Shahjahanabad — Old Delhi — is the 17th-century Mughal city built by Shah Jahan, bounded by the Red Fort on the east and the Jama Masjid at its heart. The narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk were once the most prestigious market street in the subcontinent; today they remain one of the most intense, sensory-overloading urban environments anywhere, with lanes specialising in textiles, spices, wedding supplies, electronics, and street food that has been served from the same spots for generations.
The Jama Masjid — India's largest mosque, built 1644–1656 — overlooks the neighbourhood from a broad flight of steps that becomes a social gathering point on Fridays. The Red Fort marks the eastern end: Shah Jahan's palace complex and the symbolic heart of Mughal power. The street food here is the oldest in Delhi — Paranthe Wali Gali has been frying stuffed parathas since the 1870s; Karim's near the Jama Masjid has been cooking Mughal-style meat dishes since 1913.