 Large and often highly decorated, the palaces usually sat close to the center of a city and housed the population's elite.Any exceedingly large royal palace, or one consisting of many chambers on different levels might be referred to as an acropolis.However, often these were one-story and consisted of many small chambers and typically at least one interior courtyard; these structures appear to take into account the needed functionality required of a residence, as well as the decoration required for their inhabitants stature.