Ancient Invisible Cities

Ancient Invisible Cities (2018)

EndedDocumentary showHistory

Historian Michael Scott explores deep underground using the latest laser-scanning technology and virtual reality to reveal the historical secrets of great cities.

Armed with cutting-edge technology, Michael Scott teams up with international historians and archaelogists to dig deep beneath the surface of the world's oldest cities, explore secret spaces and reveal hidden treasures. This is the ancient world as you've never seen it before.

Network
Scheduleevery Friday at 21:00 (60 min)

Last Episode

Istanbul
Season 1Episode 360 min

Istanbul

Classical historian Dr Michael Scott takes us on an extraordinary journey through the often-invisible treasures of one of the greatest ancient cities in the world - Istanbul. The city has been at the crossroads of Europe and Asia for over two and a half millennia. From the Greeks and Romans through the Ottomans to the Turks, Istanbul has been fought over, destroyed and rebuilt time after time.

First Michael brings the city's tumultuous history alive in one iconic building - the Hagia Sophia. Built by the Romans, this Christian Cathedral has survived earthquakes, riots, sieges and conquest to become a mosque and now a museum. As Michael explores, he reveals the ingenious solutions that enabled this awe-inspiring church to survive 1,500 years of turmoil. As Istanbul, once known as Constantinople, was built by Emperor Constantine to outdo Rome itself, Michael goes in search of the mighty city the emperor built - Constantinople. Michael discovers that Istanbul is built upon layer upon layer of history and culture, one era's buildings erected on top of the other. With the help of local archaeologists and experts, Michael delves into some surprising spaces, such as the once enormous Hippodrome. It began as a stadium for chariot racing but its foundations were later converted into a huge water cistern to supply the Emperor's Great Palace. Michael wades through its foul-smelling water to uncover the Hippodrome's secrets.

With many of the city's most extraordinary places concealed, out of sight or underground, we turn to the latest 3D-imaging technology to reveal them. Our scanning team help us to see the city as no human eye ever could, peeling back the layers of history, showing how the city has had to reinvent itself over and over through its turbulent past.

Sep 21, 2018

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S01E03IstanbulSep 21, 2018
S01E02AthensSep 14, 2018
S01E01CairoSep 7, 2018
View all episodesView all seasons

Cast

View all cast

Characters

View all characters

Also known as

  • De underjordiske byer (Denmark)

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Expedition Unknown
Running

Expedition Unknown

In the hit series Expedition Unknown, Travel Channel's witty explorer Josh Gates seeks answers to some of the world's most captivating unsolved stories and legends. Gates is on a mission to find the truth behind each iconic legend, digging through years of historical evidence, facts and myths. Leaving no stone unturned, his adventures take him around the globe as he immerses himself in the core locales linked to each tale. From excavating ruins in search of the real Robin Hood to sailing the high seas investigating Christopher Columbus and exploring Nepal's "sky caves" for Shangri La, Gates' archaeological background and ubiquitous sense of humor generate a new take on age-old stories.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Running

The Real Housewives of Atlanta

An up-close and personal look at life in Hotlanta, The Real Housewives of Atlanta follows five glamorous southern belles as they balance motherhood, demanding careers and a fast-paced social calendar, and shows what life is like in the most exclusive areas of Atlanta. These driven and ambitious women prove that they're not just "housewives," but entrepreneurs, doting mothers and classy southern women. These ladies show the world what it takes to live large in some of the hottest zip codes in the south.

Task
Upcoming

Task

Task is set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia and follows an FBI agent as he heads a Task Force to put an end to a string of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.

GenreDrama, Crime
Alien: Earth
Running

Alien: Earth

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat. As members of the crash recovery crew search for survivors among the wreckage of a mysterious crashed space vessel, they encounter mysterious predatory life forms more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. With this new threat unlocked, the search crew must fight for survival and what they choose to do with this discovery could change planet Earth as they know it.

Murdoch Mysteries
Running

Murdoch Mysteries

Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch, a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. Murdoch's colleagues include the love of his life, coroner and psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden, a staunch ally who shares the detective's fascination for science; Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch's eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; Inspector Brackenreid, Murdoch's skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; and coroner Dr. Emily Grace, Dr. Ogden's protégé.