Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 5.8.3

5.8.3

The other edifice in Dehly to which I would draw your attention is what they call the Karuansara of the Princess, because built by the celebrated Begum-Saheb, Chah-Jehan's eldest daughter, of whom I have so often spoken in my history of the late war. Not only this Princess, but all the Omrahs who wished to gain the favour of the old Monarch, embellished the new city at their own expense. The Karuansara is in the form of a large square with arcades, like our Place Royale, except that the arches are separated from each other by partitions, and have small chambers at their inner extremities. Above the arcades runs a gallery all round the building, into which open the same number of chambers as there are below. This place is the rendezvous of the rich Persian, Usbek, and other foreign merchants, who in general may be accommodated with empty chambers, in which they remain with perfect security, the gate being closed at night. If in Paris we had a score of similar structures, distributed in different parts of the city, strangers on their first arrival would be less embarrassed than at present to find a safe and reasonable lodging. They might remain in them a few days until they had seen their acquaintance, and looked out at leisure for more convenient apartments. Such places would become warehouses for all kinds of merchandise, and the general resort of foreign merchants.