File photo of a portion of the original staircase of the Eiffel Tower constructed by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 is displayed during a press preview ahead of its upcoming auction organized by Artcurial in Paris, France, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Paris, A piece of the original spiral staircase from the Eiffel Tower, Paris's most famous attraction, was sold for 169,000 euro (US$190,000).
The successful bidder, an unidentified collector from the Middle East, acquired a section of the 129-year-old iron landmark that measures 4.3 metres (14 feet) in height, weighs about 900 kilos (1,984 pounds) and includes about 25 steps.
Auction house Artcurial originally estimated the sale price to be between 40,000 and 60,000 euros
The bidding was less frenetic than in 2016, when another portion of the Eiffel Tower went for 523,800 euro, exceeding its estimate tenfold.
The 25-step spiral staircase stands at about 13 feet tall and was part of the stairway that connected the second and third levels of the tower, which was built by French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition. The stairway remained in place until 1983, when it was replaced by elevators. The original staircase was divided into 24 sections, some of which were sent off to different institutions.
