Mayor of the palace: Did you mean...?

Qal’eh Dokhar was built by Ardašīr I as a “barrier fortress” during his 3rd century founding of the Sasanian Empire in Iran. The fortress’s third floor housed his royal residence but was eventually...

A 1568 CE watercolour by Georg Hoefnagel of Nonsuch Palace, Surrey. The palace was built as a pleasure residence for Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) from 1538 CE. It was demolished in the 17th century CE.

The 1901 Gatchina Palace Egg by Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920). The egg was given by Tsar Nicholas II (r. 1894-1917) to his mother the Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna. The egg is made of gold and white enamel with...

The Lake Palace of Udaipur, India. Built in the mid-18th century as a summer palace of the Mewar dynasty which ruled Udaipur, one of the Indian princely states.

Homer's Odyssey is an epic poem written in the 8th century BCE which describes the long voyage home of the Greek hero Odysseus. The mythical king sails back to Ithaca with his men after the Trojan War but is...

The island of Kilwa Kisiwani was one of the most important sultanates in the Swahili Coast trade network, linking East Africa to the Arabic world. For over 300 years, gold and ivory passed out of...

The Palace building of Palenque. With the northern half and tower dating to c. 721 CE, the structure is one of the most complex in Maya architecture and its square tower is unique in Mesoamerican sites.

The palace of Knossos, was constructed c. 1700 BCE. In addition to its political function, it was perhaps also designed as an economic and religious centre for the Minoan civilization. Knossos was destroyed for...

A painting of the royal palace at Songdo (Kaesong). Goryeo period (918-1392 CE), Korea.

A model of a palace/fortress structure at Axum, capital of the African kingdom of Axum (1st-8th century CE) on the coast of the Red Sea (modern Ethiopia & Eritrea). (Archaeological Museum of Axum, Ethiopia)