Julie Flavell has written a book titled
When London Was Capital of America. One of the illustrations is a print by
Thomas Malton of The Royal Exchange in 1798. The illustrations I have below are by different artists, but show the same detail. What struck me most, was how much
The Royal Exchange resembled the Khans we saw in Syria. Queen Elizabeth I decided that merchants and traders should have a place other than coffee shops to do business, so the first Exchange was opened in 1551.
Khans had been in use throughout the Ottoman Empire long before that. I am curious to know if the architect of The Royal Exchange had seen sketches of the khans brought back to Britain by traveling traders.
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| The Royal Exchange |
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| The Royal Exchange | |
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| A Khan, Aleppo |
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| Khan off the souk, Damascus | |
