Sawt Falasteen - Notre-Dame's twin towers ready to thrill visitors after fire

The inauguration of the restored towers by Macron, who has spearheaded reconstruction efforts since the April 15, 2019 fire, comes a day before the opening weekend when the public can finally climb the 424 stairs to enjoy unmatched views of Paris.

Their reopening marks another landmark in the vast reconstruction process which is still ongoing even after the December 7, 2024 reopening of the cathedral in a glittering ceremony attended by US President Donald Trump weeks before his own inauguration.

The reconstruction of Notre-Dame to its former glory marks a major success for Macron, who is politically embattled at home.

He can boast of fulfilling a promise made in the wake of the fire for the restoration to be finished within half a decade.

- 'Spectacular views' -

Macron was given the honour of being the first person to be given a tour round the newly-restored towers which also allows a close view of the cathedral's famous gargoyles -- grotesque sculptures of mythical beasts that adorn its exterior walls.

"The towers of Notre-Dame reopen to the public," Macron said on X. "The cathedral is regaining all its splendour and once again offers its spectacular views of Paris," he said.

Visitors will enjoy an approximately 45-minute tour which begins in the south tower with an ascent to the belfry, before reaching the terraces which will also take them past the cathedral's two main bells, before descending via the north tower.

"This route already existed before the fire, but it has been greatly improved in many ways," said Philippe Jost, Macron's pointman for the reconstruction, pointing to new viewpoints and spaces for visitors.

Visiting the towers will be trickier and pricier than visiting the cathedral itself. Tickets, which cost 16 euros rather than the free entry for the cathedral itself, must be bought online with only 19 people allowed in at any one time.

The tickets for the first two days over the weekend sold out in just 24 minutes.

The reconstruction effort cost around 700 million euros ($820 million), financed from donations, with workers having to overcome problems with lead pollution, the Covid-19 epidemic, and the army general overseeing the project falling to his death while hiking in the Pyrenees in 2023.

While the opening of the towers marks the final major stage in the reconstruction process, there is still more work to be done. The apse at the eastern end of the cathedral is the next part to be renovated.

"Our ambition now is to complete a full restoration of the cathedral, addressing everything that will enable it to look its best," he added.

U.Shaheen--SF-PST