Notre Dame reopening — in pictures

On Saturday, December 7, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened after five-and-a-half years of renovations. France's nationally and internationally famous landmark was significantly damaged during a catastrophic fire in April 2019. Despite extensive investigations, the cause of the fire has still not been concretely identified.

To symbolically mark the reopening of the iconic cathedral on Saturday, the archbishop of Paris, Bishop Laurent Ulrich, knocked on the door of Notre Dame three times. In response to the archbishop's knocks, the cathedral's choirs erupted into song, once again filling the cavernous spaces of the Paris landmark with music.

"The bells of Notre Dame are ringing again," French President Emmanuel Macron said during the ceremony. The cathedral is a reminder that we inherit a history that is bigger than us and that can disappear at any moment, he added. The president's symbolic victory came at the end of a challenging week, with France in political turmoil following the collapse of his government.

The invite-only ceremony on Saturday was attended by more than 1,500 guests, including heads of state and other dignitaries. President Macron used the reopening of Notre Dame as an opportunity to broker talks between US President-elect Donald Trump (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shown shaking hands ahead of the ceremony.

In addition to admiring the architectural renovation, the ceremony allowed guests to take in the 2,300 freshly cleaned statues and 1,500 newly installed chairs. The walls and windows have also been cleaned, contributing to a bright, sparkling interior.

The fire, which broke out on April 15, 2019, in the attic under the roof, proved difficult to contain. More than 400 firefighters worked for hours to get it under control. After the blaze, experts took stock of the damage, which included the collapsed spire, roof framework and multiple vaults.

The fire left debris and rubble everywhere. The photo above shows the extent of the damage around the main altar.

The restored main altar (above) was reconsecrated on Sunday, December 8, by the Paris archbishop, Laurent Ulrich, with many other foreign bishops and priests in attendance. Public tickets for the event were snatched up in just 25 minutes.

Security around the Ile de La Cite, the island where Notre Dame is located, was tight for the weekend's events. But public viewing areas on the Seine allowed for 40,000 spectators to follow the proceedings on big screens.

Notre Dame, which was built between 1163 and 1345, is a world-famous example of Gothic architecture. While the fire did not topple the bell towers of the front facade, it did cause the roof to collapse, leading to the release of toxic lead dust and plenty of debris littering the floor of the nave.

President Macron toured the renovated cathedral in the week before the reopening and delivered a speech to construction workers in the renewed nave (above). Around €840 million ($880 million) was raised to finance the reconstruction.

Hundreds of craft studios and companies contributed to the cathedral's reconstruction. Masonry experts helped reconstruct the collapsed vaults (above) by using stones and mortar in keeping with original construction methods. Because the water used to extinguish the fire weakened the standing stone, these were also treated to return them to their original state.

The restored vaults once again achieve the feeling of a light, soaring ceiling that is typical of Gothic cathedrals.

Notre Dame's three rose windows, including its west rose window on the main facade (above) and most of the cathedral's religious relics, escaped the fire largely unscathed. Lead dust was removed from four clerestory windows in the basilica, which were repaired in the Cologne Cathedral workshop in Germany.

The cathedral organ, located under the west rose window in the cathedral's interior, was also spared significant damage, though its nearly 8,000 pipes had to be cleaned of toxic lead dust that fell on them when the roof burned. The organ, which hasn't been heard in public since the fire, was played during the weekend's ceremonies.

President Macron set the ambitious goal of rebuilding the medieval monument in five years' time — a deadline which appears to have been met. The newly restored Notre Dame will be open to regular tourist visits starting on December 16. Some 15 million visitors are expected per year, 3 million more than before the fire.