EBN- In a majestic scene, the official celebrations began for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, one of France’s most important historical and religious landmarks. This came after five years of closure following a massive fire that destroyed large parts of this historic edifice.
During a religious ceremony, and in the presence of more than 3,000 people, the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, performed one of the ancient traditional rituals of knocking on the closed doors of the cathedral with his stick three times, to be answered by the singers of “Notre Dame” (Our Lady), and the doors opened and the Archbishop and French President Emmanuel Macron entered, accompanied by his wife Brigitte.
Official participation at the reopening ceremony
The French President and his wife received in the cathedral square, this evening, about 40 heads of state and government, including US President-elect Donald Trump, the Ukrainian President, as well as the British Crown Prince, Prince William, and a number of representatives of international organizations who were keen to attend the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame, one of the largest cathedrals in the West, and listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the cathedral bells rang and the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, knocked on its doors with his baton three times, signaling its reopening. The cathedral’s facade was lit up in a majestic moment that impressed all those present.
A documentary was then shown, revealing the course of events since the fire of April 15, 2019 and the restoration work that was carried out, with tributes to all those who contributed to this achievement, from firefighters, architects, art workers and all the craftsmen, who entered the cathedral amidst everyone’s applause.
The French President delivered a speech in which he praised the reopening of this ancient cathedral and its religious importance, and expressed his pride and the gratitude of the French nation to everyone who saved, helped and rebuilt “Notre Dame de Paris”. He also praised the courage of the firefighters who contributed to saving the cathedral and extinguishing the fire in 2019.
An exceptional concert will then be held, bringing together a group of the most famous international artists, including Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji, to present musical performances befitting this historic event.
Hitory of Notre Dame
This cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century and was restored by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in 1859, was exposed on April 15, 2019 to a massive fire that destroyed two-thirds of its roof and devoured its famous 96-meter-high tower, causing it to collapse completely.
This fire was a shock to France and the entire world, given the historical and cultural value of this landmark. However, the French President pledged to restore the cathedral within five years, after launching a donation campaign that generated significant revenue.
Over the course of five years, some 250 companies and 2,000 craftsmen, architects, art specialists and other professionals contributed to the exceptional restoration and construction work of Notre-Dame, a symbol of the Christian faith and an icon of Gothic art, at a cost of 700 million euros.
After these official celebrations, the cathedral opens its doors again to visitors and worshippers, its bells ring, prayers begin, hymns rise, and the cathedral regains its eye-catching luster, to welcome visitors from all over the world again, as it was visited by about thirteen million visitors annually before the fire.
