An abandoned 19th-century French theater that lies in the south of Paris was named after the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Napoleon III theater at Fontainebleau Palace was left in disarray for more than a century before being spotted by Al Nahyan during a state visit to France in 2007. The Emirati royal was so mesmerized by the place he decided to donate €10 million ($11.2 million) to fund its refurbishment and complete renovation.
The donation was officially sent to the project's managers from the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi.
After a 12-year long renovation that entered its final stages in 2017, the theater is officially ready to welcome the public.
The inauguration of the historic landmark is expected to take place in the next few weeks and will be hosted by French Culture Minister Franck Riester. The UAE's Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is one of many who will be in attendance.
According to Gulf News, the restoration process that transformed the theater preserved 80 percent of its original material, with "the opulent central chandelier - three meters high and 2.5 meters wide" - restored to its condition before the place was abandoned.
The theater was built between 1853 and 1856 under the reign of the nephew of Emperor Napoleon I. It officially opened to the public in 1857 but was only used a few times, hosting "a dozen performances between 1857 and 1868, each attended by around 400 people."
The stage was abandoned in 1870 after the fall of Napoleon III and was rarely brought to attention until now.
The Fontainebleau Palace, which houses the performance area, "is a classified UNESCO World Heritage Site."
In a statement he made following the theater's renovation, the head of the Palace, Jean-François Hebert, said:
"While it had been forgotten, the theatre was in an almost perfect state. Let us not waste this jewel, and show this extraordinary place of decorative arts."
Short shows or recitals are now expected to be occasionally held at the theater as its fragile state cannot handle large performances. There will also be regular guided tours that will allow visitors to discover the site, including the stage sets.