Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral reopens, with its first service since a devastating fire

By James Doubek,

Published December 7, 2024 at 6:19 PM EST

The choir, clergy and guests stand as they sing during a ceremony to mark the reopening of the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral, in central Paris, on Saturday.

The bells of rang on Saturday evening in Paris for the first time since a fire devastated the Paris landmark in 2019.

Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich began the ceremony by knocking three times on the cathedral's door with his staff, called a crozier, which was made from one of the burned beams of the cathedral's roof.

The ceremony to mark the cathedral's return to religious services was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and hundreds of dignitaries, including , first lady Jill Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the U.K.'s Prince William.

The cathedral's restoration and return to service after five years has been a success for Macron, who has .

Firefighters, rescuers and builders involved in the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral parade during a ceremony to mark the reopening of the landmark cathedral, in central Paris, on Saturday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Notre Dame Cathedral as France's iconic cathedral is formally reopening its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the landmark in 2019.

Spectators gather outside France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday in Paris for its formal reopening.

Part of bas-relief outside of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on Nov. 29.

The tabernacle designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet is pictured in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (left), French President Emmanuel Macron (second from left) and his wife Brigitte Macron (third from left) stand as the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich (center), walks to the doors of Notre Dame Cathedral during a ceremony to mark the reopening on Saturday.

Customers sit inside a restaurant next to France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, hours before formally reopening its doors on Saturday.

This photograph shows the inside of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29.

Pedestrians pass by the security barriers and fences placed around the Notre Dame Cathedral on the eve ahead of its official reopening, on Friday.

This combination of pictures shows the Western Rose window of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29, 2024 (left) and on Nov. 30, 2012 (right).

This combination of pictures shows the nave of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29, 2024 (top) and on June 28, 2017 (bottom).

This combination of pictures shows rubble and the cross at the altar inside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris a month after it sustained major fire, on May 15, 2019 (top), and the tabernacle designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet on Nov. 29, 2024.

The nave of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29, 2024 (right) and on June 28, 2017 (left).

The choir stalls of Notre Dame on June 26, 2018 (top) and on Nov. 29, 2024 (bottom).

The choir stalls of Notre Dame are shown on Nov. 29.

This photograph shows the Crown of Thorns inside the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns, designed by French Artist Sylvain Dubuisson, on Nov. 29.

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a visit to Notre Dame on Nov. 29.

People watch the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral burning in central Paris on April 15, 2019.

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James Doubek

James Doubek is an associate editor and reporter for NPR. He frequently covers breaking news for NPR.org and NPR's hourly newscast. In 2018, he reported feature stories for NPR's business desk on topics including electric scooters, cryptocurrency, and small business owners who lost out when Amazon made a deal with Apple.

See stories by James Doubek

Eleanor Beardsley

Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team.

See stories by Eleanor Beardsley

Nicole Werbeck

See stories by Nicole Werbeck

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Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral reopens, with its first service since a devastating fire