9 . No visit to the beautiful city of Paris, France is complete without a visit to the Notre Dame de Paris. The cathedral, built from 1163 to 1345, is one of the world's best examples of ancient architecture. It lies in the center of Paris, along the Seine River. French writer Victor Hugo used it as the setting of his famous story The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Unfortunately, on April 15, 2019. the old cathedral was covered in a big flame.

The initial fire alert sounded at 6:20 pm local time. Church officials quickly evacuated the tourists inside. As it turned out, they made the right decision when the second alarm went off twenty-three minutes later at 6:43 pm, the flames were visible. Thousands of passers-by watched in horror as the fire began destroying Notre Dame's rooftop. It took hundreds of firefighters, who worked through the night, over 12 hours to put out the fire. By the time the fire was fully contained in the early hours of Tuesday, April 16. 2019, most of the cathedral's ceiling, as well as its wooden spire — which had proudly stood 93 meters above the root for centuries — had collapsed.

Fortunately, thanks to quick action by Paris firefighters, the cathedral's most sacred relic — the Crown of Thorns — was safely transported after the fire broke out. Church officials and firefighters formed a human chain to remove other priceless treasures, such as artworks and furnishings, and load them onto waiting police cars. The cathedral's famous 18th-century organ, which boasts more than 8.000 pipes, also survived the disaster.

The tire is believed to be caused by the cathedral's ongoing repair work. Meanwhile donations to help restore the structure are pouring in worldwide at an unprecedented rate, reaching almost$ 1 billion within just two days after the fire. French President Emmanuel Macron described the fire as a “terrible tragedy”, but added, “the worst had been avoided”. Macron has promised that the French people will “rebuild the cathedral together”. “Notre Dame is ours, it's our literature, and it's our imagery. We will rebuild it. This is probably part of the French destiny, and we will finish it in the next five years.” Macron said, “Paris without Notre Dame? Madness.” While Macron is optimistic that the cathedral will be ready to welcome visitors by the Paris 2024. Summer Olympics, experts believe it will take a lot longer to restore the old structure.

Thibaud Binetruy was walking home Monday when he saw smoke rising in the distance. Notre Dame Cathedral, the beloved landmark in the heart of Paris, was in flames.

“It’s awful to see such a symbol disappear ng in front of you. It’s been there for so many years and in a few minutes half of it disappears... crazy,” Binetruy told CNN.

“Paris without Notre Dame... madness.” he added.

His words     1     the sorrow and disbelief felt by many Parisians as they watched the historic structure burn. CNN correspondent Hadas Gold said people crowded the banks of the Seine to gaze helplessly at the     2    .

Many Parisians, who grew up with the gothic structure towering over the river, burst into tears and hugged each other on the scene. The city was in deathly quietness, except for the helicopters and fire trucks. Katherine Finney said she and other onlookers couldn’t even     3     what was happening at first. But as the hostoric cathedral continued to burn, crowds let out helpless gasps and groans.

No other site represents France quite like Notre-Dame. It has given its name to one of the country’s literary masterpieces. Victor Hugo’s novel Hunchback of Notre Dame is known to the French simply as Notre Dame de Paris. The novel has been filmed     4     times, including an Academy Award-nominated Disney version in 1996.

The last time the cathedral suffered major damage was during the French Revolution, when statues of saints were hacked by terrorists. The building survived this uprising.as well as two world wars, largely undestroyed. It is impossible to overstate how shocking it is to watch such an enduring embodiment of our country burn. It is much more than a religious site. President Emmanuel Macron has expressed the shock of a “whole nation” at the fire. Notre Dame is “part of our common     5    .

The cathedral is home to     6     of priceless artifacts, artwork and relics collected over the centuries, each with their own story. But many people feared these treasures might be lost forever.

The Pars Fire Brigade tweeted that the cathedra’s stone construction has been “saved,” as have the “main works of art.” As more information emerges, what has been rescued from Notre Dame is becoming     7    . Yet many details, such as possible water damage from the operation to save the building, are still unclear.

The Crown of Thorns, which some believe was placed on the head of Jesus and which the cathedral calls its “most precious and most respected relic,” was rescued from the fire.

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that the company will make a donation to restore the iconic 850-year-old cathedral. He didn’t     8     on how much Apple is planning to donate. The company dd not immediately respond to a     9     for comment.

Some of France’s wealthiest families have made a funding effort to rebuild the Paris cathedral following the     10     fire.