The Eiffel Tower is the iron lady of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is the most famous symbol of Paris. The color of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Date of writing: 14.10.2023

Reading time: 24 minutes

The sand therapy method - Sandplay - is based on Jungian analytical psychology. Jung's research showed that a person's inner world is rich and diverse, although a person often does not realize this, and that, by creating conditions for the manifestation fantasy, you can become aware of previously hidden or suppressed feelings and ideas. This inner space of a person is unconscious, and he is not amenable to logical rational knowledge, his language is the language of images, ideas, sensations.

The connection of these two worlds - the conscious and the unconscious - occurs through the process of symbol formation. The energy that arises in the unconscious is first transformed into images (visual, auditory, tactile), which can then be designated by words - that is, translated into the space of consciousness. It is precisely on the border between creation and the unconscious that symbol. It always reflects an experience that has meaning for a person.

The sand therapy room has a sand tray, sand, water and a variety of miniatures representing real world objects. All these objects, on the one hand, have their own everyday meaning, on the other hand, they are filled with collective meanings (social, cultural, regional, national, gender, etc.). When the client interacts with sand and figures, he comes into contact with these energies and complements them with his own meanings.

The use of symbols helps the psyche realize its desire for development - self-knowledge and fulfillment, and in the case of psychological trauma - for healing. The images and symbols of the unconscious are effective factors in giving impetus to the inner life.

In this article I want to describe the study of one of the symbols that became an important element in the therapy of a seven-year-old girl. I will not describe in detail the problems with which the family came to me and the therapy process. I want to demonstrate how much information we can gain by listening carefully, feeling and living the symbol.

Silence in Jungian sand therapy has more value than analyzing and discussing figures in the sand. The silence of consciousness allows you to hear the voice of the soul.

I have two Eiffel Towers in my sand therapy collection. One large metal (about 18 cm) bronze color is very realistic, and the second is smaller, plastic, white with backlight. The second tower often attracts children's attention due to its lighting. The first one remained untouched until recently.

And then one day a 7-year-old girl, let’s call her Maria, entered the office and began her dialogue with me by telling me that she was planning to run away to Paris to the Eiffel Tower. She finds it on the shelf and puts it in the sandbox in the far upper corner (she herself is on the right). She bends diagonally across the sandbox, and her body seems to repeat her words - this tower is very far away and difficult to reach.

What attracts attention is the desire to escape - to break the rules, to show one’s independence, to insist on one’s own. On the other hand, why exactly to the Eiffel Tower?

I thought about its symbolism. First of all, this is a tower. Of all the architectural creations of man, the majestic and unshakable tower is an important and meaningful symbol that embodies power, pride, vigilance, spiritual uplift, inaccessibility and chastity.

In mythology, a famous plot is the myth of the Tower of Babel, which has become a symbol of human pride and madness.

Many stories are dedicated to one or another innocent maiden imprisoned in a tower, as a result of which the latter began to be regarded as a symbol of chastity.

There is a "Tower" card in the Tarot. It depicts a tower struck by lightning. The meaning of the card is twofold. It can foretell failure, warns of impending danger, the dangerous consequences of excessive arrogance. There is also a positive meaning - it is a sign of revelation or emotional release.

In military affairs, the fortress watchtower is a universally recognized symbol of vigilance.

The lighthouse tower, which shows the way to ships and warns of danger, has a similar meaning. Also, for sailors, the lighthouse has long been a symbol of hope, announcing the proximity of their native land and the end of a dangerous voyage.

In emblems this is a frequently used symbol. What matters here is the uniqueness of the architectural features, which clearly emphasize their individuality.

In the Egyptian hieroglyphic system, a tower serves as a sign denoting height or elevation above the ordinary level of life in society, thus symbolizing ascension. Since the tower rises above everything else, here its symbolism intersects with the staircase - a reflection of the connection between earth and sky.

Now let's look at the history and features of the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower is a metal tower in the center of Paris, its most recognizable architectural landmark.

Here, the symbolism of the tower itself is joined by the symbolism of Paris, France, where the main lines are love and romance.

The tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was built in 1889 as an entrance arch to the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition. At such a competition, it was necessary to create a structure that would visibly demonstrate the country’s engineering and technological achievements.

Thus, the symbolism of exaltation, superiority, intellectual progress, and the triumph of engineering genius is reflected here.

The Eiffel Tower is called the most visited paid attraction in the world and the most photographed.

It acts as a symbol of public appreciation and recognition, social superiority.

It is interesting that, both at the time of construction and to this day, the creative intelligentsia of Paris and France are outraged by Eiffel’s daring project and believe that this metal structure suppresses the architecture of the city and violates the unique style of the capital that has developed over the centuries.

Here we see an underlying conflict between the true spirit of the city and its modern, progressive vision, which can be seen even deeper - as a conflict between the sensual and the logical.

The Eiffel Tower is called the "Iron Lady" of Paris. She is credited with feminine traits - grace, beauty, elegance. At the same time, it is made of metal - an iron alloy, which carries masculine symbolism - immutability, reliability, hardness, density, strength, stability, strength, intransigence, resilience, inflexibility, strength, perseverance, patience, cruelty, punishment, shackles, captivity, weapon.

The Eiffel Tower is the embodiment of the combination, opposition, and struggle of male and female energies.

The tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was originally intended as a temporary structure and was to be dismantled after 20 years. However, the structure was a stunning and immediate success. During the six months of the exhibition, more than 2 million visitors came to see the “iron lady”. Its construction paid off already during the exhibition. Then they decided not to dismantle the tower, and it still brings in good income.

This fact of history can, on the one hand, embody a rational approach - why break something that brings benefits. On the other hand, this can be considered as commercialism - where profit is placed above moral principles (its appearance is very different from the architectural ensemble of the city), as well as betrayal - violation of obligations and promises.

An interesting cultural feature of the perception of the Eiffel Tower by Russian people, reflected in many anecdotes and stories and perfectly expressed in Vysotsky’s song:

"I've already spat from the Eiffel Tower
On the heads of careless Parisians!"

Expression " don't care about anyone" means to treat with indifference, contemptuous disregard. Paris as a Western city is perceived by many as a place where everything is much better (especially in Soviet reality, where Vysotsky worked). This is the center of culture, science, developed economy, freedom. At the same time, when entering this city, one’s own worthlessness, uselessness, and inconsistency with the greatness of the city become obvious. And as a defense against these feelings there is a desire to demonstrate one’s indifference - “but I don’t care.”

Here we are dealing with the theme of the unattainability of something important that provides self-worth, inner confidence in acceptance and belonging.

It is also important to note that Paris was one of the centers of white emigration after the revolution.

And this connects it for Russians with the symbolism of abandonment, inaccessibility of home, longing and nostalgia for a lost home.

Thus, the image of the Eiffel Tower is very multifaceted:

it is associated with maternal symbolism in its scarce aspect,
the contradiction between the sensual and logical, feminine and masculine,
the confrontation between true values and external diversity.

Construction Eiffel Tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was completed in 1889, initially it was conceived as a temporary structure that served as the entrance arch to the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889.

The exhibition took place in Paris and was timed to coincide with the centenary of the French Revolution. The Paris city administration turned to famous French engineers with an offer to take part in an architectural competition. At such a competition, it was necessary to find a structure that visibly demonstrates the engineering and technological achievements of the country.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:02

On May 1, 1886, a competition for architectural and engineering projects for the future World Exhibition opened in France, in which 107 applicants took part. Various extravagant ideas were considered, including, for example, a giant guillotine, which was supposed to be reminiscent of the French Revolution of 1789.

Among the competition participants was engineer and designer Gustave Eiffel, who proposed a project that was then unprecedented in world construction - a 300-meter metal tower, the tallest structure in the world. He drew the very idea of the tower from the drawings of his company’s employees, Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nugier. Gustav Eiffel receives a joint patent for the project with them, and subsequently buys from them the exclusive right to the future Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel's project becomes one of the 4 winners and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative option. Thanks to the changes made by the engineer to the decorative design of the tower, the competition organizers preferred his “Iron Lady”.

In the end, the committee settled on Eiffel's plan, although the idea of the tower itself did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel used special construction methods. This explains the decision of the exhibition committee in favor of this project.

In order for the tower to better meet the aesthetic tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stéphane Sauvestre proposed covering the base supports of the tower with stone, connecting its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, and placing spacious glazed halls, give the top of the tower a rounded shape and use a variety of decorative elements to decorate it.

In January 1887, Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement according to which Eiffel was provided with an operating lease of the tower for his personal use for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, amounting to 25% of all expenses for construction of a tower. On December 31, 1888, in order to attract the missing funds, a joint-stock company was created with an authorized capital of 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds contributed by three banks, the other half is the personal funds of Eiffel himself.

The final construction budget was 7.8 million francs.

Eiffel Tower- this is the emblem of Paris and a high-altitude antenna.
There can be 10,000 people on the tower at the same time.
The project was drawn up by the architect Stéphane Sauvestre, but the tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel (1823-1923), better known to the public. Other works by Eiffel: Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, Viaduct de Gharabi, iron frame for the New York Statue of Liberty.
Since the tower appeared, about 250 million people have visited it.
The weight of the metal part of the structure is 7,300 tons, and the weight of the entire tower is 10,100 tons.
In 1925, the rogue Victor Lustig managed to sell the iron structure for scrap, and he was able to pull off this trick twice!
In good weather, from the top of the tower, Paris and its surroundings can be viewed within a radius of up to 70 kilometers. It is believed that the optimal time to visit the Eiffel Tower, providing the best visibility, is an hour before sunset.
The tower also holds a sad record - about 400 people committed suicide by throwing themselves down from its upper platform. In 2009, the terrace was fenced with protective barriers and now this place is very popular with romantic couples kissing in front of the whole of Paris.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:32

One of the most talented swindlers of the 20th century was Count Victor Lustig (1890-1947). This man spoke five languages and received an excellent upbringing. He was bold and fearless. 45 of his aliases are known, and in the United States alone he was arrested 50 times.

“As long as there are fools in the world, we can live by deception.”

There are a great many smart scammers who take advantage of not very smart fellow citizens. But for your name to be included not only in crime chronicles, but also in legends, you must truly have extraordinary abilities. One of these scammers is Victor Lustig.

His exploits include both minor sins and grandiose scams. A young man from a poor Czech family presented himself as a ruined Austrian count. And he stuck to this role so skillfully that no one doubted his title. Fluency in five languages, knowledge of all the subtleties of social and business etiquette, the ability to behave freely in society - these are the qualities thanks to which he belonged both in high society and in the gangster environment. However, in addition to his native “count” surname, the swindler used several dozen more pseudonyms for his activities. Under them, Victor went on various cruises and organized various raffles and lotteries on board the ships of those that we today habitually call “scams.”

Fair play, or the Al Capone scam

One of the legends associated with the name of Lustig was the story of his “collaboration” with Al Capone. One day, in 1926, a tall, well-dressed young man visited a famous gangster of the time. The man introduced himself as Count Victor Lustig. He asked to give him 50 thousand dollars to double this amount.

The gangster was not at all sorry to invest such an insignificant amount in a dubious enterprise, and he gave it to the count. The deadline for completing the plan is 2 months. Lustig took the money, put it in a safe deposit box in Chicago, and then went to New York. Lustig made no attempt to double the amount he left in Chicago.

Two months later he returned, took the money from the bank and went to the gangster. There he apologized, said that the plan did not work and gave the money back. To this the gangster replied: “I expected 100 thousand dollars or nothing. But... get my money back... Yes, you are an honest person! If you are in trouble, take this at least.” And he gave the count 5 thousand dollars. But these 5 thousand were the goal of Lustig’s scam!

Scrap metal, or how the Eiffel Tower was sold

But what is a “bonus” of five thousand? And the sums that Victor earned as a result of lotteries, bank fraud and not very fair poker games seemed meager to him. The soul demanded scope. So that the fraud was grandiose. Well, the proceeds, of course, should not lag behind either.

Lustig was hungry for action and the right opportunity was not long in coming. In May 1925, Victor Lustig and his friend and companion Dan Collins arrived in Paris. On the very first day of their arrival, an article in the local newspaper caught their attention. It said that the famous one was in terrible condition and the city authorities were considering the option of dismantling it.

The idea for a brilliant scam was born instantly. To implement it, a luxurious room was rented in an expensive hotel and documents were made confirming that Victor Lustig is the deputy head of the Ministry of Post and Telegraph. Then invitations were sent out to the five largest metal traders. The letters contained an invitation to an important and absolutely secret meeting with the deputy general director of the department at the Crillon Hotel, at that time the most prestigious hotel in Paris.

Having met the guests in the luxurious apartments, Lustig began to give a lengthy speech about the contents Eiffel Tower costs the state a pretty penny. That it was built as a temporary structure for the World Exhibition in Paris, and now, 30 years later, it has become so dilapidated that it simply poses a threat to Paris and the city authorities are considering demolishing the tower. Therefore, a kind of tender was announced among those present to purchase the tower.

Such a proposal could not fail to arouse interest among the invitees, but Andre Poisson was especially interested in it. He was inspired not only by the obvious financial benefits of the deal, but also by the opportunity to make history. Maybe it was this vain interest that was noticed by Lustig and it was he who became the reason that after some time it was Monsieur Poisson who was assigned a confidential meeting.

During this meeting, Victor Lustig was somewhat restless. He told Poisson that he had every chance of winning the tender and for complete victory he only needed to “promote” his candidacy a little with the help of a small reward to Victor personally. Before this meeting, Monsieur Poisson had suspicions: why all meetings related to the tender take place in such a secret environment, and not in the offices of the ministry, but in a hotel room. But such extortion on the part of an official, oddly enough, dispelled Poisson’s last doubts regarding the suspicious transaction. He counted out several large bills and persuaded Lustig to take them, then wrote a check for a quarter of a million francs, received documents for the Eiffel Tower and left satisfied. When Monsieur Poisson began to suspect something was wrong, Victor Lustig had already disappeared to Vienna with a suitcase of cash received from a check he had written.

Even though Victor Lustig fell into the hands of the police more than fifty times, he always managed to get away with it. The police had to let the talented swindler go because they simply did not have enough evidence to prove his guilt. Victor Lustig was not only a talented swindler, but also a good psychologist. Most of the victims he deceived did not contact the police, not wanting to look like fools in the eyes of the public. Even Monsieur Poisson, who “bought” the Eiffel Tower for a substantial sum, was more willing to part with his money than to become the laughing stock of all of Paris and lose his reputation as an astute businessman.

The story of the Eiffel Tower became Lustig's swan song. Some time after the deal with Poisson, he returned to Paris and decided to sell the tower again to one of the tenderers. But the deceived businessman quickly saw through the scammer and reported to the police. Lustig managed to escape from the French police to the United States. But there he was caught and put on trial. American justice has also accumulated many claims against the talented swindler. In December 1935, the count was arrested. He received 15 years in prison for counterfeiting dollars, as well as 5 years for escaping from another prison just a month ago. He was transferred to the famous Alcatraz prison island near San Francisco, where he died of pneumonia in March 1947.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 14:08

general information

Originally conceived as a temporary structure, the Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of France and an object of admiration. However, the history of the creation and construction of the impressive structure was dramatic. For many Parisians, the tower evoked only negative emotions - the townspeople believed that such a tall structure would not fit into the appearance of their beloved capital or would even collapse. But over time, the French came to appreciate the Eiffel Tower and fell in love with it. Today, thousands of people take pictures against the backdrop of the famous landmark; all lovers strive for it to spend unforgettable moments. Every girl who has a date at the Eiffel Tower hopes that it is there, with all of Paris as a witness, that her beloved will propose marriage to her.

History of the Eiffel Tower

1886 In three years, the World Industrial Exhibition EXPO will begin in Paris. The exhibition organizers announced a competition for a temporary architectural structure that would serve as the entrance to the exhibition and personify the technical revolution of its time, the beginning of grandiose transformations in the life of mankind. The proposed construction had to meet the following requirements - generate income and be easily dismantled. More than 100 competitors took part in the creative competition, which started in May 1886. Some of the designs were quite bizarre - for example, a huge guillotine reminiscent of the revolution, or a tower built entirely of stone. Among the competition participants was engineer and designer Gustave Eiffel, who proposed a project for a 300-meter metal structure that was completely unusual for that time. He drew the very idea of the tower from the drawings of his company’s employees, Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nugier.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower, 1887-1889

It was proposed to make the structure from malleable cast iron, which at that time was the most progressive and economical building material. Eiffel's project was among the four winners. Thanks to some changes made by the engineer to the decorative design of the tower, the organizers of the competition gave preference to his “Iron Lady”.

The artistic appearance of the Eiffel Tower was developed by Stéphane Sauvestre. To add more sophistication to the cast-iron structure, the architect proposed adding arches between the supports of the first floor. They symbolized the entrance to the exhibition and made the structure more elegant. In addition, Sauvestre planned to place spacious glazed halls on various floors of the building, and slightly round the top of the tower.

The construction of the tower required 7.8 million francs, but the state allocated only one and a half million to Eiffel. The engineer agreed to contribute the missing amount from his own funds, but in return demanded that the tower be leased to him for 25 years. At the beginning of 1887, the French authorities, the mayor's office of Paris and Eiffel entered into an agreement and construction began.

Old photos of the Eiffel Tower

All 18,000 structural parts were manufactured at Gustave's own factory in Levallois, near the French capital. Thanks to carefully verified drawings, work on installing the tower progressed very quickly. The mass of individual elements of the structure did not exceed 3 tons, which greatly facilitated its assembly. At first, tall cranes were used to lift the parts. Then, when the tower became taller than them, Eiffel used small mobile cranes, specially designed by him, moving along elevator rails. After two years, two months and five days, with the efforts of three hundred workers, the construction of the structure was completed.

From 1925 to 1934, the Eiffel Tower was a giant advertising medium

The Eiffel Tower instantly attracted thousands of curious people - in the first six months of the exhibition alone, more than two million people came to admire the new landmark. The appearance of a new huge silhouette against the backdrop of Paris caused fierce controversy in French society. Many representatives of the creative intelligentsia were categorically against the appearance of a tower equal in height to an 80-story building - they feared that the iron structure would destroy the style of the city and suppress its architecture. Critics of Eiffel’s creation called the tower “the tallest lamppost”, “a grill in the form of a bell tower”, “an iron monster” and other unflattering and sometimes offensive epithets.

But, despite the protests and dissatisfaction of a certain part of French citizens, the Eiffel Tower almost completely paid for itself in the first year of operation, and further operation of the structure brought solid dividends to its creator.

Hitler with the Eiffel Tower in the background

By the end of the lease period, it became clear that dismantling the tower could be avoided - by that time it was actively used for telephone and telegraph communications, as well as for placing radio stations. Gustave was able to convince the government and generals of the country that in the event of war, the Eiffel Tower would be indispensable as a radio signal transmitter. At the beginning of 1910, the lease of the tower by its creator was extended for 70 years. During the German occupation in 1940, French patriots broke all the lifting mechanisms to cut off Hitler's path to the top of the tower. Due to non-functioning elevators, the aggressors were unable to plant their flag on the iron Frenchwoman. The Germans even called their specialists from Germany to repair the elevators, but they were unable to get them working.

Gustave Eiffel

With the development of television, the Eiffel Tower becomes in demand as a place to place antennas, of which there are currently several dozen on it.

The designer, who initially used his structure for profit, subsequently transferred the rights to it to the state, and today the tower is the property of the French people.

Eiffel could not imagine that his creation would become a tourist magnet along with other “wonders of the world.” The engineer simply called it a “300-meter tower,” not expecting that it would glorify and perpetuate his name. Today, the openwork metal structure towering over the French capital is recognized as the most photographed and visited landmark in the world.

Replicas of the Eiffel Tower can be found in more than 30 cities: Tokyo, Berlin, Las Vegas, Prague, Hangzhou, London, Sydney, Almaty, Moscow and others.

Description

The base of the Eiffel Tower is a pyramid formed by four pillars. At a height of about 60 meters, the supports are connected by an arch, on which a square ground floor platform with sides of 65 meters is located. From this lower platform rise the next four pillars, forming another vault at a height of 116 meters. Here is the second floor landing, a square half the size of the first. The supports, soaring up from the second platform, gradually connect to form a giant column 190 meters high. On this colossal rod, at an altitude of 276 meters from the ground, there is a third floor - a square platform with sides of 16.5 meters. On the third platform there is a lighthouse, topped with a dome, above which, at a height of three hundred meters, there is a small one and a half meter platform. The height of the Eiffel Tower today is 324 meters thanks to the television antenna installed on it. In addition to television and radio equipment, the structure houses cellular communication towers, as well as a unique weather station that records data on atmospheric pollution and background radiation.

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower there are ticket offices and an information desk with free booklets and brochures. There is a souvenir shop in each support of the structure, and there is also a post office in the southern column. There is also a snack bar on the ground level. Here is also the entrance to the premises where you can see outdated hydraulic lifting mechanisms. But access here is open only to organized excursion groups.

On the ground floor, visitors are greeted by the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant, another souvenir shop and the Cineiffel center, where films about the construction of the Eiffel Tower are shown. Little visitors will be delighted to meet Gus, the tower's mascot and the hero of the guide book. In addition, on the first level there is a fragment of an old spiral staircase leading to the next floors, as well as to the office of Eiffel himself.

Visitors approaching the tower from the north side are greeted by a gilded bust of its creator with a simple inscription: “Eiffel. 1832-1923".

The second level is an observation deck. On this floor there is the Jules Verne restaurant and another souvenir shop. Many interesting details about the construction of the tower can be gleaned from the information stands located on this level. In winter, a small skating rink is installed on the second floor.

The main goal of the overwhelming number of visitors is the third level. Elevators ascend to it, through the windows of which you can admire Paris. On the top floor, those who wish can celebrate their ascent to the tower with champagne at the Champange Bar. A glass of pink or white sparkling drink costs 10-15 €. On the third floor site there can be 800 people at the same time. Previously, on the upper platform there was an observatory and the office of Eiffel himself.

You can climb to the top of the structure by elevator or by stairs consisting of 1,792 steps. The Eiffel Tower is served by 3 elevators, but they are never operational at the same time due to safety reasons and due to constant maintenance of the structure.

During its existence, the tower was both yellow and red-brown. Today, the bronze color of the structure is officially patented and is called “Eiffel brown.” Redecoration of the Eiffel Tower is carried out every 7 years, this process takes one and a half years. Before applying fresh paint, the old layer is removed using high pressure steam. Then the entire structure is carefully inspected, unusable parts are replaced with new ones. After this, the tower is covered with two layers of paint, which requires 57 tons for this procedure. But the color of the tower is not uniform everywhere; it is painted in different shades of bronze - from dark at the base of the structure to lighter at the very top. This method of painting is used to ensure that the structure looks harmonious against the sky. Interestingly, even today paint is applied with brushes.

In the 80s of the last century, the tower was reconstructed - some of the parts were replaced with stronger and lighter ones.

Eiffel designed his creation in such a way that it is not afraid of storms - during the strongest winds, the tower deviates from its axis by a maximum of 12 centimeters. An iron structure is much more susceptible to the sun - iron elements expand so much when heated that the upper part of the tower sometimes deviates sideways by up to 20 centimeters.

Visitors first saw the tower illuminated in 1889, on the opening day of the World Industrial Exhibition. The structure was illuminated by 10,000 gas lamps, two large searchlights and a lighthouse, whose blue, white and red rays symbolized the country's national colors. In 1900, the tower was equipped with electric light bulbs. In 1925, the owner of the Citroen company placed a grand advertisement on the structure - with the help of 125,000 light bulbs, images of the tower, zodiac constellations and products of the famous French automobile concern appeared on it. This light show lasted 9 years.

In the 21st century, the lighting of the Eiffel Tower has been modernized several times. In 2008, during France's presidency of the EU, the structure was illuminated in blue to represent the European flag. Nowadays the lighting of the tower is golden. It turns on for 10 minutes at the beginning of every hour, in the dark.

In 2015, the tower's light bulbs were replaced with LED ones to save energy and financial costs. In addition, thermal panels, two windmills and a rainwater collection system were placed on the structure.

Views from the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is the emblem of Paris and a high-altitude antenna.
There can be 10,000 people on the tower at the same time.
The project was drawn up by the architect Stéphane Sauvestre, but the tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel (1823-1923), better known to the public. Other works by Eiffel: Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, Viaduct de Gharabi, iron frame for the New York Statue of Liberty.
Since the tower appeared, about 250 million people have visited it.
The mass of the metal part of the structure is 7,300 tons, and the entire tower is 10,100 tons.
In 1925, the rogue Victor Lustig managed to sell the iron structure for scrap, and he was able to pull off this trick twice!
In good weather, from the top of the tower, Paris and its surroundings can be viewed within a radius of up to 70 kilometers. It is believed that the optimal time to visit the Eiffel Tower, providing the best visibility, is an hour before sunset.
The tower also holds a sad record - about 400 people committed suicide by throwing themselves down from its upper platform. In 2009, the terrace was fenced with protective barriers and now this place is very popular with romantic couples kissing in front of the whole of Paris.

Champ de Mars Paris Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower

Tower address: Champ de Mars (Field of Mars). Metro stations: Bir Hakeim (line 6), Trocadero (line 9).

The bus numbers running to the tower are: 42, 69, 72, 82 and 87.

Operating mode. From June 15 to September 1 - opening at 09.00. The elevator to the 2nd floor stops working at midnight; ascent to the 3rd floor (top) is carried out until 23.00; the stairs to the 2nd floor close at 00.00; the entire tower is accessible until 00.45.

From September 2 to June 14, the Eiffel Tower welcomes visitors from 09.30. The elevator to the 2nd floor is open until 23.00; the elevator takes guests to the top until 22.30; the stairs to the 2nd floor are open until 18.00; the entire tower is open until 23.45.

During the spring and Easter holidays, access to the tower is open until midnight.

Sometimes the climb to the top of the tower is temporarily suspended due to dangerous weather conditions or too many visitors on it.

Entrance ticket prices. Until September 1: elevator to the 2nd floor - 9 € (for adults), 7 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 4.5 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old). Lift to the top - 15.50 € (for adults), 13.50 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 11 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old). Stairs to the 2nd floor - 5 € (for adults), 4 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 3.50 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old).

After September 1: elevator to the 2nd floor - 11 € (for adults), 8.50 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 4 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old). Elevator to the top - 17 € (for adults), 14.50 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 10 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old). Stairs to the 2nd floor - 7 € (for adults), 5 € (for visitors from 12 to 24 years old), 3 € (for children from 4 to 11 years old).

Visitors with disabilities can access the second floor of the Eiffel Tower using an elevator.

In order to quickly get to the first and second platforms of the tower, it is better to use the stairs on the south side, since the elevators almost always have long queues.

If you want to get to the top of the Iron Lady without the queue, then you should buy electronic tickets in advance on the official website of the tower - www.tour-eiffel.fr. The ticket must be printed and paid for using a credit card. You need to approach the tower 10-15 minutes before the time indicated on the ticket, bypassing the queue. Those who are more than half an hour late for sightseeing will not be allowed in; in this case, tickets will be cancelled. You need to worry about pre-purchasing tickets as early as possible, since their sale for a specific day begins 3 months in advance at 08.30 Paris time, and there are a lot of people who want to get to the tower without a queue.

A table at the Jules Verne restaurant needs to be booked several months in advance; the average check for lunch at an altitude of 175 meters is 300 €.

An elegant symbol of Paris and all of France, the famous Eiffel Tower surprisingly fits into the sophisticated atmosphere of the unique French charm.

Today the tower is the most visited attraction in the world: more than 250 million people have admired it. But 124 years ago, back in 1889, when the tower was created as an entrance arch for the World Exhibition taking place in Paris, it was awarded with unflattering epithets “ridiculous”, “monstrous”.
The creator of the tower that received his name, Gustav Eiffel, was able to perform a real engineering miracle: to connect more than 18 thousand parts of welded iron with a total weight of more than 7 thousand tons into an elegant structure that amazes with its sophistication.

With a height of 324 m (the tower was originally 300 meters high, holding the title of the tallest structure on the planet for half a century), the Eiffel Tower has an amazingly light structure - its copy, reduced to 30 cm, weighs only 7 grams. Moreover, even with hurricane winds, the vibrations of the tower are 12 cm.
To maintain its attractive appearance, the tower is painted by hand every seven years with three shades of a patented “brown-Eiffel” color, using 57 tons of paint.
The tower is a metal pyramid with three platforms. On the first and second platforms, in addition to observation platforms, there are two restaurants. The observation deck of the third platform is located at a height of 300 meters, where an elevator takes visitors. On the third level you can visit the recreated office of G. Eiffel.
From the observation decks of the tower a charming panorama of the French capital opens.

It is no less interesting to look down from the tower and see the earth from a bird's eye view.

The Eiffel Tower presents a magnificent sight in the evening and at night, when its famous golden illumination turns on.

The tower can be visited any day from 9.30 to 23 hours, and in the summer it is open from 9 am to midnight. The tower can accommodate 10,400 visitors at the same time. It’s very easy to become lucky and avoid hours-long queues: just order online tickets on the tower’s official website and arrive at the appointed time without delay.

The Eiffel Tower has been part of the urban landscape of Paris for a hundred years and has become its symbol. But it is also not only the heritage of all of France, but also a monument to the great technical achievements of the late 19th century.

Who built the Eiffel Tower?

Since the second half of the 19th century, progress has led many countries around the world to build high-rise structures. Many of the projects suffered defeats even at the conception stage, but there were also those engineers who firmly believed in the success of their plans. Gustave Eiffel was one of the latter.

Gustave Eiffel

For the centenary of the Industrial Revolution in 1886, Paris opens a competition to create new outstanding achievements of our time. According to its concept, this event was to become one of the most outstanding events of its time. In the course of this idea, the Palace of Machines made of metal and glass, destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century, and the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, 1000 feet high, were born.

Work on the Eiffel Tower project began back in 1884. By the way, Eiffel was not new to his business; before that, he brilliantly managed to find solutions in the field of construction of railway bridges. For the design competition, he provided about 5,000 sheets of drawings of the tower parts in the original scale. The project was approved, but this was only the beginning of hard work. There were still 3 years left before Eiffel would forever immortalize his name in history.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower

Many famous residents did not accept the construction of a tower in the middle of the city. Writers, artists, sculptors, and architects protested against this construction, which, in their opinion, violated the original beauty of Paris.

But, nevertheless, the work continued. A huge 5-meter pit was dug into which four 10-meter blocks were installed under each leg of the tower. Additionally, each of the 16 tower supports was equipped with hydraulic jacks to obtain an ideal horizontal level. Without this plan, the construction of the tower could have dragged on forever.

July 1888

250 workers were able to erect the tallest tower of its time in the world in just 26 months. Here it is only worth envying Eiffel’s capabilities in the field of accurate calculations and organization of work. The height of the Eiffel Tower is 320 meters, the total weight is about 7500 tons.

The tower is divided into three tiers - 60 meters, 140 meters and 275 meters. Four elevators inside the tower's legs take visitors up to the second. The fifth elevator goes to the third level. There is a restaurant on the first floor, a newspaper office on the second, and Eiffel's office on the third.

Despite early criticism, the tower blended seamlessly with the city's views and quickly became a symbol of Paris. During the exhibition alone, about two million people visited here, some of whom immediately climbed to the very top on foot.

With the end of the exhibition, it was decided to demolish the tower. New technologies - radio - became her salvation. Antennas were quickly installed on the tallest structure. In subsequent years, television and radar antennas were installed on it. There is also a weather station and broadcasting of city services.

Until the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931, the tower remained the tallest structure in the world. It is difficult to imagine the city of Paris without this glorious image.