Ancient Invisible Cities

Historian Darius Arya takes us on an extraordinary journey through the treasures of Istanbul, Turkey. But with many of its secrets concealed or underground, he turns to the latest 3D imaging technology to see the city as no human eye ever could.

Deep below a modern carpet shop, host Darius Arya finds an ancient “ayazma” or holy well. Art historian Ferudun Özgümüþ reveals that there is a chapel beneath the shop and below that, the holy well. Our scans show how Istanbul is built on layer upon layer of history - with an ancient trickle of fresh water deep in the foundations of the city.

Host Darius Arya and historian Kerim Altug go deep underneath the 1,600-year-old Roman chariot racetrack, the Hippodrome, to explore one of the most extraordinary places in this ancient city. Darius and Kerim struggle through the dark to find that the Hippodrome’s passageways were converted into a huge water storage tank - the city’s insurance against drought, fire and siege.

Darius finds the remains of the Great Palace of Constantine are a melancholy reminder of the city’s lost glory. Once gleaming white marble is now blackened and the chapel is now a shelter for the homeless. Our computer graphics give us an idea of the size and grandeur of the original palace.

The stepped pyramid of Saqqara was the first pyramid ever built from 2650 BC. Yasmin El Shazly and Darius Arya go inside to explore this remarkable structure. They enter the huge central burial shaft and a small ante-chamber that was once decorated with beautiful blue tiles. This pyramid was to be the inspiration for all future pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

Below a Greek Orthodox Church in Old Cairo is hidden a remarkable Roman Fortress. The scans reveal exactly how the more modern church was built on top of a tower build by Roman legionaries in the 3rd century AD. This tower was part of an enormous fortress that defended this section of the River Nile, as well as the entrance of a canal that linked the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

Darius Arya uses the latest scanning technology to reveal the historical secrets of Cairo and Ancient Egypt. He explores the Great Pyramid of Giza and the first pyramid ever built. He also explores a hidden Roman fortress and discovers a well deep in the rock below the Arabic citadel of Saladin.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the last remaining wonder of the Ancient World. Darius Arya and Will Trossell use virtual reality to explore their 3D digital model of this astonishing structure. In this virtual world they enter the grand gallery, the subterranean chamber, and the King’s tomb where the pharaoh Khufu was buried.

Professor Darius Arya explores inside an ancient silver mine, dug by slaves two and half thousand years ago.

Professor Darius Arya explores the hidden secrets of three of the most fascinating cities of the ancient world: Cairo, Athens and Istanbul. 3D scans allow us to view the architectural jewels of these cities as they've never been seen before.

Inside a modern multi-story parking lot in the center of Athens is a remarkable section of Athens’ city walls, built in the early 5th century BC.

Professor Darius Arya uses scanning technology to reveal the hidden secrets of ancient Athens. From the buildings on the Acropolis to the silver mines and quarries beyond the city, he investigates the story of the city that gave the world democracy.