Notre Dame Cathedral has been completely restored (11 photos + 1 video)
It's hard to believe that time flies so fast. The fire that destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral happened 5 years ago! And after all these years, a team of 2,000 people managed to completely restore the 850-year-old medieval structure. 
The official opening will take place on the evening of December 7. In the meantime, a final inspection of the restoration was conducted, which was broadcast live on television. Macron, who was present, said that the workers had done the “impossible” by healing the “national wound” of the fire on April 19, 2019. And he is right, it is hard to believe that a unique masterpiece was recreated from a charred building. 
The interiors were restored after the devastating fire.
While the original idea was to preserve the cathedral’s original appearance, the international team of designers and architects created a bright space that immediately impresses visitors.
The floor shimmers, the freshly washed walls sparkle dazzlingly, and the artful combination of natural and artificial lighting creates an almost theatrical impression.
The fire in Notre Dame Cathedral occurred on April 15, 2019. It was not extinguished until the morning of the next day. Then the spire collapsed and the roof burned down, and the interior decoration, organ and gargoyles on the facades were damaged.
Notre Dame Cathedral will once again welcome visitors and believers on the weekend of December 7-8 after a difficult restoration.
World leaders are expected to attend the event, but the guest list has not yet been released.
During the event, officials, accompanied by the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, toured the main rooms of the cathedral, including the nave, choir and chapel, and spoke with experts. And everyone noted that the cathedral has become more comfortable, and the light stones give the space a warm and calming feeling.
After the devastating fire, an ambitious goal was set: to restore Notre Dame Cathedral in five years and make it “even more beautiful” than before. According to the French authorities, this goal has been achieved. And this goal has certainly been achieved.
The “construction project of the century” was a “challenge that many considered crazy. About 250 companies and hundreds of experts were involved in the restoration work, which cost hundreds of millions of euros.
All 2,000 people who contributed to the campaign were invited to Friday's event.
The total cost of the restoration was about 700 million euros (more than 750 million dollars at today's exchange rate).
The project was financed by 846 million euros in donations from 150 countries in solidarity.
A 19th-century Gothic spire that collapsed badly in a fire has been restored to look like the original.
The stained-glass windows have regained their color, the walls are sparkling after being cleared of fire stains, and the restored organ is ready to play again.
Visitors can't see a new fire-fighting mechanism: a hidden system of pipes ready to release water in the event of another disaster.
Church officials say Notre Dame Cathedral, which attracted 12 million visitors in 2017, expects to welcome 14 million to 15 million more after its reopening.
French ministers have also floated the idea of charging tourists to enter the site, but the Paris diocese has said that free entry is an important principle that must be maintained.
The first mass and consecration of the new altar will take place on Sunday, December 8.
In December 2023, Macron said he had invited Pope Francis to the reopening of the cathedral, but in September, to the surprise of some observers, the head of the Catholic Church announced that he would not attend.
More than five years have passed and the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Preliminary findings point to an accidental cause such as a short circuit, a welding torch or a cigarette.
