Tower in paris title. Eiffel Tower: interesting facts. How the main symbol of Paris was created

Construction eiffel tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was completed in 1889, it was originally conceived as a temporary structure that served as the entrance arch to the Paris World Exhibition of 1889.

The exhibition was held in Paris and was dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution. The Paris city administration approached famous French engineers with an offer to take part in an architectural competition. At such a competition, it was necessary to find a building that visibly demonstrates the engineering and technological achievements of the country.


Sasha Mitrahovich 19.01.2016 13:02


1886 Three years later, the World Industrial Exhibition EXPO will begin its work in Paris. The exhibition organizers announced a competition for a temporary architectural structure that would serve as an entrance to the exhibition and personify the technical revolution of its time, the beginning of grandiose transformations in the life of mankind. The proposed building was supposed to generate income and be easily dismantled.

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

Among the participants of the competition was the engineer and designer Gustave Eiffel, who proposed a project that had never been seen before in world construction - a 300-meter metal tower - the tallest building in the world. He got the very idea of ​​the tower from the drawings of his company's employees Maurice Koehlen and Emile Nougier. Gustave Eiffel receives a joint patent for the project with them, and subsequently redeems from them the exclusive right to the future Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel 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 decorative option. Thanks to the changes made by the engineer to the decorative design of the tower, the organizers of the competition gave preference to his "Iron Lady".

In the end, the committee stops at the Eiffel plan, although the very idea of ​​​​the tower did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nougier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel applied 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 Sauvestres proposed sheathing the basement supports of the tower with stone, linking its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, 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, the Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement, according to which Eiffel was granted for personal use the operational lease of the tower 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, which amounted to 25% of all expenses for tower construction. On December 31, 1888, in order to raise the missing funds, a joint-stock company with statutory fund 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds deposited by three banks, the other half is Eiffel's personal funds.

The final construction budget amounted to 7.8 million francs.

  • The Eiffel Tower- This is the emblem of Paris and a high-altitude antenna.
  • At the same time, 10,000 people can be on the tower.
  • The project was made by the architect Stephan Sauvestre, but the engineer Gustave Eiffel (1823-1923), better known to the public, built the tower. Other works by Eiffel: Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, viaduct de Garabi, iron frame for New York's Statue of Liberty.
  • Since its inception, the tower has been visited by about 250 million people.
  • 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!
  • AT 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 best 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 all of Paris.

Sasha Mitrahovich 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, received an excellent upbringing. He was bold and fearless. 45 of his pseudonyms are known, and only in the USA he was arrested 50 times.

"As long as there are fools in the world, Deception to live with us, therefore, from the hand."

There are a great many smart scammers who use not too smart fellow citizens for their own purposes. But to your name entered not only in criminal chronicles, but also in legends - you must truly have extraordinary abilities. One of these scammers is Viktor Lustig.

Among his exploits are both minor sins and grandiose scams. A young man from a poor Czech family presented himself as a ruined Austrian count. And so skillfully adhered to this role - that no one had any doubts about his title. Fluency in five languages, knowledge of all the intricacies of secular and business etiquette, the ability to freely stay in society - these are the qualities thanks to which he was his own 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 arranged various drawings and lotteries on board the ships from those that we habitually call “scams” ​​today.

Fair game, or scam with Al Capone

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 famous gangster that time. The man introduced himself as Count Victor Lustig. He asked for $50,000 to double that amount.

The gangster was not at all sorry to invest such an insignificant amount in a dubious enterprise, and he gave them to the count. The deadline for the implementation of the plan is 2 months. Lustig took the money, put it in a bank vault in Chicago, and then went to New York. Lustig made no attempt to double the amount 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 which the gangster replied, “I expected $100,000 or nothing. But… get my money back… Yes, you are an honest man! If you're in trouble, just take this." He gave the count $5,000. But these 5 thousand were the target of Lustig's scam!

Scrap metal, or how the Eiffel Tower was sold

But what is a "bonus" of five thousand? And the amounts that Victor helped out as a result of lotteries, fraud with banks and not too fair poker games seemed to him miserable. The soul demanded scope. 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 first day of their arrival, their attention was drawn to an article in the local newspaper. It told that the famous is in terrible state and the city authorities are considering the option of dismantling it.

The idea of ​​a brilliant scam was born instantly. For its implementation, a luxurious room was rented in an expensive hotel and documents were made stating that Viktor Lustig was the deputy head of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. Then invitations were sent out to the five largest metal traders. The letters contained an invitation to an important and top-secret meeting with the deputy general director of the department at the Crillon Hotel, at the time the most prestigious hotel in Paris.



After meeting the guests in luxurious apartments, Lustig began to make a lengthy speech about the content eiffel tower costs the state a lot of money. That it was built as a temporary structure for the World Exhibition in Paris, and now, after 30 years, is so dilapidated that it simply poses a threat to Paris and the city authorities are considering demolishing the tower. Therefore, a kind of tender for the purchase of the tower was announced among those present.

Such a proposal could not fail to arouse the interest of those invited, 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 conceited 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 a complete victory, he only needed to "advance" his candidacy a little with the help of a small reward personally to Victor. Prior to this meeting, Monsieur Poisson had suspicions: why all meetings related to the tender take place in such a secret setting, and not even in the offices of the ministry, but in a hotel room. But such extortion on the part of the official, oddly enough, dispelled Poisson's last doubts about the suspicious transaction. He counted 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 fled to Vienna with a suitcase of cash received on the check he had drawn.

Even despite the fact that 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 go to 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 amount, was more likely to part with his money than to become the laughingstock of all Paris and lose his reputation as a shrewd 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 bidders. But the deceived businessman quickly saw through the swindler and reported to the police. Lustig managed to escape the French police for the United States. But there he was caught and put on trial. American justice has also accumulated a lot of 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 Mitrahovich 19.01.2016 14:08

The unique metal structure, created by the outstanding architect and engineer Gustave Eiffel, is a symbol of the most beautiful capital in the world. A large number of tourists visit Paris every year just to see this miracle. You can admire not only the grandiose building itself, but also the stunning views of the city. The tower has three levels, each of which provides the visitor with the opportunity to see a stunning panorama. Everyone knows where the Eiffel Tower is located, but not everyone knows the history of the creation of a grandiose structure. In this article, we will consider the main symbol of Paris.

The history of the tower

To decorate the world exhibition in Paris, the city leadership decided to create a landmark and grandiose object. He was supposed to impress the foreigners who came to the exhibition. The famous engineer was entrusted to develop and create the object, who at first was confused, but then presented an unusual project to the city authorities. high tower. It was approved, and Gustave Eiffel undertook its implementation.

What year was the Eiffel Tower built?

When they first see an unusual structure, many are wondering how old the Eiffel Tower is. It was created in 1889 and was intended to decorate the entrance to a grandiose exhibition. This event was dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution and was carefully planned. Having received permission to build a unique design, Gustave Eiffel set about creating a tower. More than eight million francs were allocated for the construction, with this money it was possible to build a small city. By agreement with the chief architect, the dismantling of the building was to take place two decades after the opening of the exhibition. Considering the year in which the Eiffel Tower was built, it was supposed to be dismantled in 1909, but due to the endless flow of tourists, it was decided to leave the structure.

How was the main symbol of Paris created?

The construction of the main object of the Paris exhibition lasted about two years. Three hundred workers assembled the structure according to superbly designed drawings. Metal parts were made in advance, the weight of each of them was within three tons, which greatly facilitated the task of lifting and fastening the parts. More than two million metal rivets were made, holes for them were pre-drilled in prepared parts.

The lifting of the elements of the metal structure was carried out with the help of special cranes. After the height of the structure exceeded the size of the equipment, the chief designer developed special cranes that moved along rails designed for elevators. Given the information about how many meters the Eiffel Tower is, serious work safety measures were required, and a lot of attention was paid to this. During construction, there were no tragic deaths and serious accidents, which was a great achievement given the scale of the work.

After the opening of the exhibition, the tower was a huge success - thousands of people were eager to see the bold project. However, the creative elite of Paris treated the architectural masterpiece in a completely different way. A large number of complaints were sent to the city administration. Writers, poets and artists feared that the giant metal tower would destroy the unique style of the city. The architecture of the capital took shape over the centuries, and the iron giant, visible from every corner of Paris, definitely violated it.

Eiffel Tower height in meters

The ingenious Eiffel created a tower 300 meters high. The building got its name in honor of its creator, but the engineer himself called it the “three hundred meter tower”. After construction, a spire-antenna was installed on top of the structure. The height of the tower together with the spire is 324 meters. The design scheme is as follows:

● four columns of the tower stand on a concrete foundation, rising up, they are intertwined into a single high column;

● At a height of 57 meters, the first floor is located, which is a large platform that can accommodate several thousand people. AT winter time on the ground floor there is a skating rink, which is very popular. This level also houses a great restaurant, a museum and even a small movie theater;

● four columns finally join at the level of 115 meters, forming the second floor, with an area slightly less than the first. On this level there is a restaurant with excellent French cuisine, a historical gallery and an observation deck with panoramic windows;

● The height of the Eiffel Tower in meters is amazing, but the maximum available to visitors is 276 meters. It is on it that the last, third floor is located, capable of accommodating several hundred people. From the observation deck of this level, you can admire a breathtaking view. Also on this floor is a champagne bar and the chief designer's office.

Over the years, the color of the tower has changed, the structure was painted either yellow or brick. Last years the building is painted brown shade, which is almost indistinguishable from the color of bronze.

The mass of the metal giant is about 10,000 tons. The tower is well fortified and practically does not suffer from the wind. Eiffel was well aware that when building his fantastic structure, first of all, it was necessary to ensure its stability and resistance to wind loads. Precise mathematical calculations made it possible to design perfect shape object.

The tower is currently open to the public. Everyone can buy a ticket and enjoy the breathtaking views of the beautiful city.

Where is the Eiffel Tower located in Paris?

The construction is located in the central part of Paris, on the Champ de Mars, opposite the magnificent building is the Jena bridge. Walking around the center of the capital, you just need to raise your eyes, and you will see the symbol of France, after that you just have to move in the right direction.

There are several metro stations near the tower, many bus routes stop at the main attraction, in addition, there is a pier for stopping pleasure boats and boats nearby, and parking for cars and bicycles is also provided.

Once in the beautiful capital of France, you do not have to ask where the Eiffel Tower in Paris is located, because the magnificent structure can be seen from almost every corner of the city. At night, it is also impossible to miss the unique design, as the tower is illuminated by several thousand light bulbs.

Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is located, is rightfully proud of its main attraction. Great views, great restaurants and breathtaking heights await you when you visit the grand structure. For many years the tower was the tallest architectural masterpiece in the world. This magnificent wonder of the world leaves an unforgettable impression. Once having visited the bar on the third floor of the tower, having enjoyed excellent champagne and, you will definitely want to come back here again.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was initially perceived by both artists and local residents as "a useless and monstrous structure". Today horrible dream The then Parisian became the cherished dream of many tourists: Paris without the Eiffel Tower is not Paris.

A year ago, I could not even dream that I would visit Paris, and the Eiffel Tower met me only in the movies and in pictures. But if today they ask me, “what do I remember most about my travels?”, I will answer - the Iron Lady.

The tower, built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition of 1889, is by far the most visited attraction in the world, every year about seven million people rise to its observation deck at a height of 276 meters, and at the bottom there are huge queues of people who want to see the handsome Paris from a height bird flight.

Thanks to the developed transport infrastructure Paris, there are many ways to get to the Eiffel Tower:

  • By metro, take line number 6 and go to Bir Hakeim station, or RER line C to Champs de Mars - Tour Eiffel station. If you don't mind walking, it's best to get off at Tocadero station and walk up to the Eiffel Tower, taking a lot of great photos while doing so.

  • Buses number 42, 69, 82, 87 will also take you to the Eiffel Tower. It is unlikely that you will confuse the stop. There is a bus map of Paris.
  • Most The best way- this is of course to go on foot from the Champs Elysees or any other place, and fully enjoy the beauties of Paris, I did just that and went to conquer the Iron Lady from the Arc de Triomphe.

How to buy a ticket to the Eiffel Tower and how the tower works

Arriving at the place, I saw a huge, hours-long queue, but it did not concern me, since I bought an electronic ticket in advance, on the official website toureiffel.paris.

There is a separate entrance for the holders of such tickets, however, I would advise you to come at least half an hour before the rise, because in order to get to the territory of the Eiffel Tower, you need to go through security, like at the airport, and because of this, there is not such a large , as on the rise, but still the queue. If you are late by the time indicated on the ticket, it will be canceled and you will not be able to climb the observation deck.

It is better to buy a ticket a few months before your trip to Paris, as their number is very limited.

You need to know that the Eiffel Tower consists of three floors:

  • The first one is at a height of 57 meters, you can climb it only by stairs;
  • The second is located at an altitude of 115 meters, this is where the elevator makes its first stop;
  • The third rises to a height of 276 meters and is the most popular third floor in the world.

There are several ticket options for the Eiffel Tower:

Climb up the stairs to the second floor

  • Adult 7 euro
  • From 12 to 24 years old 5 euros
  • Under 12 years old 3 euros

Take the elevator to the second floor

  • Adult 11 euro
  • From 12 to 24 years old 8.5 euros
  • Under 12 years old 4 euros

Take the elevator to the third floor

  • Adult 17 euros
  • From 12 to 24 years old 14.5 euros
  • Under 12 years old 8 euros

Naturally, I bought a ticket to the very top.

Approaching the elevator, the general queue and the queue for electronic tickets merge into one. Fifteen minutes, and I have already gone up to the second floor. Without stopping here, I took the elevator to the third floor. The queue for the ascent is always longer than for the descent, so I advise everyone to first take a walk on the third floor, and then return to the second with a sense of accomplishment.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and I stood in the glass elevator, exchanging anxious glances with the other participants in the ascent, in anticipation of a rush to the top. The elevator moved slowly, and after a few seconds, the Gothic roofs of Paris appeared in the windows, accompanied by the delight of those present. This delight did not end for a long time, but on the contrary, when I went to the observation deck, it only intensified.

I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life than Paris from a height of 276 meters. A rainbow shimmered on one side, it was raining on the other, small boats sailed along the Seine, Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur, the Louvre and the Orsay Museum, the Parc des Princes and Roland Garros could be seen, and wherever I looked, the roofs of Paris stretched to the horizon.

After walking upstairs for about an hour, I went down to the second floor and continued to admire the closer and clearer beauties of Paris. The second floor has a two-level observation deck, which allows photographers to take even more beautiful and varied pictures.

Eiffel Tower - opening hours

The opening hours of the Eiffel Tower vary depending on the season:

  • From mid-June to early September from 9:00 to 00:45;
  • From the beginning of September to the middle of June from 9:30 to 23:45.

It is important to know that the extreme rise is carried out 45 minutes before closing.

The Eiffel Tower has no days off and public holidays, it works all year round.

Restaurant on the roof of the Eiffel Tower

There is also a place for gourmets here, at a height of one hundred and twenty meters, one of the most romantic restaurants in France, Jules Verne, is waiting for them, in which the best chefs of the world, led by Pascal Ferro and Alain Ducasse, prepare delicious dishes. Among the guests of the restaurant are politicians, businessmen and show business stars. Dinner here costs an average of 250 euros, and this is not a small amount of money for a simple tourist, but if you still intend to visit a restaurant, then it’s better for you to book a table a month or even two before the planned event, you can do this on the official website www.lejulesverne-paris.com

Jules Verne restaurant opening hours:

  • Breakfast, lunch from 12.00 to 13.30
  • Dinner from 19.00 to 21.30

light show

After visiting all three floors and the restaurant, my show is not over yet. From 21:00 to 22:00, depending on the season, the Eiffel Tower begins to flicker with millions of small orange lanterns. By the way, their color often changes, it depends on the situation in the country, national holidays and other grandiose events for France. The show lasts the first three minutes of every hour, and at one in the morning they light up for the last time. So do not rush to put away cameras and cameras.

  • In its 128 year history, the Eiffel Tower has associated a large number of various events and interesting facts:
  • For forty-one years the tower was the tallest structure in the world;
  • It was built for the world exhibition in honor of the centenary of the storming of the Bastille and was to be dismantled after twenty years;
  • She was twice sold for scrap by the swindler Victor Lustig;
  • Franz Reichelt tested his invention of the parachute coat on it, after jumping from the third floor, his parachute did not open;
  • During the German occupation, the elevators of the Eiffel Tower were disabled so that the Nazi flag could not be hung on its top;
  • For nine years the tower was used to advertise Citroën, the biggest advertisement of the time;
  • She was also very fond of suicide. One woman jumped off the tower and fell on a car. Surviving, she later married the owner of the car;
  • She was hated by the Parisian intelligentsia, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Garnier, Guy de Maupassant and many others wrote a protest against the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The latter often dined at her restaurant, stating that this is the only place where she is not visible;
  • Every seven years, the tower is painted with a special Eiffel Brown paint, officially patented. 60 tons of paint are allocated for this;
  • Smaller copies of the Eiffel Tower have been built around the world.

And this is not all that happened to the Eiffel Tower in its entire glorious history.

In conclusion, I would like to wish everyone to see Paris and the Eiffel Tower with their own eyes at least once in their lives. Impressions from what you see will remain in your memory for life, and this is more expensive than any money.

Don't know how to plan your trip to Paris? Detailed instructions we wrote.

The Eiffel Tower is the most famous architectural landmark Paris known as the symbol of France, erected on Mars field and named after its designer Gustaf Eiffel.

She is the most recognizable and tall building in paris, its height together with the new antenna is 324 meters, which is roughly equivalent to a house in 81st floor!

The Eiffel Tower
was built in 1889 and has amazing story origin. In 1889 in paris, in memory of the centenary French Revolution, Was held world exhibition, it was thanks to the exhibition that the city authorities instructed to come up with and erect a temporary structure serving as its entrance arch.

The all-French competition of architectural and engineering projects, which were supposed to determine the architectural appearance of the future World Exhibition, has started May 1, 1886. Participated in the competition 107 applicants, most of which, to one degree or another, already repeated the tower project proposed by eiffel. So the project eiffel becomes one of the four winners, and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative version.

As a result, the committee still stops on the plan eiffel, although the very idea of ​​​​the tower did not belong to him, but to two of his employees - Maurice Koechlen and Émile Nougier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because eiffel applied special construction methods.

But in order for the tower to be marked by greater sophistication and meet the tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stefan Sauvestre was commissioned to work on her artistic appearance. He proposed sheathing the basement supports of the tower with stone, linking its supports and the platform of the first floor with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, placing spacious glazed halls on the floors of the tower, giving the top of the tower a rounded shape and using various decorative elements to decorate it. .

AT January 1887 Eifel, state and municipality Paris signed an agreement under which eiffel provided for personal use operating lease of the tower 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, which amounted to 25% of all costs for the construction of the tower. The final construction budget amounted to 7.8 million francs.

300 workers during two years, two months and five days carried out construction work. The drawings were extremely High Quality with exact dimensions. And already March 31, 1889, in less than 26 months after the start of digging pits, eiffel invited several more or less physically fit officials to the first ascent of 1,710 steps!

The construction was a stunning and immediate success. For six months of the exhibition see "iron lady" come over 2 million visitors.

But the opponents eiffel tower also enough, starting from the very beginning of its construction. The creative intelligentsia of Paris and France acted in such a face, they feared that the metal structure would suppress the architecture of the city, violate the unique style of the capital that had developed over the centuries, in connection with which they sent indignation and demands to the Paris City Hall to stop the construction of the tower, and after the construction of the demand dismantling. But from the demolition planned under the contract, 20 years after the exhibition, the tower was saved by radio antennas installed at the very top - this was the era of the introduction of radio!

Throughout its history, the tower has repeatedly changed the color of its painting - from yellow to red-brown. Recent decades The Eiffel Tower invariably painted in the so-called "brown-eiffel"- officially patented color close to the natural shade of bronze

The weight of the metal structure of the tower - 7,300 tons(gross weight 10,100 tons).

The lower floor is a pyramid formed by 4 columns, connected at a height of 57.63 meters by an arched vault; on the vault is the first platform eiffel tower, which is a square.

On this platform rises the second pyramid-tower, also formed by 4 columns, connected by a vault, on which the second platform is located.

Four columns rising on the second platform, approaching each other pyramidally and gradually intertwining, form a colossal pyramidal column bearing a third platform, also of a square shape; a lighthouse with a dome rises on it, above which there is a platform at a height of 300 meters. Stairs of 1792 steps and elevators lead to the tower.

Restaurant halls were built on the first platform; on the second platform there are tanks with engine oil for the elevator and a restaurant in a glass gallery. The third platform housed the astronomical and meteorological observatories and physical cabinet. The light of the lighthouse was visible at a distance of 10 kilometers!

According to some calculations Eiffel Tower visited more than 200,000,000 people since its construction in 1889! It is the most visited tourist attraction in the world!

The creator of the tower often spoke with humor about his offspring: “I should feel jealous of the tower. After all, she is much more famous than me.. Gilded bust Gustave Eiffel installed at the northern "leg" of the tower with a simple inscription: "Eiffel: 1832 - 1923".

Timeline of the construction of the Eiffel Tower

A few days before Hitler was due to visit occupied Paris, the elevator in the Eiffel Tower broke down. The breakdown turned out to be so serious that the engineers could not repair the lift during the war. The Fuhrer failed to visit the top of the largest building in France. The elevator started working only when Paris was liberated from the Nazi invaders - just a few hours later. Therefore, the French say that although Hitler managed to conquer France, he still could not capture the Eiffel Tower.

If you look closely at the map of Paris, the capital of France, in order to find out where the Eiffel Tower is located, you can see that it is located in the western part of the city, on the Champ de Mars, on the left bank of the Seine, not far from the Jena bridge, which connects the Quai Branly with the opposite coast. Find out exactly where the Eiffel Tower is located on geographical map world, it is possible at the following coordinates: 48 ° 51′ 29 ″ s. sh., 2° 17′ 40″ in. d.

It is now the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower that is a symbol of Paris, and once, from the first days of its existence, it caused a mixed reaction from both the French and the guests of the city. While tourists admired its weight, size and unusual design, many Parisians were categorically against its presence in the capital and repeatedly demanded that the authorities dismantle this grandiose structure.

From the planned demolition (the weight of the iron structure attracted more than one firm in the field of metallurgy), the Eiffel Tower was saved only because the era of radio frequency waves had come - and it was this building that was best suited for installing radio antennas.

The idea of ​​building a tower

The history of the Eiffel Tower began when the French decided to organize a world exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution that took place in 1789. To this end, a competition was launched throughout the country to select the best engineering and architectural projects that could be presented at the planned event and that could demonstrate the technical achievements of France over the past decade.

Among the competitive works, most of the proposals were similar to each other and were a kind of Eiffel Tower, on which the judges decided to stop their choice. An interesting fact: although Gustave Eiffel is considered to be the author of the project, in reality the idea was submitted by his employees - Emile Nougier and Maurice Koechlin. Their version had to be somewhat modified, since the Parisians, who preferred more refined architecture, seemed to be unnecessarily “dry”.


It was decided lower part overlay the structures with stone, and on the ground floor connect the supports and the platform of the tower with arches, which would also serve as the entrance to the exhibition. He gave the idea to equip all three tiers of the structure with glazed halls, and to give the top of the structure a rounded shape and decorate it with various decorative elements.

Construction

An interesting fact: Gustave Eiffel himself allocated half of the money for the construction of the Eiffel Tower (the rest of the amount was contributed by three French banks). For this, an agreement was signed with him, according to which the future structure was leased to the engineer for a quarter of a century, and compensation was also provided, which was supposed to cover 25% of his expenses.

The tower paid off even before the exhibition closed (for six months of its work, more than 2 million people came to look at the construction, unprecedented at that time), so its further operation brought Eiffel a lot of money.

It took very little time to create the Eiffel Tower: two years, two months and five days. An interesting fact: only three hundred workers were involved in the construction, and not a single one was recorded death, which at that time was a kind of achievement.

Such a rapid pace of construction is primarily due to high-quality drawings, which indicated absolutely exact dimensions all metal parts (and their number exceeded 18 thousand). When assembling the tower, completely finished parts with holes were used, two thirds of which had pre-installed rivets.

An important role was played by the fact that the weight of the parts did not exceed three tons - this greatly facilitated their lifting up.

Cranes were involved in the construction, which, after the tower had significantly exceeded their height, lifted the parts to their maximum level, from where they fell into mobile cranes that moved up along the rails that were laid for the elevators.


Already two years after the start construction works The Eiffel Tower was built and its Chief Engineer On March 31, 1989, he hoisted the flag of France over the structure - and the opening of the Eiffel Tower took place. On the same evening, it shone with multi-colored lights: a lighthouse was installed on top of the structure, glowing in the colors of the French flag, two searchlights and about 10 thousand gas lamps (later they were replaced by 125 thousand electric bulbs).

Nowadays, the Eiffel Tower is “dressed” in a golden robe at night, which sometimes changes color depending on the events being held.

What does the symbol of France look like?

The dimensions of the Eiffel Tower amazed the Parisians even before the completion of construction work - no one in the world had ever seen such a structure. About what a grandiose structure appeared in front of them, say at least such facts that it was much higher than all the structures existing at that time: the pyramid of Cheops had a height of 146 meters, Cologne and Ulm Cathedrals - 156 and 161 meters, respectively (the building is more tall sizes was erected only in 1930 - it was the New York Chrysler Building 319 m high).

Immediately after the completion of construction, the height of the Eiffel Tower was about three hundred meters (in our time, thanks to the antenna installed on its top, the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 m). You can climb the tower to the second floor by stairs - there are 1792 of them in total or by elevator. From the second to the third - only on the lift. Anyone who decides to climb so high will definitely not regret it: the view from the Eiffel Tower is gorgeous - all of Paris is at a glance.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris shocked contemporaries with its unusual shape for the capital, and therefore the project was repeatedly criticized mercilessly.

The designer argued that this configuration is the best option in order to successfully withstand the force of the wind (as time has shown, he was right: even the strongest hurricane, which swept through the capital at a speed of 180 km / h, deflected the top of the tower only 12 cm). There is no doubt that outwardly the Eiffel Tower somewhat resembles an elongated pyramid, the weight of which is many tons.


Below, at the same distance from each other, there are four square columns, the length of each side of such a column is 129.3 meters, and they all go up at a slight angle with an inclination to each other. These columns at the level of 57 m connect the vault decorated with arches, on which the first tier is installed, measuring 65 by 65 m (a restaurant was placed here). Interestingly, under this floor, the names of seventy-two of the most famous French designers of scientists, as well as all those who took a significant part in the construction of the tower, are engraved on all sides.

From the first platform at a slight angle upwards, four more columns rise to each other, which converge together at a height of 115 m, and the size of the second floor is two times smaller - 35 by 35 meters (there is a restaurant here, and earlier there were also tanks with intended for lift machine oil). The four columns located on the second tier also go up at an angle, approaching until at a height of 190 m they converge into one column, on which, at a level of 276 m, the third floor of 16.5 by 16.5 meters is installed (an astronomical and a meteorological observatory and a physics office).

A lighthouse was installed above the third floor, the light from which can be seen at a distance of 10 km, which is why the Eiffel Tower looks incredibly beautiful at night, as it shines with blue, white and red light - the colors of the national flag of France. Three hundred meters from the ground above the lighthouse, a very small platform was installed - 1.4 by 1.4 meters, on which there is now a twenty-meter spire.

As for the mass of the structure, its weight is 7.3 thousand tons (weight gross weight structures - 10.1 thousand tons). Interesting fact: for all the years of its existence, the Eiffel Tower was sold especially successful entrepreneurs about two dozen times (the weight of the metal of the world-famous design attracted more than one buyer). For example, in 1925, the Eiffel Tower was twice sold for scrap by the swindler Victor Lusting.

The same thing was done thirty-five years later by the Englishman David Sams, an interesting fact is that he was able to document to a reputable Dutch firm that the Paris authorities had instructed him to dismantle. As a result, he was arrested and imprisoned, but the money was not returned to the firm.

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