower. As a military wireless station, a specific change of purpose kept the tower alive.
Nevertheless, Gustave Eiffel thoughtfully took criticism of the engineering marvel he had created. To calm the wave of protests, he engraved the names of 72 French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians on the tower’s first floor to commemorate their contributions to the engineering marvel. Incidentally, this list did not include any women, which drew criticism – especially given that, scientifically, the tower’s design was heavily based on the theory of elasticity formulated by mathematician Sophie Germain.
Gustave Eiffel reportedly built himself a room at the top of the tower and lived there in sad solitude. The fact that he was later falsely accused of financial corruption (the “Panama Scandal”) did not help and caused him to leave the engineering world in disgrace. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 91.
The Eiffel Tower At Night Is A Different Opera
While there is no consensus on the appearance of the Eiffel Tower during the day, it is difficult to argue against the fact that it is imposing at night.
The Eiffel Tower is illuminated by thousands of lights at night, which flash once an hour – in fact, this is one of the main reasons Paris is called the “City of Lights.” The lighting is done using a computerized system, which synchronizes to music in exceptional cases.
The Eiffel Tower sparkles for about five minutes every hour, usually from sunset to 11:00 p.m. The tower will be lit up later in the summer, up to 1:00 a.m.
Is It Illegal To Take Pictures Of The Eiffel Tower At Night?
Many people want to know if they can take photos of the Eiffel Tower at night since the light show is a protected work, standing under European copyright law. It has a point, but you still don’t need to worry. As it stands, no one would take legal action against an average social media user who has been to Paris and wants to share the city’s beauty at night.
However, for publishing and commercial usage of the photos, you probably should get permission from the company that runs and operates the tower today, “Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.”
What Is The Color Of The Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower is painted in a color called “Eiffel Brown,” a bronze-brown shade. They repaint the tower every seven years to prevent corrosion or color change over time, as with the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Approximately 70 million tons of paint are required to complete the painting. The process is done manually and includes several steps, such as removing the old paint, thoroughly cleaning the iron, and thoroughly applying the paint, which is resistant to rust.
How Does The Eiffel Tower Change Its Height?
Although it is difficult to claim that the Eiffel Tower leans on its axis like the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, the facts are that despite its large dimensions and enormous weight, in extreme weather conditions, we may see it move.
These movements are part of the tower’s design because the planners assumed that a tower that moves with the air currents would be well preserved over time and not crack. In the summer, when the sun heats one side of the tower more than the other, the entire structure can tilt a few centimeters. Of course, there is no danger to those on the tower, but it does not add peace of mind to those who fear heights.
Speaking of heights, how iron reacts to different environmental conditions explains why the tower’s height varies slightly throughout the year. In summer, the tower adds a few millimeters in height due to a phenomenon known as “Thermal Expansion.” This phenomenon is also related to the imbalance created by the uneven contact with the sun and the tower’s tilt. On the other hand, the low temperatures in winter can cause it to lose a few kilograms (or, more precisely, a few millimeters). Here, you will find a detailed explanation of the phenomenon.
Fire, Wars, And Other Disasters
The history of the Eiffel Tower is full of stations and unusual cases. Over the years, the Eiffel Tower has had several fires. In the 1950s, we saw an extensive fire at the Eiffel Tower, following which the building was extensively renovated.
Most recently – on December 12, 2024 – a fire broke out in the Eiffel Tower, inside the elevator shaft, probably due to one of the elevator cables overheating. The fire brigade managed to control the fire without causing any damage to the building or its many visitors, with about 1,200 visitors able to evacuate relatively efficiently.
The Eiffel Tower played a particular role in both world wars. In World War I, the tower took part in the Allied victory over the German enemy. Thanks to the tower’s strong signal, the Allied soldiers could eavesdrop on the German enemy, even when he was relatively far away, which gave them a tactical advantage in the First Battle of the Marne.
In World War II, as the Allies were approaching victory over the German enemy, Hitler ordered his soldiers to destroy the entire city of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower. The German commander in charge disobeyed the order and may have saved the fate of the Eiffel Tower.
The Conman Who Tried To Sell The Eiffel Tower
In 1925, we saw another negative side to the tower’s history, the so-called “Eiffel Tower scam.” A conman named Victor Lustig – who, among other things, wrote the iconic masterpiece “The Ten Commandments for a Crook,” convinced people to buy a fake machine for “duplicating money” from him and even managed to defraud Al Capone – “sold” the tower to several investors.
So, how did Victor Lustig sell the Eiffel Tower? Well, he used documents supposedly on behalf of the French government, posed as a senior French vice-president who said that due to the terrible maintenance of the tower, Paris had decided to sell it for scrap, declared that it was the official secret, and chose the offer of one of the participants, who even inflated and paid him a bribe.
Lustig took the money, ran to Vienna, and even planned to commit fraud again. But this time, a clever merchant informed the police, and Lustig escaped again without completing his plan.
Want To Jump From The Eiffel Tower? Check Your Parachutes First
One of the strangest stories of the Eiffel Tower occurred in 1912. The Austrian-French tailor and inventor Franz (François) Reichelt jumped from the Eiffel Tower to his death to prove the effectiveness of the parachute he had invented (spoiler: it probably wasn’t practical).
Reichelt, the “flying tailor,” is considered one of the pioneers of skydiving, and for years tried to develop a parachute, of which his version was a kind of silk suit that could help pilots survive (even) a plane crash.
Reichelt conducted experiments with dolls, which he threw from his fifth-floor window, and some of the experiments were successful. Implementing the plan in the real world was met with resistance because it simply did not seem safe enough. On February 4, 1912, Reichelt arrived with several friends at the Eiffel Tower and received permission to conduct another experiment, ostensibly with dolls. The media, police, and the curious gathered around the tower. Despite previous failures and strong wind that day, Reichelt decided to jump himself from a height of 57 meters. The parachute did not work well enough, and Reichelt jumped to his death.
Here is a 10-minute video about the sad story of Franz Reichelt:
The Ghost Stories Of The Eiffel Tower
Do you think the Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most romantic and ideal locations for marriage proposals? Think again!
Legend has it that once, an American man fell in love with a woman and arranged to meet her at the top of the Eiffel Tower. The man wanted to propose, but the woman wanted to break up on the top of the tower because she thought the magnificent view would make the news more gentle to the poor guy. The man knelt, the woman said no, and according to legend, he decided, in a fit of rage, to throw her off the tower to her death. Some people believe that the tower is haunted by the woman’s ghost to this day, with stories – well, you get the idea – of an occasional nervous chuckle, terrifying screams, and other elements present in almost every ghost story, in film or real life.
Another story is about a 17-year-old girl who jumped off the Eiffel Tower in 1964 after her fiancé announced they were breaking up. She reportedly landed on a Renault car nearby and survived with some significant injuries. It is unknown what happened to her, but there are rumors that she married the man in the exact vehicle who may have seen the love of his life fall from the sky (or at least from the Eiffel Tower).
The Woman Who Married The Eiffel Tower
The good news is that love doesn’t have to be unrequited at the Eiffel Tower. We are not referring, of course, to the countless successful marriage proposals that happen there every day (because who cares about such boring romance?), but to an American archer named Erika Aya, or should we say Erika Eiffel.
Erika was so enamored the first time she saw the tower in all its glory that she decided to marry the freaking Eiffel Tower in 2007 (although judging by the shape and size of the tower, it may be that their sex life was successful). After the wedding, some people changed that girl’s name to “Erica Eiffel” because they stuck to the man’s last name even if he was a tower. In any case, experts refer to instances of this kind as “Objectophilia” or “Object Sexuality,” a disorder in which people become strongly emotionally attached, even romantically, to inanimate objects.
The Connection Between The Eiffel Tower And Suicide
The Eiffel Tower is not known as one of the centers of mass suicides in the world, unlike sites like the Suicide Forest in Japan, which we have already written about, or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. According to Time magazine, by 1966, about 350 people had jumped to their deaths from the Eiffel Tower. Even after that, we saw several unpleasant suicide cases, mainly by jumping but also by other means (hanging, for example), some of which made it to the news.
In any case, the statistics today are much less grim in this respect. The place is touristy and has a lot of police officers who, if necessary, can prevent attempts or even negotiate with the jumpers, as has happened on quite a few occasions.
The Eiffel Tower Has A Secret Apartment And Even A Hidden Bunker
Gustave Eiffel built himself a luxurious private apartment on the third floor of the Eiffel Tower, where he worked, rested, and even hosted celebrities like Thomas Alva Edison. Today, the apartment houses restored wax figures of Gustave Eiffel, his family, and Edison. Over the years, various parts of the tower have served as a newsroom, a radio station, and a theater.
What lies beneath the Eiffel Tower is no less interesting. Under the pillar in the southern part of the tower, an underground bunker was built in 1937 to connect the tower to a system of tunnels (after all, we are talking about Paris here, which is known for its massive catacombs, for example). The bunker was built in response to criticism from Parisians about the prominent military presence in the area, in memory that the tower was also used for military radio broadcasts.
In 1909, even before World War I, they decided to build an underground bunker and manage communications from there. During the war, the military expanded the bunker, built secret tunnels, and perhaps even an escape route.
Except for the bunker itself, these parts are not open to the public today. We believe there is an extensive network of military tunnels under the Eiffel Tower, which, according to some rumors, reach as far as the French Military Academy. According to some local legends, the bunker contained the ghost of a soldier.
Hot To Visit The Eiffel Tower?
It isn’t easy to find tourists who come to Paris, certainly for the first time, and do not include the Eiffel Tower in their schedule (even if some will be satisfied with a distant view of the tower, which stands out from many points in the City of Lights).
You can find several types of tickets for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with the explicit recommendation being to get your tickets in advance and not wait until the last minute. Among the Eiffel Tower tickets available today:
A ticket that allows you to take the elevator to the top floor of the tower
A ticket that allows you to take the elevator to the second floor, including an audio guide
A ticket that will enable you to take the elevator to the third and last floor, including an audio guide
Tickets that allow you to take the stairs, which will be cheaper
How Do You Book Tickets For The Eiffel Tower?
The various tickets are available on today’s leading international ticket websites, most of which also offer the option of free cancellation up to 24 hours before the selected date of visit.
The Eiffel Tower As A Cultural Icon
The Eiffel Tower is not only a tourist destination but an icon in its own right. In almost every souvenir shop throughout Paris, you will find countless items related to the tower, including sculptures of various sizes, cups, shirts, key chains, dinnerware, and decorations – and the list is endless.
Searching the internet, we found some cool products that will allow you to bring Paris to your home:
A variety of Eiffel Tower puzzles, including 1,000 pieces and more
Lego Eiffel Tower from the Architecture series, with 321 pieces that will allow you to assemble a 3D model of the tower
Lego (649 pieces) of the Parisian skyline that includes the tower and other important buildings such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, and others
Eiffel Tower construction kit
Miniature statues
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