11 Amazing Mysteries Behind These World Famous Icons That Many People Don’t Know About

There are famous and iconic works of art and architecture that never ceases to fascinate people around the world. Laypeople and specialists alike are in constant mode of study concerning such artworks like the Mona Lisa or architectural marvels like the sphinx. However what many people don’t really know is certain mysterious facts associated with these symbols of history.

To unravel such mysterious elements surrounding these items, here are 11 mysterious facts about famous icons in history that few people know about.

1The apartment atop the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower was designed by Gustav Eiffel but that wasn’t all he designed. Eiffel cleverly integrated an apartment for himself on the topmost floor of the Tower. Eiffel also used the apartment extensively for leisurely purposes of rest and socializing with guests. In fact one of his esteemed guests whom he received in the Eiffel tower apartment was nine other than Thomas Alva Edison.

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The Apartment atop the Eiffel tower is quite impressive containing two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room. One can imagine the panoramic views enjoyed by the occupants which even now will be no less than spectacular. Gustav Eiffel received several lucrative offers for rent which he declined. The apartment located on the third level is almost 1000 feet high and was furnished with soft chintzes wooden cabinets and it also had a grand piano. Today the apartment has been converted into a museum featuring a waxwork figure of Gustav Eiffel and Edison in conversation. 

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2Did you know the statue of Liberty has a broken chain at her feet?

Does any tourist visiting the statue of Liberty ever notice that there is a broken chain placed near her feet. Sculpted as part of the statue, the chain symbolizes something too. The statue of Liberty was gifted to the American people by France to commemorate 100 years of Independence. It stands as a symbol of freedom, democracy and the end of slavery. That is what the chain stands for.

The statue itself was dedicated in 1886 and the man instrumental in sending the gift to the USA was Edouard de Laboulaye, a French abolitionist. Laboulaye was also the co-founder and president of the French anti-slavery society who intended to honor the abolitionist movement in America with the symbol of the broken chain.

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3Da Vinci made a copy of the Mona Lisa called the Isleworth Mona Lisa

Several artists have reproduced the Mona Lisa, however, it is widely believed by experts that Da Vinci himself also made a copy which was painted form a different perspective. It is highly possible that the copy was the work of another painter but most art experts disagree and say that this was the first version of the real Mona Lisa and a true rendition of Lisa Gheradini. One of the people who stated this was none other than Henry Pulitzer who purchased the painting from art connoisseur Hugh Blaker who acquired the painting in 1913.

The painting is known as the Isleworth Mona Lisa because of Bakers studio in Isleworth, West London where the painting was kept.

4There is a time capsule inside Mount Rushmore

When Mount Rushmore architect Gutzon Borglum was constructing the monument, he also wished to create a type of secret room that would serve as a hall of chronicles very much like a time capsule so that future generations of Americans could gain access to genuine records of American history.

To do this he constructed a cave behind the head of Abraham Lincoln. But! Borglum died unfortunately and his plan wasn’t fulfilled. However in 1998, 50 years after Borglum’s death, the unfinished hall was made into a time capsule and various historical records, memoirs, copies of important documents and information regarding American History was placed inside.

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5The basketball court atop Matterhorn at Disneyland

Among facts about famous icons, the Disneyland rollercoaster model of the Matterhorn as everyone knows is a replica of the famous Swiss Matterhorn located in the Alps. It is also the first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster but what many don’t know is that inside at the top is a small structure resembling an attic. This is used often as a recreational area for climbers and cast members waiting it out in bad weather.

The story goes that when Disney constructed the area, it was for the purpose of a preparation room for climbers and actors to get into costume. But one day one of the climber’s brought a basketball hoop and installed a backboard to amuse himself and the idea stuck.

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6The Sphinx’s original appearance and its actual age

The Sphinx at Giza didn’t exactly look like it does now. It was painted with very bright and in a variety of color. The limestone statue was cut from bedrock and restored using blocks but in its original form, it had a huge animal like nose too. There are still fragments of color behind its ears that serve as evidence of its former glory.

There are historians who are of the belief that the original sculpture had the head of a lion or a dog. The human face was carved out later which is the only possible explanation of its unusual proportions of the head to the body. What is even more interesting is the discovery of the sphinx which was made by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu of the Khufu dynasty (625-578) BC when it was discovered buried in the sand. Egyptologists regard the sphinx to date back to 2686 BC making it to be the most ancient and oldest monument in Egypt.

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7The creation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

There are many interesting facts to the leaning tower of Pisa. What most will know is that it is famous for its inclination but what many don’t know is the history if its creation and who built the bell tower for the Pisa’s cathedral. The architect credited for building the leaning tower of Pisa was Bonanna Pisano but this can’t be a complete fact because the tower took almost 200 years to build.

The tower's foundation was laid in the 12^th century and during construction began to tilt because of a soft layer on one side of the foundation. The tilt kept increasing even till completion in the 14^th century. It was only corrected and stabilized in the early 21st century. While Pisano has been credited with the construction, another architect shares credit by historians and that is Diotisalvi who is regarded as the original architect of the tower mainly because of other works such as the bell towers of San Nicola and the Baptistery both in Pisa. The famous bell tower of the leaning tower of Pisa was actually constructed by Tomaso Di Andrea Pisano in 1372.

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8The face of Rembrandt’s Danaë

After two years of marriage to Saskia Van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt painted his famous piece which he called Danae. What is mysterious is the fact that though Rembrandt used his wife as a model for several of his painting, she bears no resemblance to the woman in the Danae. Even the style did not match in similarity to works in the 1630’s and resembled the style done in his later days. Only recent research has unraveled the mystery.

X ray examination revealed that the painting did indeed bear some resemblance with his wife but it also appeared that he redid the painting after Saskia’s death when he fell in love with another woman Geertje Dircx.  The facial features as seen in the Danae were actually modified in such a way that they combined the features of both women.

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9The original name of the Big Ben in Britain

The name “Big Ben” is how we all know London’s famous attraction but this only refers to the bell inside and not the actual tower. The entire structure till 2012 was officially known as the “The Bell Tower of the Palace of Westminster." Today the name is still not the Big Ben but “The Elizabeth Tower”.

It is not yet clear how the clock tower got its name “The Big Ben” although a theory suggests that it was named after a strong man who managed the bell foundry as it required real strength to ring huge bells in those days. The man was nicknamed Big Ben.

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10How the Golden gate bridge got its color

As one of the most iconic landmarks in the world and of the city of San Francisco, The Golden Gate Bridge is widely photographed because of its unique color. During construction of the bridge, permission had to be obtained from the Navy who insisted on black and yellow stripes which would be visible in fog. The architect Irving Morrow, then convinced the Navy who agreed to a dark orange color which was not just attractive but also visible in all weather conditions.

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11The sky in the painting The Scream

One of the best facts if famous icons is Edward Munch who painted the picture ‘The Scream “in 1895 originally named it “The scream of nature”. The expressionist style painting is regarded to be autobiographical as a depiction of Munch’s own experience as was found written in his diary. The scream was an actual scream heard by Munch when he was out for a walk with two friends who had left him and carried onward. It is also widely believed that Munch wasn’t in a normal state at the time. In his diary he writes:

"...suddenly the sky became blood-red; I stopped, feeling exhausted, and leaning against a fence, saw blood and tongues of flame over the bluish-black fjord and a city..."

The theory of the scarlet sky was attributed by a group of astronomers to the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883.  The eruption caused a huge amount of reddish volcanic dust that remained suspended in the atmosphere making the sky appear scarlet in color. As a result of this, bright orange sunsets were observed around the world for the next few years.

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