Ancient Invisible Cities: Istanbul – Final (BBC Two Saturday 27 May 2023)

Ancient Invisible Cities: Istanbul – Final airs Saturday 27 May 2023 on BBC Two.

Dr. Michael Scott, a classical historian, takes us on an extraordinary journey through the hidden treasures of Istanbul, one of the world’s greatest ancient cities.

Over the course of more than two and a half thousand years, the city has served as a pivot between Europe and Asia. Istanbul has been fought over, destroyed, and rebuilt many times throughout its history, from the Greeks and Romans to the Ottomans and the Turks.

At first, Michael focuses on the Hagia Sophia to bring the city’s turbulent past to life. This Roman-built cathedral was originally used as a church but has since been converted into a mosque, then a museum. Michael’s investigation into this magnificent church reveals the ingenious solutions that have kept it standing for over a millennium and a half.

Michael seeks out the once-mighty city of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, because it was constructed by Emperor Constantine to rival Rome. Michael learns that Istanbul is a city with a rich history and culture, with buildings from different eras erected on top of one another. Michael explores some unexpected places, like the once massive Hippodrome, with the help of local archaeologists and experts. Originally built for chariot races, its base was repurposed into a massive cistern that fed water to the Emperor’s Great Palace. Michael plunges his body into the foetid depths to learn the truth about the Hippodrome.

Many of the city’s most extraordinary locations are hidden, either out of plain sight or beneath the surface, so we employ cutting-edge 3D imaging technology to uncover them. With the help of our scanning team, we are able to see the city as never before, revealing its history layer by layer and illuminating the city’s constant need to adapt to the changing times.

In Michael’s exciting quest, he discovers a holy well buried thirty feet below a trendy carpet boutique. The once-grand Great Palace of Constantine is now a burned-out shelter for a homeless man as he walks high above the city on the most advanced and longest aqueduct of the Roman world. He investigates the Muslim Sultan’s administrative headquarters in the city’s fortress. In addition, one of the fortress towers is revealed to have been a brutally effective war machine that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire less than 50 years before Columbus landed in the New World, all thanks to the help of the hi-tech 3D scans.

Michael stops by the bustling Grande Bazaar of the conquering Sultan and explores the engineering marvel that is the Süleymaniye Mosque, a relic from the “golden age” of the Ottoman Empire.

Michael, however, goes above and beyond the extraordinary 3D scans to experience Istanbul in an entirely new way – through Virtual Reality, flying up, right through the ancient dome of the Hagia Sophia, and seeing Istanbul as even the locals have never seen it before.

Season 1 Episode 3 (of 3)

Ancient Invisible Cities: Istanbul – Final airs Saturday 27 May 2023 at 12.00pm on BBC Two

Featured Image Credit: BBC Two