Doug Cornelius .com

The Burj Dubai is at least 2,683ft from its base to the tip of its spire. That’s more than half a mile, the equivalent of two Empire State buildings stacked up. Its actual height is being kept secret until Monday, but insiders have hinted it could break the 2,700ft mark.

The tower is more than 1,000ft higher than its nearest inhabited rival, the 1,671ft tallTaipei 101 in Taiwan. It is also 700ft taller than the next tallest man-made structure in the world, the 2,063ft KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota.

The 169-floor building has the highest swimming pool in the world, on the 76th floor, and the most elevated place of worship with a mosque on the 158th floor.

• Burj Dubai, the first superscraper. The world’s tallest building opens for business this week — if it can find any
• What is like on top of the Tallest Building in the World?
• Building the Tallest Building

Judge for yourself. (I got a little shaky just watching it.)

Here is a video from the top of the Burj Dubai Spire. That’s 2,684 feet up in the air.

Younan Properties seems to think it can build the tallest building in the world: Younan Vows To Build Tallest Building. Of course they have not selected a city or a site to build on yet. Nor does it appear that they have the financing to build it.

It was a good way to get your name in the paper.

Meanwhile, my gas money has allowed Emaar Properties of Dubai to build the Burj Dubai Tower.

It is still under construction, but on July 24 the had steel up to 512.1 meters making it the world’s tallest building. But they are still going and expect to reach a height of 700 meters. The tower is scheduled to open late next year.

According to the website for the tower, the goal “is not simply to be the world’s highest building. It’s to embody the world’s highest aspirations.”

Prior to the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building was Taiwan’s Taipei 101. It is a mere 508 meters tall.