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Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris and one of the most recognized structures in the world. More than 200,000,000 people (including me) have visited the tower since its construction in 1889 making it the most visited paid monument in the world. Including the 24 m (79 ft) antenna, the structure is 325 m (1,063 ft) high. When the tower was completed it was the world's tallest tower. The tower is now the fifth-tallest structure in France and the tallest structure in Paris.
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. Eiffel originally planned to build the tower in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition of 1888, but those responsible at the Barcelona city hall thought it was a strange and expensive construction, which did not fit into the design of the city. Eiffel then submitted his draft to those responsible for the Universal Exhibition in Paris, and he built his tower in 1889.
The tower was met with criticism from the public when it was built, many calling it an eyesore. Today, it is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art.

** Quoted from Wikipedia **