Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel and it's nicknamed La dame de fer, which means the iron lady. Since it’s unveiling for the World Fair in 1889, la Tour Eiffel as it's called in French, has attracted over 200 million visitors. Not bad for the ‘metal asparagus’ as it was so snidely called by its detractors who wanted to tear it down in 1909
Built to in remembrance of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower is 324m high, and, until it was overtaken by New York’s Chrysler Building in 1930’s, it was the tallest tower in the world.
The Eiffel tower was not a hit with the Parisians at first, most of them agreeing with William Morris' opinion. When asked why he was at the tower so frequently, designer William Morris exclaimed "Why on earth have I come here? Because it's the only place I can't see it from."
Despite its rocky start, the Eiffel Tower is easily the most recognized and iconic construction in the world.
It gradually worked its way into the hearts of visitors and Parisians alike so these days it doesn’t provoke so much controversy but instead has been transformed into a symbol of modern and elegant Paris.
