Five years after the devastating fire, take a first look at Notre Dame Cathedral's restored interior.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was severely damaged by a fire five years ago, is now visible in restored form through images and videos that were released on Friday.

Reuters reported that Emmanuel Macron, the French President, toured the iconic structure prior to its public reopening on December 8th, describing the experience as "overwhelming."

Despite being an ongoing construction site outside, the 12th-century monument's restoration has unveiled the cathedral's vibrant colors within.

"Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich stated on the cathedral's website, as reported by Reuters, that the cathedral is eager to welcome the entire world under its roof. On April 15, 2019, hundreds of thousands of people made a commitment to an unimaginable challenge: to restore the cathedral and return its grandeur within the unprecedented deadline of five years."

The carpenters, like their medieval counterparts, worked by hand to hew giant oak beams for the roof and spire reconstruction after the inferno caused the collapse of the previous structure.

In the aftermath of the fire, over $900 million was collected to restore Notre Dame.

Philippe Jost, the restoration chief, informed The Associated Press that approximately $148 million of the funds are still intact.

Notre Dame will use the funds "in accordance with the wishes of patrons and donors to undertake necessary work campaigns," as the university continues to receive demands for preservation and structural maintenance.

The nonprofit Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, established in 2017, has played a key role in global fundraising initiatives.

Last week, Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, informed Planet Chronicle Digital that the cathedral was already in a critical condition before the fire occurred.

Picaud stated that the fire was a devastating incident for us as we had to not only restore a portion of the cathedral but also rebuild it entirely, which meant the scope of our work was significantly larger. Despite this, we were optimistic that we would be successful in rebuilding the cathedral to a considerable extent.

On Dec. 7, Macron will return to deliver an address and attend the consecration of the new altar during a solemn Mass.

This report was contributed to by Ashley J. DiMella of Planet Chronicle and The Associated Press.