4 days before Notre-Dame Cathedral caught on fire, 16 statues were removed from the top

On Thursday — just days before the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France became engulfed in a massive fire — a group of religious statues was taken down from the top of the building for the first time in over a century as a part of repairs to the building's spire, the Associated Press reports.

Read more: 12 photos that show the glorious history of the 800-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral, which survived multiple wars and is now burning to the ground

The iconic church in Paris, France became engulfed in a massive fire on Monday. Although it remains unclear what caused the fire, firefighters said the blaze may be "potentially linked" to renovations to the building, per Huffington Post France.

Construction has been ongoing over the last few years. 

On Thursday, a 100-meter-high (105-yard) crane was used to lower 16 copper statues representing the 12 apostles and four evangelists. The figures, each standing at just under 10-feet tall, were brought to the ground and then sent to southwestern France to be worked on as a part of the restoration.

The project to repair the building's spire and work on the statues cost 6 million euro ($6.8 million) the Associated Press reported. On Monday, the iconic spire caught fire, causing the building's frame to set ablaze. 

Before the fire, the cathedral was in the midst of comprehensive renovations, which were estimated to cost $150 million euro ($169 million), per the New York Times. 

According to a 2017 article from the New York Times, the church, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries had undergone significant renovations in recent years.

Read more: Heartbreaking photos show the 800-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burning to the ground

The Times spoke to cathedral spokesperson André Finot in 2017, who said the building needed repairs in many facets — statues, beams, gargoyles, and the flying buttresses that are integral to the building's structure. 

"Everywhere the stone is eroded, and the more the wind blows, the more all of these little pieces keep falling," Finot said. "It's spinning out of control everywhere."