Eiffel Tower
An icon of the Parisian skyline
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "La dame de fer" (French for "Iron Lady"), it was constructed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. Although initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world.
The Iron Lady
Did you know?
To be protected from corrosion, the Eiffel Tower has been repainted with a thick layer of paint every seven years on average since 1899. It has worn seven different colours over the years, ranging from reddish-brown to bright yellow, and will be painted a golden colour to coincide with the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Despite being one of the most recognisable structures of the modern age, the Eiffel Tower wasn't always the beloved landmark we know it to be. Many Parisians were critical of it's design and appearance in it's earlier years. Famously, French writer Guy de Maupassant dined inside the Tower's restaurants as it was the only place in Paris that he couldn't see the Eiffel Tower.
