Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen in Dec, five years after inferno. Here's its first glimpse

The famous Notre Dame Cathedral, located in Paris, France, will re-open for people after a five and half years of long haul on December 8. 

The structure, which had suffered devastation due to the blaze, will now be re-opened on December 7, with French President Emmanuel Macron addressing the opening ceremony of the renovated cathedral.

On Friday (Nov 29), Macron inspected the cathedral and shared the first official insight into the 850-year-old edifice which was broadcast on live television.

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The opening ceremony will begin at 6:00 pm local time when the cathedral doors will be symbolically knocked by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

From inside the cathedral, a psalm will be sung from inside and then the doors will open. The organ will be blessed by the archbishop and a service will follow. The live TV will broadcast the public show from the square after the invitation-only service.

On December 8, the first public Mass will be held at 10:30 am local time. In the following eight days, more Masses will take place. 

Some of them will remain open to the public. Public visits to the cathedral will start on December 8 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. 

The people will have the option to make free online bookings on the website or the application of the cathedral in early December.

The visitors will be accommodated in a queue without bookings. Group visits will start in February next year.

Notre Dame Cathedral inferno incident

The roof and spire of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019 inferno. The cause of the fire remained unknown, however, authorities hinted that an electrical fault or a discarded cigarette may have started the fire.

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The cathedral is a medieval Gothic masterpiece and has been France's cultural icon for centuries. The cathedral's construction started in 1163 and continued for more than a century.

The total restoration cost of the cathedral is nearly 700 million euros and more than 840 million euros were donated for its restoration.

The government had mobilised some 250 companies and hundreds of experts for the restoration of the cathedral which was dubbed the "building site of the century".

"This final site visit is an opportunity to thank them in particular – from wood craftsmen to those of metal and stone, from scaffolders to roofers, from bell makers to art restorers, from gilders to masons and sculptors, from carpenters to organ builders, from architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners to logistical or administrative functions," said Macron, ahead of his visit to the cathedral.

(With inputs from agencies)