Here's how 7 palaces that marked history looked then and how they stand today.

What is a palace and how is it different from a castle? Both have served as royal residences and the words are often used interchangeably. However, castles are primarily military buildings and secondarily homes. Palaces, on the other hand, are mainly residences, opulent homes.

Now, in modern times, we no longer have to worry about wandering armies, rival dynasties, and rebellions - factors that have rendered these ancient palaces mere memories of their grandeur, and in many cases reduced them to ruins.

Now, with these illustrations from Budget Direct, we revisit the grandeur of some of these ancient palaces. How? By reconstructing them as if by magic.

The revolutionary general Henry Christophe declared himself king of northern Haiti in 1811. From one perspective, Henri I was a tinpot dictator who forced his Haitian compatriots back into slavery and plunged the nation into a 13-year civil war. From another perspective, he was a brilliant legislator who transformed a colony of former slaves into a nation.

His legacy is debatable, but the beauty of his palace is not. It was called the 'Versailles of the Caribbean,' and the majestic steps and terraces of the palace are an impressive monument to Haiti's independence.

It was built by Ardashir I as a "barrier fortress" during the founding of the Sasanian Empire in Iran in the 2nd century. The third floor of the fortress housed his royal residence but was eventually supplanted by a larger palace that was built nearby.

Qal'eh Dokhtar boasts being the oldest example of chartaq in Iran, a square of four arches supporting a dome, which became an important feature of traditional Iranian architecture.

It was constructed around 1700 BC and, in addition to its political function, it was also designed as an economic and religious hub for the mysterious Minoan civilization. This palace was destroyed around 1374 BC, surviving invasions, fires, and earthquakes nearly a century longer than other similar complexes.

Built by a powerful family of Commonwealth agents, the Sapiega family, in the late 18th century on the site of their old castle. At its height, the famous theater of Ruzhany employed over 100 artists and the palace had a library and an important collection of images.

Located in the Ethiopian village of Aksum, once the bustling capital of the African empire that stretched from the south of Egypt to Yemen. The 6th-century mansion contained about 50 rooms, including a bathing area, kitchen, and throne room.

This 12th-century palace is nearly forgotten, despite the fact that within its halls a very significant English legal document was composed: 'The Constitutions of Clarendon', which was Henry II's attempt to gain legal authority over church employees.

By 1400, Clarendon was an extensive royal complex, which remained a favorite refuge of monarchs until the Tudor era, when the high cost of maintenance led to its rapid decline. Today, only a wall remains above ground.

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