The Statue of Liberty was a gift of France to the US as a token of friendship to commemorate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and it was erected in 1886. The giant copper statue, which is 46 m tall and weighs 206 tons, was the work of French sculptor Frederic August Bartholdi. The female figure of Liberty holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left. The tablet shows the inscription JULY IV MDCCLXXVI — July 4, 1776, the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It became one of the most widely recognized symbols of the United States. Since the 2001 terror attacks, tourists are not allowed inside the Statue, although earlier it was possible to climb up to the crown.