Experts in Paris were assessing the blackened shell of the French capital's iconic Notre Dame cathedral to establish next steps to save what remains after a devastating fire destroyed much of the almost 900-year-old building.
With the fire that broke out Monday evening and quickly consumed the cathedral now under control, attention is turning to ensuring the structural integrity of the remaining building.
Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced that architects and other experts would meet at the cathedral early Tuesday "to determine if the structure is stable and if the firefighters can go inside to continue their work."
Officials consider the fire an accident, possibly as a result of restoration work taking place at the global architectural treasure, but that news has done nothing to ease the national mourning.
Dr. Gil Taieb, the vice president of the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities, told Israel Hayom: "I got a phone call from my wife, Karen Taieb, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the city's heritage affairs. We went there right away. Within a matter of minutes the fire spread. A true nightmare. After two hours there was nothing left of the roof and the arrow symbol of our city had collapsed.
"Hundreds of people are partaking in this apocalyptic event," Taieb continued. "Notre Dame is among the most beautiful symbols of Paris in particular, and all of France in general, but also one of the most important to any person of culture. Last January I was looking at the Paris skyline, which was made all the more splendid by the cathedral. Our hearts are with the citizens of France and with the Notre Dame Society."
Also speaking to Israel Hayom, Karen Taieb said, "It could take a decade or maybe more to restore the structure."
Construction on Notre Dame – French for "Our Lady" – began in the 12th century and continued for nearly 200 years. It sustained damage and fell into neglect during the French Revolution, but received renewed attention following the 1831 publication of Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." This led to two decades of restorations, including the cathedral's famous flying buttresses and a reconstructed spire.
While most kings were crowned elsewhere, Napoleon Bonaparte made sure he was crowned there in 1804 and married there in 1810.
The fire is a "catastrophe for France, for Spain and for Europe," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez tweeted Monday, adding that the flames are destroying "850 years of history, architecture, painting and sculpture."
French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters near the scene that he will seek international help, including from the "greatest talents" in the world, to rebuild Notre Dame.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at an appearance in Minnesota, spoke of the "terrible, terrible fire" that devastated "one of the great treasures of the world."
"It's a part of our growing up, it's a part of our culture, it's a part of our lives," Trump said of the landmark.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres tweeted that he's "horrified," calling the cathedral "a unique example of world heritage."
