France's Notre Dame Cathedral has officially re-opened. Five years after a tragic fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old structure, the historic landmark is now open to the public.
The reopening ceremony was adorned by leaders from across the world. Accompanying French President Emmanuel Macron was US President-elect Donald Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy, US First Lady Dr Jill Biden, UK's Prince William and many more.
The doors of the Notre Dame were opened by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich as he wielded a staff carved from the fire-scorched beams of the cathedral. With three grand knocks of the gates of the gothic structure, the gates reopened and Notre Dame's bells rang for the first time in five years.
The reopening ceremony also honoured the firefighters involved in the extinguishing of the 2019 fire.
How A Tragic Fire Nearly Destroyed The Notre Dame
In April 2019, a fire broke out in the roof space of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The fire caused extensive damage to the medieval Catholic cathedral.
The fire, which started at around 6:20 PM local time, was brought under control at around 9:45 PM. After it was extinguished, the cathedral's wooden spire collapsed. The wooden roof of the cathedral and its upper walls suffered from extensive damage.
However, the interior was protected due to the vaulted stone ceiling. The fire resulted in the Notre Dame closing down for the public. For the first time since 1803, the Paris cathedral did not conduct a Christmas mass.
Two days after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a five-year deadline to restore the cathedral.
Within a week, donations over one billion euros had been pledged towards the reconstruction of the cathedral from government workers, world leaders and celebrities.
