The historical Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was hit by a devastating fire this week. But although images of the smoke and flames would suggest that the cathedral would burn to the ground, a stunningly different picture has emerged.
The fire was bad.
From this drone shot, it appears to have consumed most of the building’s interior. The roofs that once stood atop these walls have all been destroyed in the blaze.
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Smoke billowed for miles.
From horrified crowds on the nearby streets to people thousands of feet in the air, it was apparent to all just how massive this fire was. It raised fears that the centuries-old building might not survive.
It lost a spire.
This image shows the cathedral’s most iconic contributions to the skyline: its spire and two towers. The two towers (which contain the cathedral’s massive bells) survived, but the spire collapsed.
It was a dark day for Paris.
As firefighters battled the flames, onlookers were left to wonder just how much of the cathedral would be left once the flames were extinguished. Much of the interior could accurately be described as priceless.
This is what it looked like before the fire.
The soaring ceilings, the intricate masonry, the arches…would any of it be left in the aftermath of the fire? Fortunately — and seemingly miraculously — it appears that things aren’t as bad as they could have been.
Here’s the interior.
It isn’t the greatest pic — it was well after dark by the time the blaze was contained — but it’s apparent that the cathedral is still, well, a cathedral — even if it’s taken a bit of a hit.
It’s amazing things aren’t worse.
A Twitter user posted this image, along with this prescient quote from French novelist Victor Hugo: “Architecture has recorded the great ideas of the human race. Not only every religious symbol, but every human thought has its page in that vast book.”
Firefighters did an incredible job.
Hundreds of fire crews were dispatched to the scene, and there’s little doubt they were dealing with extremely difficult and hazardous conditions. It’s thanks to them that Notre Dame will continue to exist.
Here’s a before and after.
This image shows a slightly different look at the interior of Notre Dame. Keep this image in your mind, because the next pic is taken from nearly the exact same angle.
Here it is, post-fire.
Anything made of wood is mostly gone, but the cathedral’s centuries-old stone walls have stood the test of time for a reason: they’re made of stone, which is somewhat impervious to fire.
It was a day of mourning.
Many of the priceless components of Notre Dame’s exterior and interior architecture are probably gone forever. For Parisians who are used to seeing Notre Dame stand tall, it’s a crushing blow.
There’s hope, though.
The fire at Notre Dame has made international news. With this kind of attention, coupled with the fact that it’s a treasured international landmark, we’ll probably see restoration work begin before too long.
When will it be restored?
Restoration work was already underway when the fire started. It’s way too early to know the timeline yet, but there’s little doubt that Notre Dame will someday be restored to its former glory.
