The Grand Temple's throne room, situated inside the Great Temple on Yavin 4, served as a ceremonial hall. The Royal Award Ceremony, honoring heroes of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, occurred in the throne room the morning following the Battle of Yavin.
The Great Temple, which included the throne room, was erected by the Massassi people on Yavin's fourth moon more than 5,000 years prior to the Battle of Yavin.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic, a freedom-fighting group favoring the use of existing structures on far-off planets to conceal their operations against the Galactic Empire, later restored the temple after its abandonment by the original builders. Following the Alliance's successful assault on the Empire's Death Star battle station, the Temple's throne room was the site of a Royal Award Ceremony that celebrated the heroes of that victory.
The throne room was a large space with a gently sloping floor covered in translucent, rectangular precious stone slabs. Its towering stone walls and soaring ceilings displayed elaborate carvings. Tall skylights in the chamber's roof were oriented to align with the solstices and equinoxes. A ceremonial podium, accessible by a set of steps, stood at the far end of the room, opposite the entrance. The back wall also featured five sizable window-slits that allowed plenty of natural light to enter. The chamber's air would fill with floral aromas when the surrounding jungle was in full bloom. A concealed, narrow staircase behind the podium led to an observation deck at the temple's peak.