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.

Sept. 21, 2018

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S01E03IstanbulSept. 21, 2018
S01E02AthensSept. 14, 2018
S01E01CairoSept. 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.
Family Law
Running

Family Law

Set in Vancouver, Canada,  Family Law follows lawyer and recovering alcoholic Abigail 'Abby' Bianchi struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom. As a condition of her probation, Abby is forced to work at her estranged father's firm, Svensson and Associates, and practice in family law for the first time while forging new relationships with the half-brother and half-sister whom she's never met. The result is a dysfunctional family law firm operating to help other families with their own dysfunctions.

On Patrol: Live
Running

On Patrol: Live

Hosting and executive producing On Patrol: Live is Dan Abrams, CEO and Founder of Abrams Media, host of Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation, Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News, and former host of Live PD. Joining Abrams is Sgt. Sean "Sticks" Larkin, retired Tulsa Police Department lieutenant with nearly 25 years of service, and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson, Division Commander with the Richland County Sheriff's Department in Columbia, SC.

GenreCrime
Paranormal Caught on Camera
Running

Paranormal Caught on Camera

Some of the most amazing, eye-opening and downright scary paranormal videos from around the world are featured as a panel of experts break down the footage and analyze what exactly the eyewitnesses captured.

MasterChef Australia
Running

MasterChef Australia

MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show consisting of a group of hopeful contestants that cook and present food to judges in order to win the title of MasterChef Australia.

GenreFood
The Librarians: The Next Chapter
Running

The Librarians: The Next Chapter

The Librarians: The Next Chapter centers on Vikram Chamberlain, a "Librarian" from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made.