Paris, May 22 (SANA) A rare fragment of the original Eiffel Tower staircase sold for more than €450,000 at a public auction in Paris, highlighting continued global interest in memorabilia linked to one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.
According to CNN, the staircase section once formed part of the spiral structure used by engineer Gustave Eiffel to access his office near the top of the Eiffel Tower before modern elevators replaced the system in 1983.
Auction organizers said the piece, weighing about 1.4 tons, represents an authentic segment of the tower’s original staircase. Although not a complete flight, it is considered one of the heaviest and rarest Eiffel Tower artifacts ever offered for sale.
Bidding reportedly opened at around €100,000 before rising sharply during the auction, reflecting the historical and symbolic value attached to the structure and its connection to the tower’s original design and construction.
The Eiffel Tower, first unveiled during the 1889 Universal Exposition commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution, remains one of the world’s most visited monuments. Millions of visitors continue to travel to Paris each year to see the landmark, which has welcomed an estimated 300 million visitors since opening.
Collectors and historians have long regarded surviving sections of the original staircase as prized artifacts due to their direct association with the tower’s engineering heritage.
IZ/RK
