Built in 1163. Took 200 years to complete. It survived revolutions, plagues and world wars.

and now, on the evening of April 15, 2019, the Notre Dame in Paris burns.

The world stands helpless as history disappears before our eyes.

The Notre-Dame is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Ile de la Cite in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture for its innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttress and the enormous colorful rose windows.

With flames running through the entirety of its inside of the cathedral there was little time to lose. Firefighters rushing in, looking for whatever they could grab and carry to safety. Paris's deputy mayor for tourism told CBS "we made a human chain, with our friends from the church... to get in, as quick as possible, to get all the relics".

Among the many items they saved was the crown of thorns that followers believed was worn by Jesus before his crucifixion. A majority of the items will be sent to the Louvre to be held. Some items, however, were lost in the flames like the remains of Saint Genevieve and Saint-Denis.

A lot of emphases is being made on how the cathedral itself was an emblem. Many of the churches features were new at the time of its construction and it can be considered iconic gothic aspiration. Stained glass was new, flying buttresses and even Gothic architecture itself. It is still unsure the condition of the cathedrals stained glass masterpieces. Even if the fire didn't come all the way down, the heat will still have impacted the glass and the material that keeps the panels together.

Symbolically, after the flames were put under control, a cross was still standing alone (intact) in the chancel surrounded by the charred walls.

The idea that such a piece of art and history could withstand many years but then be taken away in a single fire is heartbreaking. The beauty of the cathedral and all its glory will not be forgotten. While around 30 people have been questioned after the fire, the investigators are not allowed to enter the monument yet for safety reasons. Everyone is still questioning just how the fires started.