Paris's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has unveiled its dramatic transformation after five years of intense reconstruction work to erase all traces of the 2019 fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the rebirth of the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece during a site visit on Friday.
He walked beneath soaring new ceilings and admired pristine stonework that has restored the cathedral to its medieval splendour.
A series of before and after pictures show some of the dramatic transformation.
Sunlight now floods through historic stained-glass windows to illuminate vast open spaces where fire-blackened rubble once lay. Delicate golden angels crown the centrepiece of rebuilt vaulted ceilings.
Teams used powerful vacuum cleaners to remove toxic lead dust before applying special latex treatments to strip away decades of grime from the limestone walls.
Macron entered through the cathedral's ornate front doors with wife Brigitte and the archbishop of Paris to marvel at the restored heights above.
The presidential tour launches a series of celebration events. Macron will return December 7 to speak before the new altar's consecration at Mass the following day.
French officials herald the reconstruction as a triumph of national unity and engineering prowess.
The cathedral, which once drew millions of annual visitors, is now poised to reclaim its place as one of Paris's most treasured landmarks.
Macron's visit kicked off a series of events ushering in the reopening of the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece.
The 2019 Notre Dame fire was a catastrophic blaze that engulfed Paris’s iconic cathedral on April 15, 2019.
The fire, believed to have started accidentally during renovation work, caused extensive damage, destroying the 850-year-old Gothic landmark’s roof and spire.
Firefighters managed to save much of the structure, including its two bell towers and priceless relics, but the disaster shocked the world and spurred an international effort to rebuild the historic masterpiece.
