LONDON

Zeynep EREREN
19 Nis 2021
4 dakikada okunur

London which stands on River Thames in the south-east of England is the capital and largest city of England and United Kingdom. London is one of the world's most important global citiesand had a population of 8.982 million in 2019. The London metropolitan area is the third-most populous in Europe, after Istanbul and Moscow metropolitan area, with 14,040,163 inhabitants in 2016. It exerts a considerable impact upon the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transportation. London has a various range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region.

London has been a major settlement for two millennia, and was originally called Londinium, which was founded by the Romans. Although there is evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans. With the collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century the walled city of Londinium was abandoned. From around 500, an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly west of the old Roman city. By the 11th century, London was beyond all comparison the largest town in England. After winning the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy was crowned King of England in the newly completed Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. In the 12th century, the institutions of central government, which had hitherto accompanied the royal English court as it moved around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed in one place. In the mid-14th century the Black Death stroked London causing the city to lost nearly a third of its population. On 6 July 2005 London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics, making London the first city to stage the Olympic Games three times.

Tourism in London

London is one of the world's leading tourism destinations, and the city is home to multiple famous tourist attractions. The city attracted 20.42 million international visitors in 2018, making it one of the world's most visited in terms of international visits. Here are a few of the notable attractions and places you should visit in London:

British Museum

British Museum is one of the most visited tourist attractions in London. It is a public institution dedicated to human history, art and culture. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. It was the first public national museum in the world. The museum's exhibition includes some famous objects from other countries like Greece, Rome and Egypt. If you are into human history you should visit British Museum.

Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Palace is on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London. The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century, the Old Palace, a medieval building-complex was destroyed by fire in 1834, its replacement, the new palace, stands today.

The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and, for ceremonial purposes, holds its original status as a royal residence. The remainder of Westminster continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England and also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. The Palace of Westminster has three main towers. Of these, the largest and tallest is the Victoria Tower. At the north end of the Palace rises the most famous of the towers, Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace. The shortest of the Palace's three principal towers, the octagonal Central Tower stands over the middle of the building.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The palace is Located in the City of Westminster, and is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. The building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become a world-famous symbol of London. As a result, it is sometimes confused with London Bridge. The bridge contains two bridge towers, which are 65m high each, tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

Tower of London

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression. It served as a royal residence as a grand palace in its early history. The castle was also used as a prison from 1100 to 1952.

London Eye

The London Eye is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3 million visitors each year. The structure is 135 metres tall and the wheel's diameter is 120 metres. When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world's tallest ferris wheel.