Sawt Falasteen - France's Macron honours craftspeople who rebuilt Notre Dame

The ceremony at the Elysee Palace took place on Tuesday evening, around the same time the devastating fire broke out at the Gothic masterpiece on April 15, 2019.

"In just five years, thanks to you, Notre-Dame-de-Paris was rebuilt to be more beautiful than it was before," Macron told attendees.

"If we are here tonight, it is thanks to the heroism of our firefighters, the generosity of all the patrons and foundations who took part in this effort, and the talent and dedication of thousands of artisans, workers, professionals, police officers, and citizens," he added.

Macron bestowed the awards in the presence of Jean-Claude Gallet, who presided over the Paris fire brigade during the disaster, as well as Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

After he toured the cathedral last November, days before the cathedral re-opened to the public on December 7, Macron told restoration workers and officials they had achieved the "impossible".

The presidency has said an average of 30,000 people a day now visit the restored cathedral.

Macron honoured Philippe Jost, who headed the public organisation tasked with restoring the cathedral and was elevated to the rank of "commander" of the Legion of Honour, France's highest national award.

Jost succeeded Jean-Louis Georgelin, the general who had been put in charge of overseeing the restoration but who died in 2023.

Georgelin was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest rank of the award established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

The architects Remi Fromont and Philippe Villeneuve were also decorated.

Alongside them, nearly 100 civil servants, entrepreneurs and craftspeople were awarded the Legion of Honour or the National Order of Merit, another top award established by Charles de Gaulle.

They represent around 2,000 people who took part in the restoration of the cathedral.

They come from "all the trades" and include carpenters, ironworkers, scaffolders, rope access workers, organ restorers and stained glass artisans, the French presidency said earlier.

Aymeric Albert, who combed the forests of France to select oak trees needed to rebuild the spire, the nave and the choir, was made a knight of the Legion of Honour.

The massive restoration project was financed thanks to nearly 850 million euros (around $960 million at today's rate) in donations from all over the world.

O.Mousa--SF-PST