Top 10 Largest Palace Complexes in Human History by Footprint

Interesting Facts

• The Forbidden City, while famous, is smaller in total footprint compared to ancient precursors, demonstrating a shift toward compact, walled layouts.
• Ebang Palace (Qin Dynasty), though never finished, has revealed through modern excavations that its sheer scale surpasses the inner walls of the Terracotta Army site, supporting historical accounts.
• The scale of these palaces generally correlates with the degree of centralization of the empire, with Roman, Han, and Tang architectural projects dominating their respective eras.