How Notre-Dame can be rebuilt, what was cause of fire and what happens next: Q&A
France woke up to the grim spectacle of Notre Dame standing without its spire and its roof in ruins on Tuesday morning. Now, with the blaze under control and only a few patches of embers still glowing, the Herculean task of rebuilding the 850-year-old cathedral begins.
Will Notre Dame be rebuilt?
Speaking at the scene of the fire on Monday night, French president Emmanuel Macron vowed to restore Notre Dame to its former glory.
"We'll rebuild this cathedral all together and it's undoubtedly part of the French destiny and the project we'll have for the coming years," he said.
"That's what the French expect [and] because it's what our history deserves," he added, his voice shaking with emotion, calling it a "terrible tragedy".
Mr Macron appealed to the world for help in restoring the cathedral, as well as support from French citizens. There is likely to be an outpouring of donations from all around the world.
It is feasible that British experts in restoration may offer their services to France if they are needed in rebuilding cathedral structure.
How badly was Notre Dame damaged?
French restoration artists will need to repair the entire roof of Notre Dame along with its spire. Both burned to cinders in Monday night's fire, and there is a risk that falling debris has caused yet more damage to the cathedral's interior.
It is unclear how long it would take to complete the repair works, but they would be a major undertaking on a jewel of French history which has towered over the capital for centuries.
Astonishingly, considering the scale of the fire, the edifice of Notre Dame has been preserved according to Paris officials, with both distinctive bell towers intact.
The same goes for the altar in the cathedral's altar and organ, both of them miraculously spared by the blaze.
Paris' deputy mayor said Notre-Dame's organ, one of the biggest and most famous in the world, remains intact after the fire. The organ dates to the 1730s and was constructed by Francois Thierry. It boasts an estimated 8,000 pipes.
Emmanuel Gregoire told BFMTV that a plan to protect the cathedral's treasures had been rapidly and successfully activated.
Mr Gregoire also described "enormous relief" at the salvaging of pieces such as the purported Crown of Christ.
What about the relics and artwork inside?
Precious relics, such as the Thorn of Crowns which Catholics believe was worn by Jesus at his Crucifixion, were also rescued from Notre Dame even as the flames raged across its roof.
A number of treasured paintings were also being stored in the cathedral, and Paris officials say those too were rescued from the fire.
The same cannot be said of Notre Dame's spire, which dramatically collapsed shortly after the fire began at 7pm on Monday evening.
What caused the fire?
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but it is understood to be an accident linked to renovation works on the cathedral roof.
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into "accidental damage," while one official told the Daily Mail that a "stray flame" could be behind the conflagration.
According to French media reports, all French renovation workers had left the building when the fire broke out.
What happens now?
Paris now faces questions as to why the fire spread so rapidly and whether it could have been prevented.
As it is no secret that Notre Dame had been in a state of disrepair for some time, it will also be claimed that the city should have acted sooner to protect the cathedral from fire hazards.
The organisation carrying out the renovation works is also likely to be questions closely by French prosecutors, but at this stage there is no suggestion of any foul play.
If prosecutors came to believe that that someone had started the fire on purpose then criminal charges would follow.
