Notre Dame Cathedral reopens to visitors after 5 years!

The historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which suffered major damage in a fire in 2019, will open its doors to visitors on December 8 following 5 years of restoration work.

The foundation of the historic cathedral, located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, was laid in 1162, and it served as the inspiration for the famous work "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by French author and poet Victor Hugo.

Notre Dame Cathedral, which took 3 centuries to complete, is among the most visited historic structures in the country.

"IT HAD SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE IN THE FIRE"

In the fire on April 15, 2019, the cause of which has still not been determined, its spire and parts of its vaults collapsed.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised immediately after the fire that they would fully restore Notre Dame within 5 years, stating, "We will rebuild Notre Dame."

"IT WAS HOSTING 11 MILLION VISITORS EVERY YEAR"

The historic cathedral, which was visited by 11 million people annually before the fire, remained closed to tourists from all over the world for 5 years. Visitors could only tour the perimeter of the structure due to the restoration work.

Tourism agencies, which hosted approximately 30 thousand visitors a day to tour the cathedral, suffered major financial losses due to the decrease in visitor numbers after the fire.

On the other hand, although the cathedral was closed to visitors during the restoration work, tourists coming to Paris were able to take photos of the building's exterior.

Additionally, there was an increase in sales of photographs, postcards, and souvenirs featuring the historic structure after the fire.

"THE GIANT CONSTRUCTION SITE WAS COMPLETED AFTER 5 YEARS"

The work to restore the cathedral to its former state went through two separate processes. First, reinforcement work was carried out on the damaged parts of the structure between April 2019 and September 2021, followed by restoration work that continued until November 2024.

Due to reasons such as the lead released by the fire, safety hazards inside the building, and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, the full restoration phase could not be reached at the cathedral until 2021.

Work at the cathedral was also halted between March and June 2020 due to the pandemic.

"RESCUE EFFORTS WERE CARRIED OUT IN TWO STAGES"

In the first stage, measures were taken to prevent the damaged sections of the place of worship from collapsing. Subsequently, an inventory of the items in the cathedral was taken, and the spire scaffolding damaged in the fire was dismantled. It took more than a year just to dismantle the spire's 300-ton old scaffolding.

Furthermore, as a result of research conducted between March 2020 and June 2021, it was decided to restore the cathedral in accordance with its original state, renew all electrical equipment, and employ the most innovative technologies to protect the structure from fires.

In the massive restoration, where more than 2 thousand workers from 250 different companies worked, more than 2 thousand oak trees brought from all over the country were used.

"2000 STATUES WERE RESTORED"

While 1000 cubic meters of stone were used to rebuild the damaged or collapsed walls and vaults, 2 thousand statues and decorative works were restored or newly created.

While many paintings affected by the fire were restored outside the cathedral, the damaged spire was rebuilt.

Meanwhile, during excavations in a 100-square-meter area in 2022 for the reconstruction of the spire, a well-preserved lead sarcophagus dating back to the 14th century was found.

On the other hand, since it was decided to repair the cathedral in accordance with its original state, this led to the use of lead during the restoration process.

In addition, environmental organizations had reacted to this method of restoration due to the negative impact of lead on human health.

"DONATIONS WERE MADE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR THE RESTORATION"

A record amount of 846 million euros in donations was collected from all over the world for the restoration work.

The green space around the cathedral will be further expanded with the planting of 160 additional trees, with work starting at the end of 2025.

"VISIT BY MACRON BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY"

President Macron, along with a delegation that included his wife Brigitte Macron, visited the construction site of the cathedral, which is preparing to open its doors to visitors on November 29.

Receiving information about the work there, Macron thanked the artisans working on the restoration for their successful efforts.

"YOU TURNED ASHES INTO ART"

Turning to the artisans, the French President said, "You turned ashes into art." He added, "2000 women and men spent their days and nights at this construction site. You achieved the impossible."

"THE CATHEDRAL OPENS ITS DOORS ON DECEMBER 8"

Different events will be organized this month for the opening of the completed cathedral; in this context, an opening ceremony will be held on December 7, and a concert will be given in honor of those who repaired the historic structure starting at 21:00 local time. The cathedral will open its doors to visitors on December 8.

Macron is expected to deliver a speech at the ceremony, which will be held with the participation of the French President.

More than 2 thousand people, including Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, US President Joe Biden, the 47th President-elect of the US Donald Trump, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been invited to the opening ceremony.

"THE POPE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY"

The Pope, who announced that he would not attend the ceremony, will pay a visit to the island of Corsica, which is demanding more independence from the Paris government, on December 15.

On the other hand, Trump announced in a statement that he would attend the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral. This will be Trump's first trip abroad since his election victory.

"WORLD LEADERS WERE ALSO INVITED TO THE OPENING"

Zelenskyy, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Felipe VI of Spain, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and Jill Biden, representing US President Joe Biden, are expected to attend the ceremony.

It is anticipated that about 170 bishops from around the world will attend the consecration ceremony of the cathedral's new altar, which will be open to the public starting December 8.

"VISITORS MUST MAKE AN ONLINE RESERVATION IN ADVANCE"

Those who wish to visit the cathedral will be able to enter with a reservation made online.

Meanwhile, Parisians will be able to follow the events at the cathedral over the weekend on screens set up near the Seine River.