Diocletian's Palace

Diocletian's Palace is an ancient Roman palace and fortress complex in Split, Croatia [1]. It was built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence [1]. About half of the complex was for Diocletian's personal use, with the rest housing the military garrison [1]. The complex was built on a peninsula six kilometres southwest from Salona, the former capital of Dalmatia [1]. The transverse road linking the Eastern gate and Western gate divided the complex into two halves [1]. In the southern half there were more luxurious structures than in the northern section; these included public, private and religious buildings, as well as the Emperor's apartments [1]. The Palace was decorated with numerous 3500-year-old granite sphinxes, originating from the site of Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III [1].