Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with Bettany Hughes
2025– · 5 · 60 min · 1 season
S01E03 · The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Temple of Artemi
Sun, 17 Aug, 3:30 am
Embarking on a journey along Turkey's western coast, Bettany explores the story behind the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of antiquity's greatest monuments, before using visual reconstructions to imagine the beauty of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and finding parallels with botanical gardens in Istanbul. She ends her quest in Ephesus at the Temple of Artemis, where she examines a striking statue of the goddess before stepping into the archaeological site.
About
Their names still echo down the ages: The Great Pyramid at Giza. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Temple of Artemis. The statue of Zeus at Olympia. The mausoleum of Halikarnassos. The Colossus at Rhodes. The Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Seven Wonders of the World were staggeringly audacious impositions on our planet. They were also brilliant adventures of the mind, test cases for the reaches of human imagination. Now only the great pyramid remains fully standing, yet the scale and majesty of these seven wonders still enthral us today.
In a thrilling, colourful narrative enriched with the latest archaeological discoveries, historian Bettany Hughes walks through the landscapes of both ancient and modern time. This is a journey whose purpose is to ask why we wonder, why we create, why we choose to remember the wonder of others. She explores traces of the Wonders themselves, and the traces they have left in history. A magisterial work of historical storytelling, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World reinforces the exciting and nourishing notion that humans can make the impossible happen.
Episodes
- E01
The Great Pyramid at Giza and The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Sun, 3 Aug· 60 minThe historian travels across three continents as she follows in the footsteps of warriors, pilgrims, emperors and tourists by visiting the sites of the most notable structures of antiquity. She begins her journey in Egypt at the Great Pyramid of Giza, with cutting-edge graphics showing it in its original, glistening glory, before sailing up the Nile to Alexandria, site of the legendary Pharos lighthouse.
- E02
The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Sun, 10 Aug· 60 minThe historian heads to Greece to explore the stories behind two sculpted wonders of the ancient world. In Rhodes, she uncovers how the materials for the Colossus of Rhodes were sourced and meets local sculptor Kostas Neofitou, who demonstrates the techniques that could have been used to build it. Bettany then sails for mainland Greece to investigate the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, walking through the ruins of the temple where the awe-inspiring statue once stood, and vividly brings the sculpture to life using graphic reconstructions.
- E03
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Temple of Artemi
Sun, 17 Aug· 60 minEmbarking on a journey along Turkey's western coast, Bettany explores the story behind the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of antiquity's greatest monuments, before using visual reconstructions to imagine the beauty of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and finding parallels with botanical gardens in Istanbul. She ends her quest in Ephesus at the Temple of Artemis, where she examines a striking statue of the goddess before stepping into the archaeological site.
Cast
Bettany Hughes
Bettany Hughes