Built between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, this elaborate palace was the home of the Ottoman sultans and courts until the middle of the 19th century. It became a museum in the 1920s. As well as the incredible riches on display in its countless rooms, pavilions and courtyards, the vast complex has an array of decorative ceilings to ogle at. Some of the most lavish can be found in the harem, the exquisitely tiled family quarters. If you're visiting, note the museum is closed on Tuesdays. 

Shopping is a near religious experience at this remarkable Art Nouveau department store in Paris’ 9th arrondissement. The striking dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, which reaches a height of 140 feet, was built in 1912. Owner Théophile Bader wanted to make his relatively modest store into a “luxury bazaar”. Glass-maker Jacques Gruber was commissioned to design the Neo-Byzantine style stained glass windows. The store is now Paris’ second most popular sight after the Eiffel Tower.

Visiting soon? Read our guide on Explore Paris: places to visit, what to do and where to stay

Revel in the glamour of the movies at the stunning restored movie palace cinema El Capitan on LA’s Hollywood Boulevard. Dating back to 1926, the lavish theatre has a stunning gold-metal leaf proscenium ceiling in its grand East Indian auditorium. It was converted from a playhouse to a movie theatre in 1941 and is now operated by the Walt Disney Company. Catch a classic Disney movie or take a tour to marvel at the ceiling. All shows are preceded with music played on the grand 1920s “Mighty Wurlitzer” organ. 

It's hard not to go weak at the knees as you gaze up at the colossal and ancient dome of Rome’s best-preserved classical monument and contemplate how many generations have done the same. The third temple to sit on the site, it was constructed by the emperor Hadrian in AD 125. The dome, with its central oculus, shows the civilisation’s incredible engineering and design prowess. At 142-foot, it remains the single largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. It was consecrated as a church in 609.

Melbourne’s Collins Street is known for its historic architecture, designer boutiques and bar-laden laneways but few people know about this glorious sight that lurks inside the modern office building at number 333. The stunning entrance hall is part of an old banking chamber that was built in the 1890s by the Commercial Bank of Australia. With its octagonal dome, barrel-vaulted ceiling and grand granite columns and arches, it’s like stepping back in time. The public can visit the lobby, which is also used as an events venue.

You could stare for hours at the golden stars that shine brightly from the heavenly indigo-coloured vaulted ceilings of Ottawa’s oldest and largest church. Built in the 1840s, the basilica’s richly decorated interior is one of the finest in all of Canada. The cathedral, which is the seat of the city's Roman Catholic archbishop, runs guided tours from May until October.

These 50 photos will make you fall in love with Canada. 

Stockholm’s subway system has been lauded as “the longest art gallery in the world” due to the paintings, installations, mosaics and sculptures that adorn 90 of its 100 stations. It’s all very distracting for the first-time visitor. If you do miss the train at Stadion Station, you can gaze upwards, as you wait, at the glorious rainbow that's part of the station's blue cave-like walls. See more on a guided tour of all the public artworks in the network.

An incredible blue domed ceiling with gold zodiac detail is the crowning glory of the Grade II-listed Freemasons temple hidden away in the east of London. The covert Grecian-style temple was built in 1912 within the then Great Eastern Hotel, a beautiful redbrick Victorian station hotel designed by the same architects of the Houses of Parliament. Now part of the Andaz London Liverpool Street, the opulent space can be visited on request and hosts various events, including cinema nights. 

Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece is a feast for the eyes. Intricate symbolism is at play throughout the building, both religious and natural, including its towering ceiling. Look up and you’ll see the dizzying forest-like design of the vast ceiling vaults. Reaching up to 200 feet in height, the columns appear like trees, branching out towards the heavens. When the basilica is complete (expected in 2026), it will be the tallest church in the world. 

Explore Barcelona with our guide on what to do, the best hotels and where to eat

The gigantic and vibrant ceiling mural covering the ceiling of Rotterdam’s covered market is one the biggest artworks in the world. Cornucopia by Dutch artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam measures over 36,000 square feet and spans the entire interior of De Markthal. The creative port city has a wealth of bold architecture and eye-catching public art. See some of the best on a dedicated walk.

Public art in airports isn’t all that unusual but Jim Campbell’s installation in San Diego International Airport elevates airport art to another level. The Journey is an undulating 700-foot-long and six-foot-wide “ribbon of light”. Made up of 38,000 suspended LED pendant lights, the artwork dances along the ceiling of Terminal 2’s West Central and North Concourse. Look closely and you will see images of people and birds fluttering throughout the sculpture. Just don’t be so dazzled that you miss your flight. Discover more about San Diego here. 

The vast glass and steel roof of the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court cannot fail to draw your eyes upwards. Designed by Foster and Partners in 2000, the inner courtyard of the British Museum is the largest covered public square in Europe. Its curved, criss-cross-patterned roof is made out of 3,312 panes of glass, no two of which are the same. At the centre of the extraordinary space is the illustrious 19th-century Reading Room. It too has a lust-worthy ceiling with its elegant blue, cream and gold dome. Find out more about what to see and do in London with our guide to the UK capital. 

Even the busiest commuters pause to look up at the glorious teal-coloured astronomical ceiling in Grand Central Station. Look closely at the 12 golden constellations signs and you may spot a small, dark rectangle – it’s near the crab’s claw in the northwest section. The patch was left by restorers in the 1990s to show how dirty the ceiling had become after decades of passengers smoking in the station. The giant gold clock (reputedly worth $20 million/£15.3m) is another gawp-worthy sight in the glamorous terminal. 

Check out our guide to the Big Apple here. 

The mosques and palaces of Isfahan, the ancient capital of Iran, are strewn with exquisite examples of classical Persian and Islamic art. And opulent 17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace is no exception. It was built as a pleasure pavilion within a beautiful Persian garden. Inside the extravagant great hall, the walls and arched ceilings are awash with gold, mirrors, and large frescoes that tell of great battles and conquests of the Safavid dynasty. Be sure to stroll around the gorgeous Persian gardens afterwards.

The Hall of Mirrors is the dazzling jewel in the crown of Louis XIV’s lavish palace. The magnificent 220-foot centrepiece, which was completed in 1684, is lined with 357 precious mirrors and emblazoned with elaborate paintings that were designed to impress upon the court and visitors the might of France. The ornate hall can be overwhelming in its majesty but pause and look up to absorb the epic paintings by Charles le Brun that stretch across the vaulted roof and the dripping chandelier.

The opulent walls and ceilings of Valletta's 16th-century church make it one of the most beautiful in the world. The intricately carved stone walls, gold gilding and grandiose paintings of its vaulted ceiling and side altars tell a lot about the Mediterranean's history and wealth. Built by the Knights of St John, the cathedral's highly decorative interior is lined with some of the most incredible 16th and 17th-century art, including a rare painting by Caravaggio.

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Probably the most famous painted ceiling in the world, Michelangelo's masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel is stunningly beautiful. Cleverly incorporating symbology, prophecy and humanist principles of Christianity that the Renaissance genius had absorbed during his youth, the completed frescoes were unveiled in October 1512. Among the 8,600-square-foot artwork is the Creation of Adam – the most iconic panel that portrays God reaching down to touch the finger of a man. Put your cameras away though, photography is forbidden.

Read more: Amazing places to explore the world's ancient civilisations