What is the most luxurious palace in the world. The ten most incredible palaces in the world - the magical appeal of wonderful creations

There are many real masterpieces of architecture in the world that amaze everyone with their beauty. No wonder travelers come from different corners planets in order to see with your own eyes these architectural monuments, transmits the site.

Versailles, France

The Palace of Versailles is a manifestation of the envy of Louis XIV to a stranger. Seeing the possessions of his finance minister, the king was terribly offended and decided that he urgently needed a palace much larger than that of his subordinate. Having engaged for this purpose the same craftsmen who erected the minister's mansion, Louis set the task of building something a hundred times better.

The king did not have time to see his brainchild finally completed - he died in 1715. By that time, the work had been going on for more than 50 years. 30,000 people were employed at the construction site, and despite serious savings (the king demanded that materials be purchased at the most low prices), Versailles cost the treasury 25 million lire. In terms of today's exchange rate, this is 260 billion euros!

Summer Imperial Palace, China

By and large, this palace is secondary to the park in which it stands. Yiheyuan, as the park is called, includes many beauties - it is rather a complex of palaces, temples, all sorts of different buildings and figures. Yiheyuan has a difficult fate - it began to be built in the 15th century, it died several times. In 1860, British and French troops burned everything to the ground.

For almost thirty years, the territory was empty, until Empress Cixi took up the matter, ordering the complex to be rebuilt. Cixi did not spare money: everything that was collected by the treasury for the construction of the navy - almost 1000 kilograms of silver - she lowered into this business. And at the same time she named the residence Yiheyuan, which means "a place of late old age and a return to harmony after the blows of fate."

Louvre, France

Initially, it was a fortress built in the Middle Ages. The palace itself grew up on the site of a hunting ground, hence its name (the Louvre is translated as "wolf forest"). Today it is the most visited museum in the world (up to 10 million people a year). The main attraction of the Louvre (or at least the most famous one) is, of course, Leonardo's Gioconda.

By the way, donated personally by the master. And one more fact that few people know about: the museum itself occupies the first two floors. Some of the premises of the Louvre are workers, the Ministry of Finance of the country is located there.

Alhambra, Spain

This castle, located in the south of Spain, is a Moorish fortress, inside which there are many pools, fountains, incredible halls and courtyards. The Alhambra was built from clay and alabaster, fragile materials, but the ancient builders managed to literally build a castle for centuries. Reddish walls and a huge amount of greenery around - a fantastic combination. The goal of the masters - to build a paradise on earth - by and large is fulfilled.

Potala Palace, China

The huge complex is built on a mountain, towering four kilometers above sea level. The height of the 13-storey palace is 115 meters, it has about a thousand rooms. Potala is a combination of everything in the world: wood, precious stones, gold, stone. Today, monks serve and work there, and the Potala itself is a functioning palace-museum.

Forbidden City, China

For five centuries, the Forbidden City was the residence of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. In addition, all departments were located in it. And there was enough space for everyone - there are almost a thousand buildings on its territory. Its construction lasted for 15 years, involved about a million workers. The palace, surrounded by a moat, was closed to mere mortals. Those who violated this law lost their lives - hence the name "Forbidden City".

Schönbrunn Palace, Austria

This baroque masterpiece was built slowly. The land was bought by the Roman emperor Maximilian II of Habsburg, and for almost a century a hunting ground was equipped there, and the modest castle of the former owners was used as housing. Then, in the 17th century, serious construction began, which lasted for a hundred years intermittently. By the way, the Palace of Versailles was used as a model.

Schönbrunn had its own theater and zoo, the oldest in the world. The walls of the palace saw Napoleon, the birth and death of Emperor Franz Joseph, the bombing of World War II and the British, who set up their headquarters in his chambers after the end of the war in 1945.

Buckingham Palace, Great Britain

"The crown of England does not require such magnificence. Foreign countries may be engaged in jewelry, but England should be proud of its simplicity." The palace was built according to this principle, once again confirming the greatness of the British. Nevertheless, Buckingham's modesty and simplicity are deceptive.

There are 755 rooms inside it, and the palace acts like a real state in the state. Own post office, police station, clinic, cinema, incredible gallery with Rubens and Rembrandt. Buckingham Palace has 300 clocks, and there are two people on staff whose job it is to watch those clocks.

Apostolic Palace, Vatican

The official residence of the Pope consists of the chambers of the pontiff, chancellery, chapels, museums, libraries. There are a total of 1,000 rooms and incredible cultural treasures: for example, The Sistine Chapel and her famous frescoes by Michelangelo.

Mysore Palace, India

Built only at the end of the 19th century, the palace stands in the center of the city of Mysore. It combines several architectural styles at once - Hindu, Muslim and Gothic. Twelve Hindu temples were built on the territory of the entire palace complex. Today, Mysore is visited by a huge number of tourists - more than 2 million annually, and even in the depths of the complex there lives a herd of domestic elephants, which have become no less an attraction than all local buildings.

Pena Palace, Portugal

JoinInfoMedia journalist Kristina Kovtun found out that the palace was once a monastic cloister - in fact, it was built for this. Then the palace experienced a series of shocks - a lightning strike, an earthquake - and fell into disrepair. In the middle of the 19th century, King Ferdinand II took over it, who spent a lot of money to turn the abandoned monastery into another Versailles. It took a lot of money and almost 12 years of work. When Ferdinand died, this splendor changed owners several times until it was finally bought out by the state and turned into a museum.

At one time, when members of the royal family were born, they were allowed to "build" heaven on earth. With a huge amount of funds, they erected heaven on earth. You can see what came of it.

Chambord Castle (de Chambord)

Alhambra

Potala Palace
The history of the Potala dates back to the 7th century, when King Srontzen Gampo ordered the construction of a palace in the center of Lhasa, on Red Mountain. amo word "Potala" comes from Sanskrit, and means " Mystic Mountain". The Potala is located at 3700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, the total area of ​​​​which is more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls are in the Potala. Their number is "where more than a thousand", and there are very few people who could get around them all. The Potala Palace is included in the UN World Heritage Book. The Potala is open to tourists. A few incarnations are not enough to see all its relics and values. ...Today, the Potala is a functioning palace-museum.There are monks who maintain the work of the entire complex.The whole building is divided into the Red and White Palace.A myriad of stone, wood, gold and precious stones were spent on the construction. -what of the Potala can be seen in these photographs.

Palace of Versailles
Located 20 km southwest of Paris, the royal town of Versailles, better known as the Palace of Versailles, is a huge palace built Louis XIV and now one of the most visited tourist places in France.
The idea of ​​building a new castle arose from the king because of the envy he experienced when he saw the castle of his finance minister in Vaux-le-Vicomte. As a result, the king made a firm decision that his palace should, of course, surpass the palace of the minister in luxury. He hired the same team of craftsmen that built Vaux-le-Vicomte, the architect Louis Lévaux, the painter Charles Lebrun and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and ordered them to build something that would surpass the size of the palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte a hundred times. The Palace of Versailles has become the apotheosis of the indulgence of the whims of the French monarchs, and although you may not quite like the environment in which the extravagant and self-loving “Sun King” wished to live, the historical significance of this palace is enormous, the stories associated with it are truly fascinating, and the park around the palace is simply charming.

Summer Palace, China
One of the most famous parks in China is, of course, Yiheyuan Park, Summer Imperial Palace located near Beijing. The park itself dates back to the fifteenth century, over the centuries it was gradually filled with beautiful buildings, something disappeared, something reappeared, several times the Park was severely destroyed and rose again from the ashes. In particular, it was restored in the nineteenth century by Empress Cixi. Today, the Park has been beautifully restored and allows everyone who enters its territory to enjoy the beauty of Chinese nature and architecture.
There are an incredible number of buildings in the park, and all of them are worthy of attention. This is Zhenshuudian - a beautiful building where the emperor lived (there is a beautiful throne), and several other palaces, and many temples - for example, Fosyange Temple (temple of incense smoking to the glory of Buddha). By the way, it is the Foxiangge Temple that is often associated with Yiheyuan Park and is almost its symbol. There are also several pavilions for various purposes, and gates, and many gardens, and the Jade Belt Bridge ...

Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace, located in the immediate suburbs of the capital of Austria, Vienna, until 1918 was the summer residence of the monarchs from the Habsburg dynasty. The palace, as well as the garden around it, is an excellent example of Austrian Baroque architecture and still attracts the attention of a huge number of tourists. The very name of the place (Schönbrunn - beautiful, delightful) fully reflects the expectations that its royal owners put into it.
The history of imperial Schönbrunn begins in 1569, the year the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Maximilian II of Habsburg bought part of the floodplain of the Vienna River between the villages of Meidling and Hietzing in order to turn this area into his hunting ground. Pheasants, ducks, wild boars and even deer were kept here, fish were bred in specially created ponds.
For almost a century, the estate was used as a place for unpretentious country recreation and hunting, and the small Catterburg Castle, which was left from the previous owners, was used as a house for accommodation.
Only by the time of Eleonora Gonzaga (wife of Emperor Ferdinand II) did the first significant reconstructions take place: in 1638-1643, in addition to the castle, a small palace was also built, and a greenhouse appeared in the park.
During the reign of the next emperor, Leopold, here, according to the project of the most famous Austrian architect of the Baroque era, Johan Fischer von Erlach, the construction of a much more grand and extensive building (1696-1712) began. It was intended, however, not for Leopold, but for his son Joseph. Due to well-known financial difficulties (there was a war for the Spanish Succession) and the death of Emperor Leopold, the palace was not completely finished. The next owner of Schönbrunn, Emperor Charles VI, visited here on short trips, and used this palace exclusively as hunting lodge. In the end, he gave it to his daughter Maria Theresa (later also the Empress), whose name is associated with the most brilliant era in the history of Schönbrunn.

mysore palace
The main palace of Mysore was erected in 1897. Then the city of Mysore was the center of the kingdom of Mysore (Mysore / Mysuru). Nowadays, the palace is illuminated in the evening (on Sundays) by 96,000 40-watt bulbs, and darkness reigns around it for contrast. :-) There are many (five or six) Vedic temples on the territory of the palace. I was in one of them (and even bought prasadam there), I really liked it. There is a sense of the presence of God. You can see a short puja... The whole territory of the Mysore palace is very beautiful. Clean and bright. For tourists there are elephant and camel rides. But me more interesting temples. :-) Well, architecture. In the depths of the palace territory there lives a herd of domestic elephants, they can be seen in the photographs. True, it was already dark, and I could not get close to them ...

Pena Palace
Lost in the hills of Sintra and often hidden in a veil of mist and mist, National Palace Pena (Palácio Nacional de Pena) recognized by UNESCO as a monument world heritage humanity and is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. The building of the palace was conceived as a monastery and built by order of King Manuel I. For several centuries it remained a small peaceful monastery, intended for spiritual exercises of no more than eighteen monks. After the building was struck by lightning, and in 1755 it was damaged by an earthquake, the monastery was destroyed and abandoned. In 1838, King Ferdinand II bought old monastery and all the nearby woods and grounds, and began the construction of what is sometimes referred to as an insane fad and fairytale castle, suitable only for Disneyland and completely impractical. Construction began in 1842 and lasted twelve years. After the death of Ferdinand, the palace changed hands several times, until finally in 1910 the state bought it out to turn it into a museum. Today Pena Palace is one of the most visited attractions in Portugal, easily recognizable by its vibrant colors.

Forbidden City
Forbidden City is a complex of buildings in China. Located in the capital Beijing. It is located in the city center, very close to Tiananmen. This complex was built during the Ming government, which ruled China between 1368 - 1644 and into last time Chinese citizen of dynasties. Currently, the Forbidden City is called the Palace Museum. The city is surrounded by walls and a moat. Throughout the city are measured 960 meters long and 760 meters wide. All buildings of this complex are located on the north-south. To the north, the Forbidden City Lunch opens the gate, which is still on the high gate. Around the middle of the complex are followed by a group of ceremonial buildings - the Hall of the Supreme Harmony, which was built in 1627 and which hosted coronation rites, birthdays and New Year celebration of the emperor. In addition to the hall, in perfect harmony, in which the emperor prepared for the ceremony, the hall is the guard of harmony. In addition to the ceremonial part of the private imperial. It is separated from the Gate of Heavenly Purity, and also consists of 3 buildings - the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the residential palace of the Earth world, and is located between Big hall connections. In 1911 it was inaccessible to the Forbidden City. Only after the fall of the dynasty were available for ordinary people. Since 1987 it has been a Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buckingham Palace
The world-famous Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the Queen of England - Her Majesty Elizabeth II. But it's not easy main palace country, not only the place of work of the Queen, where for more than forty years she has served as the head of the British state and the Commonwealth of nations, the supreme commander of the armed forces and the secular head of the Anglican Church. First of all, it is the residence of the English queen and her family. Buckingham Palace

At all times, the palaces, which were the residences of the most powerful people of their time, were examples of majesty, luxury and magnificence. There are hundreds of such buildings in the world, most of which, even in our time, do not cease to amaze the imagination with their beauty, power, history and perfection.

Some of these majestic buildings still fulfill their historical purpose, being the official residences of monarchs or heads of state, while some have become uninhabited, turning into museums, exhibition galleries or places where very wealthy and influential people prefer to hold banquets and all kinds of events.

Palaces with their unique architecture and numerous ceremonial halls, decorated with royal and princely monograms, still retain the spirit of their era. For the construction of their apartments, the monarchs spared neither money, nor time, nor even the lives of their subjects. And, probably, the expression "beauty requires sacrifice" can be safely applied to any of the palaces built for the monarchs of the Middle Ages.

Besides that fairytale palaces kings, emperors and sultans were buried in luxury, they were still built according to the most advanced technologies of their time. Plumbing, sewerage, steam heating, elevators and other, common now, but fantastic in those days, the benefits of civilization, for the most part, first appeared in the palaces of monarchs or their nobles.

In today's issue, we have prepared for you a selection of 10 of the most majestic and luxurious palaces in the world. See photos and descriptions for them.

1. The most majestic and luxurious palaces peace.

2. "Gugong" or "Purple forbidden city» in Beijing, perhaps, can be called one of the most ancient palace complexes. It was built from 1406 to 1420. as the residence of Chinese emperors, covers an area of ​​730 thousand square meters. meters and has 8707 rooms. More than 1 million builders, stone carvers, artists and other specialists were involved in its construction. The Gugun Palace is the first building in the world that did not use stove heating. Heat was supplied to the palace through special pipes from an autonomous boiler room. However, despite the majesty of the palace complex, the forces and means spent on it, the emperors of the Celestial Empire did not really like this residence, preferring to live and work in other palaces. Currently, "Gugong" is national museum China.

3. Castle Potala in Tibet. History of this majestic building goes back to 637 AD, when the Tibetan ruler Songtsen Gampo built his first residence here. In the course of time, the old wooden palace burned down more than once, it was destroyed by the invaders, and, in the end, it completely collapsed. In its place, in 1645, the construction of a new palace complex began, which later became the residence of the Tibetan Dalai Lamas. The construction of the palace continued for 50 years. total area this gigantic structure is 360 thousand square meters. m. Currently, the Potala Palace is both a museum and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world.

4. The largest and one of the most famous museums in the world - Parisian Louvre was once a residence French kings. Initially, in 1190, a fortress was built on the site of the palace, which was completed and modified. In 1317, King Charles V decided to make his residence here. With time old palace began to collapse and the next French monarch - King Francis I from 1528 to 1546 had to rebuild the Louvre and turn it into a magnificent royal residence. Work continued until 1594, when the already new monarch, Henry IV, decided to combine the Louvre with the neighboring Tuileries Palace, creating a majestic palace complex. But the reconstruction of the palace did not end with Henry IV - the monarchs following him, including Napoleon Bonaparte, also had a hand in turning the Louvre into one of the most beautiful palace complexes in the world. The total area of ​​the Louvre is more than 106 thousand square meters. m.

5. Palace and park complex Versailles- one of the most beautiful buildings not only in Europe. The construction of the palace was started in 1661 by King Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King", and continued until 1710. Versailles was the royal residence until 1789 and was rightfully considered a model of architectural elegance and luxury. Myself Royal Palace, as well as its interior decoration, were made by famous sculptors, artists and architects of the "Great Age". Versailles is also famous for its magnificent parks and fountains. The cost of building the palace complex is considered one of the largest in world history. The recalculation of expenses for modern money still baffles both historians and financiers. The amount ranges from 3 billion to 260 billion euros! The total area of ​​the palace complex of Versailles is also impressive - it is more than 100 hectares.

6. Doge's Palace in Venice - majestic monument Italian gothic architecture. It was built between 1309 and 1424. and was not only the residence of the Doge (elected rulers) of the Venetian Republic, but also the office, as they say now, of law enforcement agencies. Here were located Supreme Court, Grand Council with the Senate, the secret police and other influential departments. Gilded staircases, huge halls with elegant stucco, wall paintings and paintings by famous masters amaze with their magnificence and power. The Doge's Palace, together with St. Mark's Cathedral and other buildings, forms the main architectural ensemble of Venice and is one of its main attractions.

7. Since 1837 Buckingham Palace is the official residence of British monarchs. Prior to this, the building belonged to the Duke of Buckingham, who built it in 1703. In 1762, the palace was purchased by King George III for his private residence and underwent a series of dramatic changes. Officially, the palace became royal in 1837 with the accession to the British throne of Queen Victoria. The queen, after whom an entire era in art is named, naturally could not help but make her own changes to the architecture and interior decoration of the palace. During the years of her reign, additional structures were added to the main building and even the Marble Arch, the main entrance to the royal residence, was moved. Today, the hostess of Buckingham Palace is the current Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, who has been on the British throne for over 60 years. The territory of the royal estates, where Buckingham Palace is located, is 20 hectares, 17 of which are occupied by gardens. The palace has 775 rooms. Two months a year (August-September) Buckingham Palace is open to tourists.

8. Palace and park complex Peterhof according to the plan of Peter I was to become the most luxurious royal summer residence, comparable to magnificent palaces European monarchs. Its construction began in 1714 under the personal guidance of the king and partly according to his sketches. Already in 1723, the grand opening of Peterhof took place, but for many years the palace complex was completed and rebuilt, new fountains and parks were erected, the Sea Canal was dug and new palaces Monplaisir and Marly were built. What Peter I started was brilliantly completed by his descendants. Peterhof is one of the most beautiful palace complexes not only in Russia but also in Europe. Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War Peterhof was plundered by the Nazi invaders and partially destroyed. Thanks to the efforts of Soviet and later Russian historians, architects and artists, palace and park complex was restored and is now a museum-reserve. For majesty, elegance and luxury, Peterhof is often called the Russian Versailles.

9. Prague Castle or, as it is also called, Prague Castle can rightfully be considered one of the world's largest official presidential residences. Previously, the castle was the residence of the Czech monarchs, but now it is the workplace of the President of the Czech Republic. The emergence of the fortress is associated with the foundation of Prague. The castle is located on a high hill, which made it impregnable for enemies. The construction of the Prague Castle began in 1135 by Prince Sobeslav I with the erection of the first stone princely palace. Then, over the centuries, the castle grew, eventually turning into a majestic residence of Czech monarchs and some emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, which at one time included the territory of the Czech Republic. Prague Castle underwent significant changes and reconstruction during the reign of Emperors Charles IV and Ferdinand I. Until the very end of the 20th century, the castle area was closed to the public, but with the coming to power in 1989 of Czech President Vaclav Havel, the doors of the palace halls and parks were opened to the public. Prague Castle is considered a unique building of Gothic architecture and a treasury of artistic and historical treasures of the Czech Republic.

10. Castle Dolmabahce, located on the European side of the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, used to be the official residence of the Ottoman sultans, but now this majestic building houses the residence of the Prime Minister of Turkey. The palace was built from 1842 to 1853. for Sultan Abdulmecid I, who wished to have a baroque palace, not inferior in luxury and sophistication to the residences of European monarchs of the 18th century. Dolmabahce, which in Turkish means "mound garden", has changed more than once. Each new sultan contributed to its improvement, expansion, exterior decoration and rich interiors. For several decades, the palace complex has grown so much that its total area was 45 thousand square meters. meters. It is known that the decoration of the interiors and the Crystal Staircase of the palace took about 14 tons of gold, and the total cost of construction amounted to more than 5 million gold pounds - at that time this was a huge amount. Among the main attractions of Dolmabahce are a 5-ton Bohemian glass chandelier donated by the British Queen Victoria, as well as a collection of paintings by the great Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky, made by him specially by order of the Sultan. After the fall of the monarchy, the first president of the Turkish Republic and the leader of the nation, Ataturk, lived and worked in the palace. After his death, Dolmabahce became a museum. In 2007, the Turkish Parliament returned the palace complex to a political function, making it the official residence of the Prime Minister in Istanbul.

11. cannot be bypassed and modern palaces and the residences of the rulers, built in our time and shining with no less luxury and splendor than their medieval "brothers". Among the modern palace complexes, the residence stands out Sultan of Brunei Hassanala Bolkiah - Istana Nurul Iman(in translation - "Palace of Light"), which today is one of the most luxurious and majestic residences of modern rulers. The palace complex is located in the capital of Brunei - the city of Bandar Seri Begawan and serves as the official residence of the head of state. The palace also houses the apartments of the Sultan himself and his family members. In addition, there are government offices and a mosque that can accommodate 1.5 thousand people. As the world's largest residential residence for a sitting head of state, the Istana Nurul Iman Palace is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The total area of ​​the building is more than 200 thousand square meters. meters. It has 1788 rooms, 5 swimming pools, a banquet hall for 4 thousand people, 18 elevators, an underground garage for 153 cars and stables for 200 horses. The palace also houses a collection of paintings by famous painters, including a Renoir painting purchased by the Sultan in 1980 for $70 million.

In the next issue, we will introduce you to other no less majestic, luxurious and famous palaces and residences of rulers of different eras.

Often the residences of the heads of state are located in historically significant buildings, the architecture of which is particularly beautiful. After all, the presidential palace is the first thing high-ranking guests see when they arrive in the country. Where are the most beautiful residences - read in our material

White House (USA)

The White House is probably one of the most famous buildings in the world. However, the residence in which almost all the presidents of the United States lived and worked was not always called that. The construction of the building ended in 1800, and until 1901 it was officially called the “Presidential Palace” or “Presidential Mansion”.

Palace of Nations (Tajikistan)

Another snow-white building of national importance is located in Dushanbe and is called Kokhi Millat. Here, President Emomali Rahmon receives official guests and resolves state issues. However, getting inside common man you won’t succeed: you can only look at the palace from the side - for example, walking along the square, where one of the highest flagpoles in the world is installed.

Akorda (Kazakhstan)

The residence of Nursultan Nazarbayev is one of the most significant buildings in Astana. Despite the fact that the palace was built in just three years, Akorda has taken an important place in the life of the capital and even entered the list of the most beautiful presidential palaces in the world. Unlike the Palace of Nations, Akorda can be viewed from the inside, but only on those days when the head of state is away, and only with an official tour.

Presidential Palace (UAE)

The new palace of President Khalifa Nahyan is located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi. The building is still under construction. The palace complex will include a main building with conference rooms, press rooms, dining areas and more, as well as two separate wings - for Supreme Council and to house ministers.

Prague Castle (Czech Republic)

At the moment, the fortress is the residence of the President of the Czech Republic, and once the kings and emperors of the Roman Empire were located here. Prague Castle is considered the most large residence in the world. One of its brightest ceremonies is the solemn changing of the guard, which takes place daily. Prague Castle is open to tourists: appreciate the scale of the big castle You can buy a tour ticket.

Kremlin Palace (Russia)

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the city and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This active fortress is considered the largest in Europe.

It is possible to get into the residence: there is a museum-reserve on the territory of the palace, which organizes excursions around the Moscow Kremlin.

Palace complex "Oguzhan" (Turkmenistan)

Oguzhan replaced the old presidential palace. The construction of the complex took three years, and the incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became its first owner. The palace has many halls for receiving officials. In addition, there are separate rooms for press conferences and various cultural events.

Unity Palace (Cameroon)

The residence of the President of Cameroon is located in the capital of the republic - Yaounde. Surrounded by green spaces, on one of the hills rises the Unity Palace - a bright architectural structure Cameroon. It represents high building surrounded by rectangular columns. And immediately opposite is a beautiful fountain complex.

Taiwan Presidential Palace

The residence of the President of the Republic of China is located in Taipei. The beautiful red and white brick building was built back in 1919 and previously served as the home of the Governor General of Taiwan. The building was bombed, but was successfully restored and in 1950 it was officially declared the presidential palace.

Presidential Palace in Ghana

The flagpole house, located in Accra, the capital of Ghana, is officially the residence of the president. The building was renovated and reopened in 2008. Now the current president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, lives and works there.

Based on site materials

The palace is a monumental building that has housed royal families or heads of state, high-ranking dignitaries and bishops. The word itself comes from "prince's court". Over time, the most important public buildings began to be called palaces.

The earliest known are the royal residences of the Egyptian pharaohs at Thebes (in Karnak). IN East Asia, in Thailand, Japan and China, the imperial chambers consisted of many low pavilions surrounded by a huge garden, in contrast to the single building of medieval Europe.

Palaces of Europe

In France there was a clear distinction between palaces and castles. The palace has always been located in the city, as the royal residence of the Palais de la Cite, or popes in Avignon. The castle, on the contrary, is in the countryside, and had fortifications. An exception can be called - the residence of the king of France outside the city, but on French this estate is called Château de Versailles, and the official residence was the Louvre, devoid of defensive architecture, as it was completely surrounded by the city. Bishops also had palaces in the city and castles in the provinces. The same division was in Italy, Spain, Austria. IN Germany the distinction was not always respected.

IN England, by tacit agreement, there were no restrictions on the use of the name from the location. However, not everyone could be so majestically named as the residence of the British monarchs. So, the Beaulieu Palace got its name when it was acquired by Henry VIII. Blenheim Palace was built on the site of an abandoned royal estate in Woodstock, thanks to which he inherited the honor of bearing such a name. Set in the countryside, it clearly demonstrated that the "palace" had no specific urban restrictions in England.

IN Italy any urban mansion built with pomp was called a palace. It was not at all necessary to be a nobleman, many ancient mansions in Venice belonged to the patrician class. In the Middle Ages, they were also used as warehouses, commercial establishments, or residences.

palaces Spain amaze with their splendor. One of them is the Royal House in Madrid. Its decor and design is definitely a must see when traveling in Spain. Architecture is unparalleled: it seems to have absorbed the talent of thousands of architects of all known styles. The Royal Apartments amaze not only with their beauty, but also with their size. It is the largest palace in Europe with nearly 3,000 rooms. Currently, it is open to tourists, and the royal family lives in the small estate of Zarzuela. Special attention deserve Seville Alcazar(an elegant mixture of Moorish and European styles), the Alhambra, royal residence Aranjuez.

palaces Ukraine appeared much later. The rulers built estates for themselves in the form of castles and estates, following the architectural traditions of Europe. A striking example- - the estate of the Russian Emperor Alexander III in the French style of the times of Louis XIII. By order of Count Vorontsov, an English architect designed a mixture of Scottish and English Gothic with Moorish architecture. Razumovsky's estate - a large architectural and park complex - was built according to the project of Cameron. The Potocki Palace - one of the largest in Europe in the classical style - was designed by the French architect La Croix, interior decoration- Dutchman Merckx.

Palaces of Asia

IN China an excellent example of traditional architecture is the imperial residence in the center of Beijing, the largest residential complex in the world. Other examples are the Summer Residence, in the suburbs of Beijing, and Mukden, in Shenyang. Presidential palace in Nanjing displays European-influenced architecture. Unlike the massive buildings of Europe, the palaces and castles of China consist of many large and small buildings with parks and courtyards.

India became the birthplace of a large number of palaces and vast empires. The history of India has many dynasties that ruled in different parts of the country. Although most of the buildings from the ancient period have been destroyed, some medieval buildings have been restored. These magnificent buildings are an example of the great achievements of architects and engineers of that time. Floating flowers in huge fountains and magnificent pools, Doric columns, decorative brackets and stairs, pouring light in large windows - in India there are the most interesting ancient fortresses and palaces with truly royal grandeur, splendor and splendor. The Rajputs ("sons of the rajah") were known as brave soldiers who preferred to die rather than be captured. They were also great connoisseurs of art and brilliant builders.