Palaces

The "Versailles of the Jungle" built by a dictator is now a decaying shadow of its hubristic grandeur.

This elegant Colombian fortress was one of the torture headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition.

After this one-of-a-kind palace was built the architect's hands are said to have been cut off to keep it that way.

Standing proud atop a Turkish bluff, this Ottoman palace has retained its grandeur despite being abandoned for centuries.

More than half of this Indian palace is drowned but it looks all the more spectacular for it.

The palace of the King of Kings, burned by Alexander the Great.

This former monument to an invented Iraqi victory was turned into a military camp during the subsequent invasion.

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.

The city-sized home palace of one of ancient Egypt's most powerful rulers gives us a rare look into the lives of the epoch's rulers.

The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

The 953 windows undoubtedly make this the world's most beautiful screened porch.

King Ludwig I's collection of beautiful women.

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

A model village fit for an emperor.