The Arc de Triomphe is one of the famous structures in Paris. It was an idea of Napoleon I, and was created to honor the French army that fought with him. Napoleon was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus, and thought of building the Arc de Triomphe in remembrance of his victories in different wars. Architect Jean Chalgrin was given the responsibility of designing the Arc de Triomphe. The construction of the Arc de Triomphe was in full swing in the beginning years until 1811. It was made with utmost concentration, at a pace so slow that only its base was completed in the year 1808.

Further, after the death of architect Jean Chalgrin in 1811, Jean-Nicolas Huyot continued the work for another three years before it finally came to a halt in 1814 with the fall of Napoleon. The incomplete Arc de Triomphe remained so for around nineteen years due to the political situation in France. However, in the year 1833, following the orders of King Louis-Philippe-I, architect G.A. Blouet restarted the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, which was soon completed in the year 1836.

The Arc de Triomphe stands in the center of a large circular plaza called the Place Charles de Gaulle (alternatively known as Place de l’Etoile), which is at one of the end of Champs-Elysees avenue of Paris. It is a junction from which twelve avenues branch in diverse directions. The Arc de Triomphe is roughly fifty meters in height, forty-five meters in width and twenty-three meters in depth. The arch has a passageway which is over ninety-five feet in height and around fifty feet wide. It was through this passage that Hitler marched with his army to celebrate his conquest of France in 1940. The French and their allies marched through the Arc de Triomphe again in 1945, when the country was liberated. On the sides of the arc are sculptures of a group of soldiers, showcasing those who fought for France. Above these are thirty different shields, each of which gives the details of an important battle that Napoleon won. On the inner side of the arc are names of different generals and battles fought by Napoleon.

At the base of the Arc de Triomphe is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier who died in the First World War. An everlasting flame glows near the tomb in remembrance of those defense personnel who laid down their lives in the two World Wars. There is an elevator inside the Arc de Triomphe that carries tourists to the roof, where millions of sightseers each year can enjoy a spectacular view of Paris.