the Eiffel Tower

Standing 320 meters high and weighs 10,000 tons, is the most famous landmark in Paris and a symbol of France in the world – the Eiffel Tower. Forty years the record as the Eiffel Tower, the tallest building in the world. It is one of the main tourist spot more than 5 million visitors a year. The tower was built in a period of two years 1887-1889 as a “gateway to the World’s Fair.” In March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated and the public on May 6 of that year.

A total of 300 employees, 18 038 pieces of puddle iron, and two and a half million rivets were used to build the tower to complete. Nicknames like “La Dame de fer”, which means iron woman, was the tower as an eyesore for most people at first. It was actually much criticism. During that time, newspaper companies would get angry letters from the arts community of Paris. One of the most controversial letters stated that the tower was “like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up from riveted iron plates.” Mentioned letter by Alexander Dumas, Charles Gounod, Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Jean-Leon Gerome scorched. However, as time passes, people came to the unique beauty of the tower to recognize. Currently seen as a “striking piece of structural art.” There is in fact the global symbol of France, who so proudly gave to the French flag.