For those who are preparing a visit to Golestan Palace: Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (king of Persia & the man behind the design of Golestan Palace) has written a travelogue about his visit to Europe in 1873. It was translated in English and many other languages. A copy can be found here:
https://ia902205.us.archive.org/11/items/diaryofhmshahofp00nasiuoft/diaryofhmshahofp0 0nasiuoft.pdfI found it a very pleasant read, almost like a 19th century travel blog! He especially admires the technological advancements in Europe, but also has an eye for lions etc in zoo's. His journey was somewhat of a Grand Tour, via Russia, Prussia, Belgium, England, France, Italy back to Turkey. He also visited numerous sites that now are WHS (I've made a new
Connection for it), plus a cute near-miss of Kew ("It is a very large garden, but we did not go inside.").
Several of his observations could have been made by any curious traveller from the Orient, but he was really travelling among the highest aristocrats, as proved by this fragment:
"We have to go to Windsor Castle, the residence of Her Most Exalted Majesty Victoria, Sovereign of England, which is one hour's journey by rail."