World gets first glimpse of restored Notre Dame, 5 years after devastating fire at Paris cathedral

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday led a televised tour of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, five years after a devastating fire swept through the centuries-old structure.

The live images showed the restored structure as worshippers might have experienced it in previous centuries – its wide, open spaces filled with bright light that illuminated the vibrant colors of the stained glass windows, according to the Associated Press.

The official re-opening ceremony for cathedral, built in the 12th Century, is set for Dec. 7 and will be followed the next day with a Catholic Mass and the public being invited back inside. However, the monument's exterior is still under construction.

Macron in his remarks praised the efforts to the restoration workers on the iconic cathedral, whose formal name is Notre-Dame de Paris.

"I am so deeply grateful, France is so deeply grateful," he said, according to the BBC.

He also said the workers "brought Notre Dame back."