Fun Facts About Paris You Probably Don't Know

By: AbdulSalam Rekiya

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. With an official estimated population of 2,102,650 residents as of 1 January 2023 in an area of more than 105km². Paris is the fourth most populated city in the European Union and the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2022. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of the world's major centres of finance, diplomacy, commerce, culture, fashion and gastronomy. For its leading role in the arts and sciences, as well as its early and extensive system of street lighting, in the 19th century, it became known as the City of Light. 

Here are some facts about Paris you probably do not know:

Paris wasn't always called Paris. In this area was living an ancient Gallic tribe named Parisii. So the city was sometimes named in Latin Lutetia Parisiorum by the Romans. The city was also named citivas Parisiorum or urbs Parisiorum in Latin  (parisii's city) Near 300(AD) the name was abbreviated to Paris.  

The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be a temporary installation, intended to stand for 20 years after being built for the 1889 World Fair. 

It's believed that Paris only has one stop sign in the entire city. 

A flat in Paris was left unoccupied under lock and key for 70 years, but the rent was paid every month; when the renter passed away,  a painting by Boldini valued at more than $2 million was found inside. 

There are at least three replicas of the  Statue of Liberty in Paris. The most famous of them exists on an island in the middle of the Seine and looks towards her sister's statue in New York 

The French army was the first to use camouflage, which comes from the French verb "to make up for the stage". The army began wearing camouflage in 1915 during World War I

The main bell of the Notes Dame cathedral is named Emmanuel and weighs over 13 tonnes

There are 6,100 streets in Paris; the shortest one, Rue des Degrés, is just 5.75 meters long and can be found in the 2nd arrondissement 

Visitors of the Eiffel Tower have to climb 1,665 steps to reach the top unless they take the elevator! 

The first public screening of a movie was by French brothers  Auguste and Louis Lumíère in December 1895. They used their invention "the cinématographe" to show 10 films for about 50 seconds.