Just the past Monday the Eiffel Tower was celebrating its 125th anniversary.
The birthday that what French like to call “la Dame de Fer” ( the Ion Lady) should have never seen as it was scheduled to be demolished after only 20 years of existence in 1909.
As you may or may not know the Eiffel Tower was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 and was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel. Thus its name “Eiffel Tower.”
At the time, French artists disliked the tower and it was a much criticized project by the elite while it was like more by the public. However, it’s not the reason why the Eiffel Tower is still standing today. The reason why the Eiffel tower is still standing today is because it became an utility item to support the first radio antennas. It first allowed connections with the Panthéon, before connections with Eastern France and North Africa.
This allowed the Eiffel Tour to find a reason to be a strategic use for the military, and confirmed its use and reason for existing. The tour was also used during WWI to decipher messages from the enemy and defeat their destructive strategies.
But it’s only after a few decades that the Eiffel tower was recognized for the beautiful and majestic building that it is. Even famous French author Guy de Maupassant who had called the Eiffel Tower a “giant and disgraceful skeleton” was seen there few years later on a regular basis having dinner on the first floor of the Ion Lady.
When asked why he was going to the tower so often, he replied that it was the only place of Paris where the tower couldn’t be seen.
The Eiffel Tower Today
Even though the Eiffel tower is certainly not the highest building anymore anymore with its 312 meters (1023 feet) which the Chrysler Building in New York beat in 1930, it certainly is one of the MOST recognized figure of the world, representing Paris in particular and France in General.
If you have never seen the Eiffel Tower up close and personal, let me tell you that no images, moving or still will give you a fair representation of what it REALLY looks like.
To me the Eiffel tower is GRANDIOSE and MAJESTIC. After 5 years living in Paris, I still couldn’t get enough of it. I could see it far off from my window, and it was the first thing I’d look at every morning.
Even though the Eiffel tower may not be as tall as some tall buildings in New York city and other cities in the world it’s to me the most impressive.
If you come close to the feet of the tower and look up, you will have the sensation that the big ion lady is falling on you, and it will give you the creep. If you get on the elevator and go to the top floor, you are almost going to wish you hadn’t gone. The feeling is that you are stuck in a giant pencil lift up to the sky. But, please, get some guts and get on there, if you ever go to Paris. You’ll have a feeling that you probably never had before.
Now what those guys are doing on the video? Only for the very braves.
Hi Sylviane,
Wow…thanks for all these facts about the Eiffel Tour. When I read that French like to call “la Dame de Fer” ( the Ion Lady) I associated it with the statue of Liberty France made and gave to us here in the U.S.
Both “ladies’ are great symbols that stand grand in both countries.
Happy birthday Eiffel Tour!
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
Yes, I guess the Ion Lady would fit the Statue of Liberty better because it really does represent a woman 🙂 I remember when they celebrated the 100th birthday of the Eiffel Tower I was in Paris. Wow, this is 25 years later. Times flies. It’s scary!!!
Thanks for coming, Donna.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..The Eiffel Tower Just Turned 125
Well happy birthday to the Eiffel Tower. Wow, that’s so cool Sylviane.
My Mom and sister have been as well as my uncle at one time but as you know, not me. So do you go all the way to the top or just where that railing is? Seeing it in the video it’s hard to tell and you’re probably right, the pictures and things don’t do it justice. I think seeing it in person is of course the way to go but I’ll make it there some day, hopefully with you.
Great write up as always Sylviane.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne,
Sorry for the late reply here but when Monday turns around I get so busy with the other blog 🙂
Yes, there are both an elevator and staircase that go all the way to the top (last and 3rd floor), and that’s where it gets pretty scary on the way up, because when you are on the elevator you only have few metal bares between you and the landscape below you. So while it’s beautiful it also freaks me out. I know that I personally couldn’t take the stairs, I’ll be too darn scared, let alone climb it like the guys on the video 🙂
In persona the Eiffel tower is just gigantic, and impressive to me. Even when you live in Paris, it’s not something you can just go by without looking at.
Thank you so much for coming, Adrienne.
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..The Eiffel Tower Just Turned 125
Hi Sylviane,
I didn’t know it was the Eiffel Tower’s birthday! Sounds like a good reason to celebrate with a crepe 🙂
I have heard about the old controversy about how some people hated it and others loved it. I think anything that is different is going to be hated by people but look at what an icon it is now. You can’t imagine the landscape without it.
I have seen it in person and took a trip up in the elevator some years ago. I took a picture looking straight up and it looks so giant from that perspective. It’s quite beautiful and amazing when you think of the fact that someone designed and built it. When it’s lit up it’s amazing. As for the guys climbing it…. crazy!
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Hi Carol,
Yes, you’re right, anything original will have its lovers and haters. I personally love it and really fell in love with it when I saw it for the first time in 1987 🙂 I thought it was just majestic and enormous. I was so impressed. Went all the way to the top about 3 times and every time it freaked me out!
No way on earth I’ll climb it like those guys. NO. They have no fear of gravity and I sure due 🙂
Thank you so much for coming by for this event, Carol
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read..The Eiffel Tower Just Turned 125
“Great, thank you for sharing this article post.Really looking forward to read more. Fantastic.”
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This is one of the world landmark that I am really dying to visit. I really do hope I could get to see Eiffel tower soon.
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Thanks for sharing this amazing and informative article … enjoyed every bit of it .. 🙂
Apu