The Eiffel Tower -- one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world -- was opened to the public today, May 6, 1889, during the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
It is named after engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
IMAGE: The sun rises behind the Eiffel Tower. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters
IMAGE: The UNESCO flag flies at UNESCO headquarters, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters
IMAGE: Tourists look at the Eiffel Tower and the Luxor Obelisk from the Place de la Concorde as the sun sets over Paris. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters
IMAGE: Flowers are seen near the Eiffel Tower on a sunny winter day in Paris. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters
IMAGE: A souvenir vendor sells Eiffel Tower models as tourists enjoy a cold night at the Trocadero Square near the Eiffel Tower. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
IMAGE: A boy plays under a spray of cooling water on a hot day outside the Eiffel Tower stadium during the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Photograph: Esa Alexander/Reuters
IMAGE: A 12 metre high miniature model of the Eiffel Tower named Touruffin assembled by Ampasapito craftsman Ruffin Rakotomalala stands in the Ampasampito neighbourhood of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Photograph: Zo Andrianjafy/Reuters
IMAGE: The blind football men's match between France and China during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games at the Eiffel Tower stadium. Photograph: OIS/Joel Marklund via USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
IMAGE: A view of the Eiffel Tower as Sardana Trofimova of Kyrgyzstan, Melody Julien of France and Galbadrakhyn Khishigsaikhan of Mongolia run past during the Paris 2024 Olympics Marathon race, August 11, 2024. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters
IMAGE: The Eiffel Tower is lit up in blue and yellow, the national colours of Ukraine, to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2025. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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