Eiffel Tower Dark: Photos And Videos Show Paris' Solidarity With Aleppo, Syria

In three somber moments, the Eiffel Tower went dark Wednesday in a gesture of solidary with the Syrian city of Aleppo. The monument extinguished its traditionally dazzling lights from the top down at 8 p.m. local time, leaving only its searchlight illuminated.

“This symbolic measure at a building known worldwide will aim to once again alert the international community to the need for urgent action,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a statement.

The Eiffel Tower has previously served as a monument to remember those lost in other tragedies. In November 2015, the lights were shut off to mourn the victims of multiple terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 dead and 352 wounded. In June, the structure lit up in all the colors of the rainbow to honor the victims of the deadly shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

“At the request of the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, the Eiffel Tower will remain in the dark throughout the coming night as a sign of mourning,” the Eiffel Tower’s website stated Wednesday.

The gesture of solidarity comes as the world looks on in horror at the bloodbath in Syria. The country has been the epicenter of an ongoing conflict since 2011 when anti-government protests fractured the region into pro-government forces and rebels. United Nations estimated that 82 civilians had been executed by pro-government forces Monday as they re-captured the city of Aleppo. Civilians trapped in the area have taken to posting final goodbyes on social media.

The Russian Ministry of Defense blamed rebel forces in the region for bombing hospitals and using civilians as human shields Tuesday. Russia has been conducting air strikes on the city since 2015 in a show of support for President Bashar Assad.

“This could be my final appeal … everybody that can send a message to his government, to his country … ask him to stop the aggression, stop the killing, stop the war,” Salim Abu Al-Nassar, a dentist in eastern Aleppo, posted in a video shared on social media Tuesday.

The pictures and videos below show the darkened Eiffel Tower.