Eiffel tower

The Eiffel Tower ( French : Tour Eiffel)is a 19th century iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower, which is the tallest building in Paris , is the single most visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel , the tower was built as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair . The tower stands at 324 m (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-story building. It was the tallest structure in the world from its completion until 1930, when it was eclipsed by the Chrysler Building in New York City . Not including broadcast antennas , it is the second-tallest structure in France, behind the Millau Viaduct , completed in 2004. And while the Eiffel Tower is a steel structure, and weighs approximately 10,000 tonnes, it actually has a relatively low density , weighing less than a cylinder of air occupying the same dimensions as the tower. The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France. The tower is a featured part of the backdrop in literally scores of movies that take place in Paris. Its iconic status is so established that it even serves as a symbol for the entire nation of France, such as when it was used as the logo for the French bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics . The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle , a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution . The City of paris had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiration of the permit. The military used it to dispatch Parisian taxis to the front line during the First Battle of the Marne , and it therefore became a victory statue of that battle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower

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