Historical Eiffel Tower
Embodiment of Human Nature in Pursuit of Magnificence and Grandeur
Original Title: Atop Historical Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)
The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 8 million people ascend every year.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair.
It was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 8 million people ascend every year. The tower is 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is square, measuring 125 metres (410 ft) on each side.
During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930. Due to the addition of a broadcasting aerial at the top of the tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters (17 ft). Excluding transmitters, the Eiffel Tower is the second-tallest structure in France after the Millau Viaduct. (Reference: Humanities Today (K Molina-Doria, AVRotor, Internet Wikipedia)
The tower, regally bathed with the colors of the French flag, exudes the nationalistic spirit of the French people. In fact the tower's inauguration in 1889 marked the 100 years anniversary of the French Revolution whose trilogy - Egalite', Liberte', Fraternite' - ignited the birth of independent nations, among them The United States of America. The trilogy became guiding principles of the US constitution, and constitutions of other free countries, which include the Philippines. By the way, the Statue of Liberty in New York was erected as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Perspective view of the tower. View of the tower from the second deck (AVR)
Bust of Gustave Eiffel beneath the tower. (AVR)
Statue of Napoleon Bonaparte French hero and builder of the Arc d'Triomphe pointing at the Arc framed by the yawning base of the tower. (AVR).
Panoramic views from the second deck of the tower. I took these photos from the second level on a clear day in July 1976
US soldiers view the Eiffel which survived WW II, during the liberation of France from the Nazis in 1944. Hitler's instruction to destroy the tower was disobeyed by his own officers.
Eiffel Tower displays one of the most celebrated New Year celebrations in the world every year.
View from the base reveals the four massive legs of the tower leading to the first and second levels which explain its durability to weight and height (324 meters), and resistance to wind force - indeed an engineering feat to this day.
Stages in the construction of the tower by the company led by Gustave Eiffel from whom the tower was to be named. It took more than two years to complete just in time for the World Exposition in 1889.
The original lift is a hybrid of an elevator and escalator escalator. It took the passengers to the first and second levels. The third and upper limits were accessible only by a long winding staircase. This lift has been renovated and later modernized to accommodate thousands of visitors daily. In our visit it took us longer to queue than to reach the second deck which took some five to seven minutes.
The Eiffel Tower is the most popular place for promenade in Paris. The tower is also the most visited pay tower in the world with an average eight million tourists every year.
The tower has survived catastrophes like fire, earthquakes, lightnings, and terrorists' attacks. Ironically a number of daring sportsmen died scaling the tower, jumping off with parachute, a number simply committed suicide. For sometime the third level was closed for security reasons.
Poster of the World Exposition in 1889 in Paris, showing the massive Eiffel tower. Despite objections and criticisms, Eiffel and group backed by the French government pushed through with the prospect - with the condition that it was to be dismantled after the affair. The opposition proved wrong, and the tower became a permanent landmark.~ ~ At least 30 replicas of the Eiffel are found in different parts of the world, including that in Nevada. Today Eiffel is a French signature.~
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