London 2

London

London began on two small patches of dry land in the middle of a marsh on the north bank of the Thames. That was long before the Romans came. In Roman times it was named Londinium, and was already a thriving centre of trade. Since then London has grown and grown in political and military importance, in trade and wealth.

After the plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London of 1666, much of London was rebuilt under the direction of Christopher Wren. The Industrial Revolution (18^th century) and the advent of the railroads (mid. 19^th ) accelerated its growth. Much was destroyed by air raids in the Second World War, and rebuilding has given parts of London a new vertical, geometrical aspect. It is a multiracial city with large population groups from former British Empire.

Today London covers a greater area than any other city in the world. London has about eight million inhabitants, and it is the capital of England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom and the former British Empire.

London is one of the biggest ports in the world, though it is situated far from the sea. It stands on the river Thames, about fourty miles from its mouth.

London is traditionally divided into several parts: the City, the West End, Westminster and the East End.

The City of London

The City of London is the commercial and financial heart of the UK. The City is roughly the London of the Middle Ages. It is about one square mile in area and only a few thousand people live here. But about half a million people come here to work during the day. The Stock Exchange, the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England are all situated in the City.

The Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral are the main sights located in this district.

The Tower of London was founded by William the 1^st in 1078. Originally it was a fortress, then a prison, a palace, and now it is a museum housing the national Collection of Armour, the Crown Jewels and the Royal Regalia. The Imperial State crown is exhibited in the Tower. It contains about three thousand precious stones; its weight is about sixteen kilos. The orbs and the scepters represent the power of the monarchy that you can feel everywhere here. The Royal Scepter has the largest cut diamond in the world – the 530 carats Star of Africa.

The Tower was the eyewitness of the most tragic and bloody events in British History. Edward the Fifth and his brothers, Charles Stuart, Queen Elizabeth the Fitst, Thomas More, Guy Fawkes and many other prominent Englishmen and women were among the Tower’s prisoners.

The Tower is still guarded by the Yeoman Warders, the famous beefeaters, who wear a traditional 16^th century Tudor uniform. Modern Yeoman Warders (of whom there are about fourty) are still members of the Queen’s bodyguard and are all former warrant officers from Her Majesty’s Forces. Today the beefeaters combine their traditional role with the role of the guides.

Alongside with the beefeaters, for many centuries the Tower has been guarded by the ravens, and these birds are a symbol of the Tower. There is a legend that as long as the ravens are in the Tower, Britain will exist. Fortunately, these respected residents, since the reign of King Charles the Second, have been protected by the royal decree. The ravens are cared for by one of the Yeoman Warders called the Ravenmaster. The wings of the bird are now clipped to prevent them from flying away.

The ancient ceremony of the Keys takes place every night at 10 p.m. and attracts many tourists. At this ceremony, a version of which has been performed nightly for hundreds of years, the outer gates of the Tower are locked and the keys are delivered to the Resident Governor of the Tower.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is also in the City of London. It is a masterpiece of the well-known English architect Sir Christopher Wren. The old building of the Cathedral, founded in 604 and rebuilt several times, was sadly in need of repairs and Christopher Wren was called on to carry out the repairs and alternations. But he was prevented from doing this by the plague and the Great Fire of London of 1666 that destroyed the cathedral.

Only eight years later, after the ruins were cleared away, the new work was begun. It took Wren 35 years to build the Cathedral. When he died he was buried in St. Paul’s.

The Cathedral represents inspiration, beauty and craftsmanship on a grand scale. The architectural style of St. Paul’s is called Baroque, which combines classic lines with a strong sense of dynamic movement. The dome of the Cathedral is 365 feet high; it is the second largest in the world, next to St. Peter’s in Rome.

Beneath the dome there is the celebrated Whispering Gallery, called so because a whisper against the wall can be heard on the opposite side – about 42 metres away. Among the many memorials to famous men within the Cathedral are the tombs of the Duke of Wellington (the Victor of Waterloo) and Admiral Nelson (the hero of Trafalgar).

St. Paul’s Cathedral is still a place of regular Christian services, baptisms, weddings, and special services – some of national importance, for example, the wedding of the Prince of Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer.

Westminster

For nearly one thousand years Westminster has been the seat of Britai