Constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair , it was initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. [3] The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015. https://forms.gle/9Kohg6cCvxuenn2G9 ( google form)