French UAE expats 'shocked beyond words' over Notre Dame fire

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Kaya Scott’s kids in front of Notre Dame hours before the fire started.
Kaya Scott's kids in front of Notre Dame hours before the fire started.

Abu Dhabi - Olivier Faichou, a French consultant, said it was a huge loss not only to France but to the whole world.

by

Anjana Sankar

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Published: Wed 17 Apr 2019, 8:34 PM

Last updated: Thu 18 Apr 2019, 9:35 AM

 When former Dubai expat Kaya Scott planned a holiday to France last week, a visit to the Parisian landmark Notre Dame was a must do in her itinerary. But hours after she and her three kids went in and admired the beauty and the grandeur of the 12th-century cathedral, it went up in flames.
"We were at Notre Dame with the kids, which was really special as we explained how important a part it is of the Parisian landscape, and how beautiful architecturally," said Scott who is still in Paris. "We were stunned to learn that just a few hours later, a fire destroyed the spire that we were admiring. A very sad day here in Paris - the weather is cold and grey to match the mood here in Paris."
For many French expats in the UAE, it was "shocking beyond words" to watch raging flames ripping through the Notre Dame, one of Paris' most popular landmarks.
The 12th-century cathedral was gutted on Monday when a massive fire broke out, which quickly spread through the spire that soon collapsed.
"What I saw was unbelievable. I am extremely sad," said Anne Cabanel, a French expat living in Dubai for the last 19 years. "I called my family and my parents and they were in shock. They said what happened to Notre Dame was almost inconceivable."
Cabanel, who moved to the UAE 19 years ago, has many memories attached to Notre Dame. "I have been there many times. I still remember my first time inside the cathedral when I was 20 years old. I had just finished reading Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and I was massively impressed by its architecture.
"It is comforting to see the support that has poured from all over the world. It is touching to see our sentiments being echoed by so many people," she added.
Expressing shock at the devastation, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted: "The world witnessed a terrible night with the burning of the historic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. We stand by our French friends and mourn the damage inflicted on one of the oldest and the most famous world heritage landmarks."
Anne Laurent, another French expat, said "it was horrible and saddening".
"Even last month when I was in Paris, I had strolled in front of the cathedral. At that time, I thought it was going to be there forever. Notre Dame is part of Paris. Whenever you see a picture of the cathedral somewhere, you get connected," said Laurent, who is an entrepreneur in Dubai. She said the horrible sight of the cathedral going up in flames reminded her of the people in Syria and Iraq. "I started thinking what they would have felt when their cultural and heritage sites get bombed and destroyed in the war. It is an irreparable loss."
Olivier Faichou, a French consultant, said it was a huge loss not only to France but to the whole world. "There were hundreds of years of history inside that cathedral. Everything is lost. It saddens me beyond words."
anjana@khaleejtimes.com


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