Paris : a photographic exploration of how the city has developed and changed by 
London : everything you ever wanted to know by This article provides a brief history of the city of Moscow, form its founding in 1147, to the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
A comprehensive timeline of the city's history from the 10th century, up until 2017.
Get to know the history of London, from the Roman conquest to the modern day. Discover details and curious facts about the long history of the British capital.
The history of Paris dates back to its foundation by the Parisii. Throughout the centuries, Paris has witnessed countless riots and revolutions.
Gives the history of the city from ancient times to the 20th century.
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. 8.63 million people live in London, which is on the River Thames. London is the biggest city in western Europe, and the world's largest financial centre.
Moscow (Russian: Москва, "Moskva") is the capital city of Russia. 11.5 million people live there (since 1 October 2010), so it is Europe's biggest city. It is also the seventh biggest city in the world. Moscow is an important political, cultural, economic, religious, financial and transportation center.
Check out the main monuments, museums, squares, churches and attractions in this map of Paris. Click on each icon to see what it is.
Check out the main monuments, museums, squares, churches and attractions in this map of London. Click on each icon to see what it is.
Features a plain map of Moscow, as well as an interactive one with information on local attractions.
Check out the main monuments, museums, squares, churches and attractions in this map of Istanbul. Click on each icon to see what it is.
Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century, the Kremlin (built between the 14th and 17th centuries by outstanding Russian and foreign architects) was the residence of the Great Prince and also a religious centre. At the foot of its ramparts, on Red Square, St Basil's Basilica is one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monuments. Features a map, videos and photo gallery.
The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the kingdom. It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power. The Tower of London – an imposing fortress with many layers of history, which has become one of the symbols of royalty – was built around the White Tower. Features a map, videos and photo gallery.
Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site – which also comprises the small medieval Church of Saint Margaret, built in Perpendicular Gothic style, and Westminster Abbey, where all the sovereigns since the 11th century have been crowned – is of great historic and symbolic significance.
A list of some of the most popular attractions and things to do in Paris.
The definitive guide to the essential sights, activities, shopping, restaurants and nightlife in Istanbul.
The number of people living in the UK could have fallen significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. One study suggested 1.3 million foreign-born people may have left the country between 2019 and 2020.
When the UK was an EU member, people from EU countries had an automatic right to work in the UK. Taking control of immigration was one of the key themes of the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum. The new system for work visas will be based on points.
Recent conditions have seen large numbers of migrants travel to the UK in small boats across the English channel, to claim asylum and start a new life. This article lists some of the main places they're coming from and their reasons for fleeing to the UK.
Russia’s natural population decline will set an 11-year record this year as the country’s demographic crisis shows no signs of letting up.
Istanbul's 2021 population is now estimated at 15,415,197. In 1950, the population of Istanbul was 967,497. Istanbul has grown by 224,861 since 2015, which represents a 1.48% annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Istanbul, which typically includes Istanbul's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.
As both a key transit and host country, Turkey’s cities provide critical insights to the experience of refugee urban integration. Since 2011, Turkey has experienced the largest wave of Syrian forced immigration in its history (DGMM), and where many countries of first asylum place refugees in camps on arrival, in Turkey more than 90% of all refugees live in cities. According to the latest official numbers from the Turkish government, since 2011 around 500,000 Syrians have migrated to Istanbul, the largest metropolis in Turkey with a total population of 15 million.
53,000 migrants, some with refugee status, have been evacuated from make-shift street camps in the Paris area over the past four years. Yet the camps keep springing up and hundreds are being forced to sleep rough, as the French authorities fail to find a solution.
The London Housing Strategy sets out the Mayor's plans to tackle the capital's housing crisis and his vision to provide all Londoners with a good quality home they can afford.
The City of London's official site on council and social housing for poorer citizens of London.
An estimated 8.4 million people in England are living in an unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable home, according to the National Housing Federation.
At the end of the 1950s, the Soviet Union began the largest experiment in industrialised housing in history. Owen Hatherley visits three of Moscow’s resulting mikrorayons, where the majority of Muscovites still live today.
In the most extensive Russian resettlement project in half a century, a full 10% of Moscow’s housing is set to be torn down and 1.6 million people moved as the city’s ‘Khrushchevka’ flats are destroyed. But residents won’t go easily.
Photographer Laurent Kronental spent four years documenting the lives of older citizens living in the Grands Ensembles housing estates built around Paris after the second world war for his Souvenir d’un Futur project.
Converted garages, cellars and chambres de bonne are all being rented out illegally in the second most expensive city in the world.
Residents of Sarcelles, one of the French postwar Grands Ensembles projects, are losing vital cultural amenities to more affluent neighbours.
Affordable social housing for low income families have been built in some of the most expensive suburbs of Paris, creating tension between the new residents and the wealthy historic residents.
This article is written by a young man living in a slum in Istanbul, and what his day to day life looks like.
Turkey plays an important role geopolitically, and its most important city, Istanbul, bears the majority of that burden. The government in the only city that spans two continents is currently going through significant changes. Addressing poverty in Istanbul is now at the top of the to-do list. This article includes 10 facts about poverty in Istanbul that will illuminate some of the issues that plague the region and megacities across the world, and will provide some insight into the best ways of tackling them.
Russia is rich in water, boasting 2 million lakes, 210,000 rivers, and a quarter of the earth’s freshwater reserves. Despite the country’s bountiful resources, access to clean water is an issue in many towns and cities. Rampant Soviet-era pollution dirtied Russia’s major waterways, and unchecked dumping of chemicals and wastewater continues today.
As a municipal company, Eau de Paris is in charge of supplying the French capital with quality water in all circumstances. It is the key contact for Parisians for all water-related issues, from catchment to distribution and from production and transportation to customer relations.
Major cities across Turkey face running out of water in the next few months, with warnings Istanbul has less than 45 days of water left. Poor rainfall has led to the country’s most severe drought in a decade and left the megacity of 17 million people with critically low levels of water, according to Turkey’s chamber of chemical engineers.
Istanbul is the city with the most residents in Turkey. It is also the country’s commercial capital. Because of economic growth and the associated job opportunities, the demand for residential housing, office space and municipal infrastructure is growing. Public services like the provision of drinking water are also challenged.
London is mainly supplied by water from the River Thames, the largest river in England. While seventy percent comes from reservoirs from the west of the city, the other thirty percent comes from groundwater, mostly a result of rain that has seeped into the soil. There are many large reservoirs in the metro area that store water until it’s ready to be treated.