It might look like a palace, but this is in fact the Grand Stables in Chantilly, northern France.
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(CNN) -- If you thought you were going to be reincarnated as a horse -- you'd probably want to be born here.
That was the madcap idea which prompted an 18th-century French prince, Louis-Henri de Bourbon, to build the most spectacular horse stables in the world.
Legend has it that the wealthy royal commissioned the luxurious Grand Stables in northern France because he believed he would be born again as a horse -- and not just any old royal box would do.
At more than 180 meters long -- roughly the same size as two soccer fields -- the stables at Chantilly are not only a spectacular feat of architecture, they're also home to a famous collection of equine artworks and the rarest ponies on the planet.
This weekend the Grand Stables -- and its adjoining Museum of the Horse -- will again be unveiled to the world as part of a $3.3 million makeover led by the fourth Aga Khan, both a business magnate and the spiritual leader of 20 million Nizari Ismaili Muslims.
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Yearlings, the name given to horses who are one-year-old, are led out at the Aga Khan stud farm.
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Irish race horse Shergar annihilates the field at Britain's prestigious Epsom Derby, winning by an unheard-of 10 lengths. It was the biggest margin of victory in the race's 226-year history.
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"It will be one of the few museums in the world totally dedicated to the horse, in all aspects of life," His Highness Prince Karim told CNN of his grand project.
Rescued relic
Built almost 300 years ago, in 1719, the Grand Stables was one of the most breathtaking buildings in the world, housing a whopping 250 horses and 300 hunting dogs on the manicured lawns and lakes of the opulent Chantilly Estate.
In the evenings, Prince Louis-Henri would hold sumptuous dinners under the building's monumental dome, which soars 28 meters high.
But by the turn of the 21st century, the stables and museum had become a dusty shadow of their former glory.
"It was the most stunning building built for horses in the world," Benoit Junod, director for museums and exhibitions at the Aga Khan Development Network, told CNN. "The prince was a cousin of the king and I think he wanted to create something which would rival the Palaces of Versaille.
"But in recent years it was falling into disrepair -- there were problems with water seepage from the lake, the roof needed to be repaired."
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That was until Prince Karim -- a renowned horse owner and breeder, perhaps most notably of Shergar -- invested his fortune in an ambitious project to transform the sad old relic into a world-leading equine exhibition.
"The mayor came to me and said, 'Would you join us in financing the saving of Chantilly's race course?' said the Aga Khan, who has had an office in the area for "many many" years.
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"And I said, 'But I'm not interested in only saving the race course. I'd like to widen the spectrum to the whole of Chantilly.'"
Treasure trove
Venture inside the elegant museum and you'll discover a remarkable collection of hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and curios, depicting everything from mythical horses to racing thoroughbreds.
The building's 17 garages, which originally housed elegant carriages in the 1700s, have been converted into gallery rooms and a café.
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"We have a crazy mixture of everything from British artist Norman Thelwell's cartoons to major works of art by 15th-century renaissance painters," said Junod.
"You have a lot of horse museums around the world which deal with certain aspects -- such as racing or equipment. But nothing which has the ambition to tackle the extraordinary history and beauty of the horse in full."
But it's not just rare artworks attracting 160,000 visitors a year. Also referred to as the "Live Horse Museum," the lush green estate is home to more than 30 breeds of horses -- including the only one of its kind in Europe.
Among the cantering thoroughbreds and Shetland ponies is 10-year-old Dilraj -- the first and only Marwari horse to step foot on the continent.
The Marwari are descendants of horses used by ancient Indian warriors, known for the courage in battle and distinctive inward-curving ears
Race to the top
Drifting in to the gallery rooms this weekend will also be the roar from the crowd at France's second biggest horse race -- the Prix de Diane, which is for three-year-old fillies.
Sunday's prestigious race takes place on the pretty Chantilly course, nestled in front of the towering Grand Stables.
It is a special day for the Aga Khan, who has had seven winning thoroughbreds in the competition -- the most of any horse racing owner.
"This year we don't have a runner -- I was hoping we would have but the filly's last race was not what we wanted," he said.
"Every time I've won it has been with a home-bred filly. The goal of my farm is to breed winners. I don't buy racing stock, the results are dependent on my breeding."
As Junod says, part of the appeal of the museum isn't just its multimillion-dollar setting -- it's also man's enduring fascination with these four-legged beasts.
"The horse has always been a strong, independent animal -- a friend of man, not a slave of man. And I think that's part of the reason why it still captures our imaginations today."
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Built by Prince Louis-Henri de Bourbon in 1719, the 180-meter-long building was the most impressive stable in the world, housing 250 horses and 300 hunting dogs.
In 1982, master rider Yves Bienaimé helped create a horse museum adjoining the Grand Stables, featuring an eclectic mix of equine artworks and a chance for the public to see rare species of ponies.
But by the turn of the 21st century, the building had become a worn shadow of its former glory. That was until the Aga Khan IV, billionaire and spiritual leader to the world's Nizari Ismaili Muslims, became involved in an ambitious plan to restore the elegant structure.
"I had done this sort of work in the developing world, restoring historic sites, but never here," said the Aga Khan (pictured center), who also has an office in Chantilly. The $3.3 million makeover was half funded by the renowned horse owner, with the remaining amount covered by the French Ministry of Culture, the region of Picardy and the Institut de France.
The rare artworks, including this wooden carving by German sculptors D. Muller and G. Denzel, come from a mixture of Chantilly's Condee Museum and private collections.
The historic site also has 30 breeds of horses, with trainers in distinctive red jackets putting on regular performances for visitors.
The Aga Khan stud farm is located in the green fields of Normandy in north-west France.
CNN's Alysen Miller gets up close and personal with the "Superfoal".
The excitement surrounding the "Superfoal" is due to its parentage. Zarkava, pictured, is the 2008 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and the foal's mother, while the father is 2009 winner Sea the Stars.
The foal's rich stock is displayed on this sign outside of his stable, confirming the date of his highly-anticipated birth.
The champion thoroughbred was owned by the Aga Khan (pictured center), the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims.
"I rode champions for many years afterwards and no one came close," said British jockey Walter Swinburn, who as a 19-year-old rode Shergar to that historic Epsom Derby win.
Of his eight races, Shergar won six, earning £436,000 ($688,000) in prize money. As a breeding stallion he was valued at a staggering £10 million ($16 million).
Horse racing commentator Derek Thompson was called in to negotiate with the kidnappers. "When we arrived in Belfast there were hundreds of reporters, it was like we were film stars," he said.
Thompson believes the Irish Republican Army was responsible for the kidnapping, pointing to evidence in former member Sean O'Callaghan's 1999 autobiography 'The Informer.'
Shergar's kidnappers have never been found. But the horse's memory lives on in the annual Shergar Cup, held at Ascot.
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