A piece of the Eiffel Tower comes to Manila

A piece of France has come to Manila in the form of the Eiffel Tower’s original staircase, which engineer Gustave Eiffel himself stood on when the tower was unveiled in 1889 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

It’s the first time the iron staircase — five meters high and weighing 1.7 tons — has been shipped out of France to rest on foreign soil: in this case, Greenbelt 3, Makati, which also features an exhibit on the significance and history of this precious artifact.

What sparked this amazing voyage? Frenchman Bejit Dores, great-grandson of Eiffel’s personal friend Janat Dores, whose family owns the staircase, approached Greenbelt with the help of the French Embassy, which is celebrating 70 years of friendship between France and the Philippines.

“The staircase was taken out in 1983 because it was replaced by an elevator for security reasons,” Dores says. “It never traveled because it’s very heavy and precious. For this celebration of 70 years’ friendship with France, this is the best gift, to remind people of making something great never done before.”

French ambassador Thierry Mathou concurs: “The Eiffel Tower is an iconic symbol of France recognized by people all over the world,” he says. “In 1889, the year it was built, the monument was the most impressive feat of design and engineering of its time. Today, the Eiffel Tower stands high as an instrument to communicate France’s advocacies and value to the world, many of which we share with the Philippines.”

Last May they met with the heads of the Ayala Malls, who were honored to provide a four-month home for the staircase. “Mr. Dores showed me pictures of this piece of the Eiffel Tower, and we knew it just had to be at Greenbelt,” says Myrna Fernandez, Ayala Malls Group chief operating officer. “Without hesitation, of course we said yes! To be entrusted by the French and to be given this opportunity — it’s the first time the staircase is leaving its home in France and the first time it’s in the Philippines.”

Dores’ great-grandfather Janat wasn’t only a friend of Eiffel’s but also the founder of Janat Paris, a tea company whose first teahouse was located right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. For its inauguration at the Exposition Universelle of 1889, Janat created and served a special French Oak Tea that has since become the signature brew of his teahouse. Using French oak barrels to age the tealeaves, Janat’s French Oak tea has a unique, smoky flavor that has been cited by the world’s top sommeliers.

Dores, who is international president of Janat Paris, also reveals another special connection they have to the Philippines: “We love Filipinos,” he says. “My family has been doing the fruit business with the Philippines for almost 50 years — we import a lot of dried mango. We produce the best mango tea in the world (called Under the Mango Tree) with Philippine mangoes, so we are connected to the Filipino people.”

Thanks to this connection, Bejit wants to bring Janat teahouses to Manila, so he also met with Ayala Malls about this possibility. “Another craft they wanted to explore outside Paris is the Janat teas — the craftsmanship of their family,” says Greenbelt general manager Mina Domingo. “They wanted to bring it to the Philippines so again they’re thinking of opening first in Ayala malls. After tasting the tea we’re hoping that it will be soon, and we wanted to bring the first experience to the Filipino people.”

For now, though, let’s say “Bienvenue” to this original piece of the Eiffel Tower, which is perfect for selfies, and “Vive le France!”

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The Eiffel Tower staircase is on display in the gardens outside Greenbelt 3 until Jan. 15, 2018. A special exhibit is located at the Greenbelt 3 lobby, and related events like language workshops and French readings will also be held at the mall. For details, like Facebook.com/AyalaMalls 360 and Greenbelt.AyalaMalls, follow on Twitter @AyalaMalls / @ILoveGreenbelt, Instagram @iloveayalamalls / @ILoveGreenbelt, and YouTube: I Love Ayala Malls channel.