The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster is a building on the banks of the Thames in London’s Westminster district, where meetings of the British Parliament are held. It connects with Trafalgar Square, Whitehall Street. The architectural style is neo-gothic. Originally, until 1529, he served as the capital residence of the English kings. After the fire of October 16, 1834, the palace was rebuilt according to the neo-Gothic design of Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The Westminster Reception Hall (1097), where the Westminster Courts sat, and the Tower of Jewels (built to store the treasury of Edward III) remained from the medieval palace. The palace has 1,100 rooms, 100 stairs and 5 kilometers of corridors. Of the palace towers, the most famous is the clock tower of Elizabeth (Big Ben) – the symbol of Great Britain. Victoria Tower is two meters higher, its height is 98.45 m (323 feet). In 1987, the palace and the nearby church of Saint Margaret (1486-1523) were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.