Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with Bettany Hughes — Season 1

The 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.

The 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.

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.