WORLD
Eiffel Tower tops list of Europe`s most expensive monuments with a price tag of £344 billion
Baku, August 24 (AZERTAC). It was never meant to last for more than two decades but a late decision to make the Eiffel Tower a permanent fixture on the Parisian landscape proved extremely lucrative.
The iconic 324-metre high structure has been named as the most valuable monument in Europe worth a staggering £344billion, according to a new study.
Research commissioned by Italy`s Monza and Brianza Chamber of Commerce considered monuments` image, branding and aesthetic qualities to determine a monetary value.
Built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the World Trade Fair, the Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid for tourist attraction in the world which last year saw 7.1million people climb to one of its three viewing platforms.
Construction of the tower had been the subject of some controversy, attracting criticism from both those who doubted it was feasible and those were were against the idea on artistic grounds.
Their objections were a continuation of the longstanding debate about the relationship between architecture and engineering.
A whopping 200million visitors have now visited the landmark since it opened and the tower is still the tenth tallest lattice style building on the planet.
Part of the original design rules were that it could be easily demolished but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the permit granted by the city expired.
In the opening weeks of the First World War the tower`s powerful radio transmitters were used to jam German communications, slowing the advance on Paris and contributing to the Allied victory at the First Battle of the Marne.
Its value is six times more than its nearest rival the Colosseum in Rome, which is valued at £72billion.
The gladiatorial amphitheatre which was completed in 80AD draws about 4million tourists a year to its crumbling interior.
The UK`s most valuable monument is deemed to be the 1,000-year-old Tower of London, which is worth an estimated £56billion to the British economy.