The famous Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro has competition 1:04
(CNN) --
The Brazilian city of Encantado has a towering new statue of Jesus Christ that rivals the famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro in height.
Encantado's Cristo Protector has been in the works since 2019. Recent drone photos show that it looks more or less finished.
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Made of steel and concrete, the statue is 43 meters tall, 4.9 meters taller than the structure in Rio, according to the Asociación Amigos de Cristo (AACristo), the local organization responsible for building the statue.
The structure was designed by the sculptor Genésio Gomes Moura and his son, Markus Moura.
It is expected to be the third tallest statue of Jesus in the world, after a 75-meter monument currently being built in Mexico and a 52-meter figure in Poland.
In a statement on the official Cristo Protector de Encantado website, AACristo says the statue was completed in late April, but a surrounding resort complex is still under construction and won't be finished until early 2023.
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An elevator inside the statue also remains to be installed, according to Brazilian media.
Once completed, the elevator will take visitors to a lookout at the height of the Heart of Christ, rewarding them with spectacular views from the top.
"It will be a glass opening from where people will be able to film and photograph the valley," explained the project's main supervisor, Artur Lopes de Souza, on the AACristo website.
The project is expected to cost around US$353,000 in total.
AACristo is asking for donations to finish the project.
For now, visitors can go and admire the towering statue up close;
visits are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, according to the Cristo Protector de Encantado website.
The hope is that the new statue will boost tourism in and around the city of Encantado, which is close to Brazil's borders with Uruguay and Argentina.
The Christ the Redeemer statue has dominated the city of Rio de Janeiro for almost 90 years and remains one of the most famous tourist attractions in Brazil.
