What is the biggest palace in the world? (Ranked in 2024)

What is the biggest palace in the world? (Ranked in 2024)

The biggest palaces in the world are among the most stunning, magnificent, and rich structures in existence. They are among the most popular tourist destinations, and they offer a glimpse of stunning grandeur, giving visitors a chance to go back in time and experience life when kings, queens, or emperors once lived.

What is the biggest palace in the world
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It's difficult to identify the biggest palace in the world. There is no accepted standard, and many various factors are considered when defining what is biggest. For instance, there is the largest residential palace in the world, both in terms of floor space and overall area.

Which is the largest castle in the world?

These are the top largest palaces in the world by area.

1. Forbidden City

The Forbidden City, also known as Zijincheng in Chinese, is an imperial palace located in Beijing, China. Its construction was ordered by Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty in 1406; however, the court initially took possession of it in 1420. It was so named because access to the area was barred to most of the subjects of the realm.

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Biggest castles
The Forbidden City of China. Photo: zhangshuang
Source: Getty Images

2. Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid or Palacio Real de Madrid in Spanish is the formal house of the Spanish royal family in Madrid. The palace has 3,418 rooms and a floor area of 135,000 m2 (1,450,000 ft2), making it the biggest palace in Europe by floor space.

Largest castles
Palacio Real de Madrid. Photo: Malcolm P Chapman
Source: Getty Images

3. Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is a dzong fortress in Lhasa, Tibet. From 1649 to 1959, it served as the Dalai Lamas' winter home. Since then, it has been a museum and a World Heritage Site since 1994. The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the bodhisattva Avalokitevara's legendary residence.

The Potrang Karpo
The Potrang Karpo. Photo: Matteo Colomb
Source: Getty Images

4. Palace of Olowo of Owo

Which palace is the biggest in Africa? The Olowo's palace, Aghọfẹn Ọlọghọ, is the largest in Africa. The federal government of Nigeria has designated it a national monument, and it is situated in Owo, a local government area in Ondo State. The palace has 100 courtyards, referred to as Ugha, each of which has a particular purpose and is dedicated to a different deity.

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Palace of Olowo of Owo
Palace of Olowo of Owo. Photo: @Adewale Olatubosun Olagbaiye Doherty
Source: Facebook

5. Windsor Castle

What is the largest palace in the UK? Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It represents nearly a thousand years of architectural history and is closely linked to the English royal family and subsequent British royal families.

Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle. Photo: stockcam
Source: Getty Images

6. Istana Nurul Iman

Where is the world's largest residential palace? The Istana Nurul Iman serves as the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the administrative centre for Brunei. The palace sits a few kilometres southwest of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital city, on a spread of green hills beside the Brunei River.

Istana Nurul Iman
Istana Nurul Iman. Photo: @cheygotravel
Source: Instagram

7. Châtea de Versailles

The Châtea de Versailles is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV in Versailles, Paris, France. It has an area of 2,014 acres or 8,150,265 square meters (87,728,720 square feet). It has 67,002 square meters (721,206 square feet) of floor space and is strategically considered the best palace in the world.

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Châtea de Versailles
Châtea de Versailles. Photo: Thierry Monasse
Source: Getty Images

8. Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The palace, which is in Westminster, is frequently the focal point of official events and royal hospitality.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace. Photo: NurPhoto
Source: Getty Images

Who owns the world's largest palace?

The Palacio Real de Madrid is considered the largest in terms of floor space. The Spanish government owns it, and the Patrimonio Nacional, a government organization under the Ministry of the Presidency, manages the palace. It is currently open to the public, except when there are official events, albeit it is so big that only a few rooms are always on the visiting path, and that route is switched about every few months.

There are different ways to determine the biggest palace in the world as many nations have their own criteria to determine the measurements. However, the list contains some of the top places with the largest area.

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