Diocletian's Palace, Roman villa in Split, Croatia
This palace is a Roman complex in Split extending over a rectangular area measuring 215 by 180 meters (705 by 590 feet), with four corner towers, four entrance gates, and defensive walls incorporating additional towers. Within the walls stand columned courtyards, underground vaulted chambers, and residential quarters arranged around broad street axes.
Construction started around 295 and lasted about ten years, with the emperor selecting a site near his homeland. After stepping down from the throne in 305, he spent his final years within these walls.
The name comes from Emperor Diocletian, who chose this site as his retreat and shaped the architecture following Roman tradition. Today residents live within the ancient walls, using Roman foundations as cellars and inhabiting houses that adjoin columns and arches directly.
The southern areas with the imperial chambers and ceremonial halls are open to visitors, while the northern part contains residential buildings and shops. A complete walk through the complex takes several hours and leads over paved lanes, into cellar vaults, and up to viewing terraces.
Three Egyptian sphinxes dating from around 1500 BC still stand in the courtyard, brought across the Mediterranean to Dalmatia in antiquity. One of the figures has lost its head, yet its base still displays hieroglyphs that testify to its origin.
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