Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris and France. It is one of the most recognized structures in the world and since its construction in 1889, over 200,000,000 people have visited it, making the tower the most visited monument in the world.
The Eiffel Tower was erected for the Paris Exposition and it was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales who went on to become King Edward VII later on. The tower was entrance arch into the exhibition and it was the most visited site during the Exposition.
Seven hundred proposals were submitted in a design competition but it was the radical design of French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel that was unanimously chosen. Eiffel was assisted in the design by two engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nougier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.
However, all was not okay for the winning design. Some 300 people signed a petition to prevent the city government from constructing the tower. Some famous personalities like Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola and Charles Garnier also signed the petition. They felt that the Eiffel Tower would be useless and monstrous, and it endangered French art and history.
The tower was ultimately built and it was given out for a 20-year lease. However, when the lease expired in 1909, it was nearly torn down but its antenna saved it as it was used for telegraphy. The tower also played an important role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I. After this, it gained acceptance among the French. Beginning of 1910, it became a part of the International Time Service and the French Radio has been using the tower since 1918. The French Television started using the height of the tower from 1957.
The controversy surrounding its construction and the use of the Eiffel Tower has made it extremely famous. Today this fantastic structure of iron and rivets is iconic symbol of Paris and people from all over the world come to Paris just to marvel at this man-made wonder.
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