The City of London borders the City of Westminster to the west at Temple Bar and the Tower of London to the east and is one of the most interesting areas in the world. The conurbation of London developed from the City of London and the nearby City of Westminster - the two were linked by the Strand by the end of the Middle Ages.
The City of London has evolved from an overcrowded, timber built medieval town with its maze of infested streets and alleyways, into Europe's largest "central business district" and financial district. It is often referred to as just the City or as the Square Mile, as it is approximately one square mile (2.6 kmē) in area.
It is crowded by day and silent at night because the City of London only has a resident population of under 9,000 but it has a daily working population of 311,000.
For centuries it has ruled itself, for the City is a kingdom to itself (with its own police force) in which the Lord Mayor rules with the Mansion House as his home and the Guildhall for public functions. The City itself has two independent enclaves within it - Inner Temple and Middle Temple. These two areas form part of the City and Ceremonial county, but are not governed by the City - this is because, although the Temple lies in the historic Square Mile, it is not of it. Like a kingdom within a kingdom, it owns the land, it stands on and it governs itself.
The size of the City was originally constrained by a defensive perimeter wall, known as "London Wall", which was built by the Romans. Several sections remain visible above ground near the Museum of London, St Alphage, London Wall and the Tower of London.
Not much of the medieval city remains because of the damage inflicted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the damage caused during the Second World War, however, much does still remain of the old city. Sir Christopher Wren was given the task of rebuilding the churches of the city after the fire, of which more than 20 still survive. St Pauls Cathedral, Wren's masterpiece, still dominates the city - even if it has to compete with the blight of the ugly tower blocks which surround it. The Monument still stands to commemorate the Great Fire of 1666. At the eastern edge of the City, the Tower of London still stands magnificent and unmatched - the oldest royal fortress-palace in the world.
The boundaries of the City are marked by black bollards bearing the City's emblem.
Places to see in the City of London:
Fleet Street The Monument Museum of London Bank of England The Tower of London The Old Bailey The Guildhall Temple Church St. Paul's Cathedral
