PARIS (AP) — Notre Dame Cathedral, which will reopen to the public after 5 p.m. on Sunday five-year restoration after one devastating firestands as a jewel of Gothic architecture, a symbol of Paris and a tourist mecca.

But behind the grandeur of the cathedral, which took 182 years to build between the 12th and 14th centuries, lie some surprising stories. From medieval myths to modern-day mysteries, here are five special things you need to know about this Paris monument:

The heart of France, literally

The importance of Notre Dame goes beyond its architecture and history; it is literally the point where all roads in France begin.

In front of the cathedral, embedded in the cobblestones, lies a modest bronze and stone plaque with the inscription ‘point zéro des routes de France’, meaning ‘starting point of the roads of France’. This plaque marks the starting point for measuring distances between Paris and other cities across the country.

While the plaque was installed in 1924, the idea of ​​a national ‘ground zero’ dates back to 1769. King Louis

The great gargoyle myth

Those creepy stone creatures on Notre Dame may seem ancient, but they are not all what they seem. The actual gargoyles, which are monster-shaped gutters used to drain rainwater, have existed since the cathedral was built. But the dramatic, monstrous figures often depicted in postcards and movies are chimeras, and they are much newer.

In the 19th century, the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who was responsible for the renovation of the then-derelict building, added these creatures to increase the mystique of the cathedral. Viollet-le-Duc was inspired by Victor Hugo’s famous book ”The Hunchback of Notre Dame” to create these demonic animal figures with personified expressions.

How can you tell them apart? Gargoyles resemble horizontal points emerging from the facade and have holes in their spouts through which water can drain.

A revolutionary makeover

During the French Revolution, which saw waves of protest against the Church, Notre Dame was not exactly treated as a respected cathedral. In 1793, revolutionaries stripped it of its religious symbols and renamed it “Notre-Dame de la Raison” (Our Lady of Reason).

Instead, the cathedral hosted festivals celebrating the ideas of science and the Enlightenment, and for a short time it was even used as a wine warehouse.

Religious services resumed in 1795 and Notre Dame regained its sacred status under the impetus of French Emperor Napoleon I, who held his coronation there in 1804, immortalized in a famous painting by Jacques-Louis David.

The beheaded kings who returned centuries later

In 1792, revolutionaries also beheaded 28 statues from the facade of Notre Dame, mistaking them for French monarchs. They were actually ancient kings of Judah, biblical ancestors of Jesus. The heads were thought to be lost forever, possibly destroyed or sold as building material.

But in 1977, workers renovating a courtyard in Paris’s 9th arrondissement discovered hundreds of fragments of stone sculpture. Experts confirmed that these were the missing heads of the kings of Notre Dame. How they ended up buried there remains a mystery.

Today, 22 of the heads have been restored and are on display at the Cluny Museum in Paris. Their discovery is considered one of the most remarkable archaeological finds in the city’s modern history.

A fiery wake-up call about lead dust

The 2019 fire that nearly destroyed Notre Dame revealed a serious health risk. When the flames melted the roof, tons of toxic lead dust were released into the air and settled throughout Paris.

The problem? Authorities discovered that there were no rules for measuring the danger of lead dust outdoors. This wasn’t just a Paris issue; major cities like London and Rome, and even the World Health Organization, have no guidelines for outdoor lead pollution.

The fire at Notre Dame exposed a hidden problem, forcing officials to take a closer look at their safety standards. It took four months for the city to complete a project thorough cleaning of the sidewalks even as tourists, residents and merchants walked the streets around the cathedral every day.

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