When it was built, it was to prove the power of steel and modern construction techniques.  It was the tallest building built by man until that time, and the first time that something taller than the great pyramid at Giza had ever been constructed.  Many saw it as an eyesore, and the structure was supposed to be a temporary monument to what was achievable in the modern era.  The tower remained, however, and now is perhaps the most identifiable Parisian landmark.