Historical landmark
Ancient Split
Roman-era courtyard ringed by imported granite columns and an ancient Egyptian sphinx.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Peristyle in Ancient Split follows the sphinxes Emperor Diocletian shipped home from a war in Egypt, carved more than three thousand five hundred years ago for the pharaoh Thutmose, and the decade-long effort to build a retirement palace unlike anything a Roman had built before. You'll hear where the granite columns and marble panels traveled from, and how they crossed the Mediterranean by ship to reach this courtyard. Stand at the center of the square to take in the columns ringing you on every side.
This audio guide was created using AI.