Renewal of the Eiffel Tower in preparation for the Olympics

The Olympic rings were installed on the famous Parisian landmark on Friday, 50 days before the gathering of the sports world in the French capital to attend the sports festival held every four years.

The rings were displayed on the southern side of the 135-year-old monument in the heart of Paris overlooking the Seine River. Each ring has a diameter of nine meters (30 feet) and is made of recycled French steel.

Thousands of athletes will parade through the city on boats on the Seine along a six-kilometer (3.7-mile) route during the opening ceremony at sunset on July 26.

There will be no shortage of famous spots at the Paris Olympics.

The tower, nicknamed La Dame de Fer (the Iron Lady), will feature prominently during the period from July 26 to August 11. The Paris Games and the Paralympic Games.

The men's and women's beach volleyball matches will take place at the base of the 330-meter (1083-foot) monument. Nearly 13,000 spectators will watch it at the temporary Eiffel Tower stadium in Champ de Mars nearby, where Parisians and tourists enjoy picnicking on the grass or watching fireworks displays on July 14.

The Olympic and Paralympic medals are being attached in Paris using pieces of a hexagonal iron piece taken from the tower.

This highly popular landmark has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers in the lead-up to the Paris Games.

Two massive cranes were used to lift the 30-ton structure and install it between the first and second floors of the tower.

The Olympic rings will also be lit every night with 100,000 LED lights during the Paralympic Games, which start on August 28, 17 days after the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The Paralympic Games will gather 4,400 athletes from 180 countries in 549 events across 22 sports. Many sports events will be held near iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Grand Palais.