World leaders have gathered in the French capital for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, five years after the UNESCO World Heritage site was severely damaged in a fire that drew a global outpouring of support.
Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially opened the doors to Notre-Dame on Saturday evening at the start of a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state from around the world.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump, who was making his first overseas trip since winning last month’s US election, were among the many leaders in attendance.
“Tonight, I stand before you … to express the gratitude of the French nation – gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame,” Macron said during the ceremony.
“Tonight, the bells of Notre-Dame will ring again.”
The 2019 fire brought the beloved, 12th-century gothic cathedral close to collapse, as flames engulfed Notre-Dame and sent massive plumes of smoke billowing into the sky above Paris. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze.
The cathedral has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again.
French firefighters who helped fight the fire received a standing ovation during Saturday’s reopening ceremony. The word “merci” – French for “thank you” – was also illuminated on the front of the building. (Al Jazeera)
