Preparations are underway as invite-only ceremonies Saturday and Sunday will launch the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral five years after fire reduced it to a shell. About 50 world leaders are expected on Saturday, while nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will attend an inaugural mass and consecration of the new altar on Sunday morning. The Notre-Dame de Paris was first built in the 12th century and has remained an emblem of French Gothic architecture ever since, beloved by locals and travellers alike. Before the fire, the cathedral saw around 12 million visitors each year, a number expected to rise to 15 million post-reconstruction. Paris, France, December 4, 2024. Photo by Alain Apaydin/ABACAPRESS.COM