Paris Remembers
Eiffel Tower illuminates in blue, white and red
There are nights that you can never forget, and for Paris, one of these nights is on a cold Friday night of November 13, 2015. On that day, a series of terrorist attacks struck Paris, 132 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured during what became one of the deadliest in recent European history. A profound tragedy, that after 10 years, Paris still remembers and honors the victims, their families, and all those whose lives were drastically changed overnight.
Many landmarks and bruised communities will pay tribute to the victims and their loved ones in many forms. Paris’ Mayor Anne Hidalgo, wrote on Instagram, “Paris and the entire nation are paying tribute this week to the victims of November 13, 2015, their families and loved ones. Paris remember. We will never forget them.”
The Eiffel tower will do this by lighting up in the national colors blue, white, and red, to mark this painful date. The illumination happens on the eve of the national remembrance day, and tribute ceremonies were held at all the sites affected by the attacks, such as in the Stade de France and the Bataclan concert hall. “The tower is not a PowerPoint presentation where you can change the color at the touch of a button.” says the president of Société de la Tour Eiffel, Jean François Martins. And rightfully so, as the Iron Lady requires high maintenance and these special illuminations require several hours of preparations, technical testing, use of outdoor projector and specialized service providers to illuminate the whole tower.
Eiffel Tower by the Seine River
While people around the world recognize the iconic golden light of Eiffel tower every night, it also illuminates in other colors as part of a now established tradition to mark tragic commemorations, festive celebrations and advocacy initiatives. In an exceptional case, the tower’s lights were turned off on the evening of the attacks, signifying the darkness that happened in Paris and the bitter mourning that followed. The city of Paris, with its world renowned landmark, is a truly remarkable piece of history and architecture that illuminates or blackouts in accordance to important events affecting not just the capital, but also the world.
