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London is the capital of Great Britain, its political,
economic and commercial centre. It is the chief port
of Great Britain. It is one of the greatest cities of the
world. Its population is about 9 million people. The
origin of the city may be dated as the beginning of
the 1st century A. D, when a tribe of the Celtic family
settled near the Thames. The English are very proud
of the long history of their capital.
London is a real museum of architecture.
Traditionally London is divided into: the City, the
West End, Westminster and the East End.
The City is the heart of London, its financial and
business centre. There's a lot of famous ancient
buildings within the City: St Paul's Cathedral The
City of Westminster The Houses of Parliament and
Westminster Abbey. There are memorials of many
statesmen, scientists and writers in Westminster.
The West End is the centre of London. There are historical palaces,
museums, beautiful parks, large (department stores, hotels,
restaurants, theatres and concert halls in this part of London. One of
the most beautiful palaces is Buckingham Palace, the official residence
of the Queen. The Tower of London, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly
Circus are there.
London is very rich in art galleries.( The National Gallery, The Tate
Gallery)
Cultural life of London would be impossible without the Royal Albert
Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre and a great number
of museums: the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the
Museum of Mankind, Natural History Museum and others.
The Tower of London
You can see the Tower of London from the river
Thames. The Tower is very old. It has a long and cruel
history. It is not just one building. The tall building is the
White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London. The
Bloody Tower is near the river. You do not see blood
there today. But the Bloody Tower has a history of blood
— the blood of men, women and even children. Now the
King and the Queen of Britain do not live in the Tower.
When the Queen is in London, she stays in Buckingham
Palace.
Beefeaters, famous for
their traditional costume,
live In the Tower of
London and protect the
Crown Jewels.
Westminster Abbey
Standing not far from the Houses of Parliament,
Westminster Abbey is a symbol of England. The legend
says that Westminster Abbey was founded by St. Peter
himself. We know that Westminster Abbey was built by
King Edward in 1065. The coronation of all British Kings
and Queens takes place in Westminster Abbey. Some
famous English people are also buried here. The funeral
service for Diana, Princess of Wales took place in
Westminster Abbey in September 1997.
The Houses of Parliament
The famous clock Big Ben stands near the Houses of
Parliament. The country's leaders speak in the Houses
of Parliament .The men and women there are the voice
of the British people. The Houses of Parliament stand
beside the river Thames. You can go on a boat from
Westminster and see London from the river. You can
also see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from
Westminster Bridge.
Big Ben
Tourists in London
always want to visit
Westminster and see Big
Ben. They want to see
the clock in its tower and
to hear the bells. Big Ben
is really a bell. You hear it
every hour. It is a big bell.
It weighs 13,720
kilograms. It Has a deep
tone and you can hear it
on the radio: "This is the
BBC. The time is six
o'clock." And then you
hear the deep boom of
Big Ben six times.
Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the Queen. It was built
in the 18th century and rebuilt later by the architect John Nash. Nash began
his work in 1825, but the palace was not completed until 1837. The first
Queen to live there was the young Queen Victoria.
Above the State Entrance is the central balcony where the Royal Family appear
on occasions of national importance.
The Royal Standard flying over Buckingham Palace is the sign that the Queen
is in the residence. Royal Horse Guards ceremony always arouses the
interest of visitors. They specially come to the Palace gates to watch it.
Madame Tussaud's Life-size
Figures of Famous People
It is one of the sights of London. It's the famous waxworks
museum, which has one of the largest collections of wax
models in the world. Here you can meet the famous, of
course and the infamous: an unforgettable experience.
You can meet great characters of history and art. Here
actors, film stars, pop-singers and sportsmen come face
to face with famous politicians. There is a special place
for the Queen's family: the Queen, her husband, their
children and other members of the Royal family.
The Natural History Museum
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is in the centre of the West
End of London. It was named so in
commemoration of the victorious naval battle
of Trafalgar in 1805, in which Admiral Lord
Nelson was fatally wounded. The Nelson
Column was erected in the 1840s.
On the north side of Trafalgar Square are the
National Gallery and the National Portrait
Gallery. The National Gallery was built in
1824. It contains one of the finest collections
of pictures in the world. There are more than
850 masterpieces of all the European
schools of painting.
In the north-east corner is the well-known church
of St. Martin in-the-Fields. The church was
built in 1222 and rebuilt in 1726.
Trafalgar Square is one of the busiest places in
London.
Trafalgar Square is site of demonstrations and
mass rallies for peace, disarmament and for
working people's rights.
The Tate Gallery.
There is another picture gallery in London
— the Tate Gallery. It was founded in
1897. It is named after its founder
Henry Tate, a sugar manufacturer. The
Gallery has rich collections of pictures
by English artists as well as paintings by
foreign painters. It also has a large
sculpture collection.
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is the
City's greatest monument
and Sir Christopher
Wren's masterpiece. Sir
Christopher Wren was the
most famous of all English
architects. St Paul's
Cathedral was built in
1675—1708. Although
destroyed in World War II,
it exists and is now seen
and used by people.
Parks and Gardens of London
Londoners love their parks and are proud of them. London is very
rich in parks and gardens.
London's parks are full of trees, grass, flowers and water.
The Royal Parks are the property of the Royal family. In central
London they include Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park,
Regent's Park and Kensington Gardens.
Hyde Park is famous for its Speaker's Corner. You can also visit
Regent's Park where you will find London Zoo.
St James's Park, the oldest London park, is very beautiful. Parks
are free in London.
London Zoo
They say exotic animals were
first taken to Britain in the 13 th
century when King Henry III
received a gift of leopards and
elephants. The animals lived in
the Tower of London in a special
place. Later the King of Norway
presented Henry III with a polar
bear. Five hundred years later,
Queen Charlotte was given the
first zebra to come to Britain.
Giraffes have been an attraction
at London Zoo since four of
them arrived in 1839.
Today there are many thousands
of exotic animals at London Zoo.
Covent
Garden
Westminster
Abbey
The Tower of
London
The Houses
of
Parliament
Big Ben
1. It is the biggest fruit and vegetable market – place in Britain. It is now a
lively shopping area, with wine bars, restaurants and theatre.
2. It is the seat of British Parliament, which is officially known as the Palace
of Westminster. It comprises the House of Lords and the House of
Commons.
3. Abbey is a beautiful Gothic building. There are memorials of many
statesmen, scientists and writers in Westminster.
4. It is the oldest of all the royal residences in London. For many centuries it
has been a fortress, the Royal residence, the Royal Mint, the first Royal
Observatory. But it is perhaps most famous for being a prison.
5. Tourists in London always want to visit Westminster and to see it. They
want to see the clock in its tower and to hear the bells. It is really a bell. You
hear it every hour. It is a big bell. It weighs 13.720 kilograms. It has a deep
tone and you can hear it on the radio BBC.