The disappearance and fate of the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria is among the most momentous and tantalising of all the mysteries we have inherited from the ancient world. Generations of scholars and historians have succumbed to the allure of the quest. Now archaeologist Pepi Papakosta is on a mission to find Alexander the Great's lost tomb. Excavating in a public garden in the center of Alexandria, Egypt, the city he founded 2,300 years ago, she has discovered a rare marble statue of Alexander, Greek treasures and secret tunnels. But Pepi's biggest find is an extraordinary discovery even she was not expecting.
In the last episode, Al-Khalili turns detective, hunting for clues that show how the scientific revolution that took place in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe had its roots in the earlier world of medieval Islam. He travels across Iran, Syria and Egypt to discover the huge astronomical advances made by Islamic scholars through their obsession with accurate measurement and coherent and rigorous mathematics.He then visits Italy to see how those Islamic ideas permeated into the west and ultimately helped shape the works of the great European astronomer Copernicus, and investigates why science in the Islamic world appeared to go into decline after the 16th and 17th centuries, only for it to re-emerge in the present day. Al-Khalili ends his journey in the Royan Institute in the Iranian capital Tehran, looking at how science is now regarded in the Islamic world
The Great Pyramids of Giza remain one of the enduring wonders of the ancient world. This mesmerizing monument have eluded astronomers and archeologists for centuries. Why and how the ancient pyramids of the pharaohs were built? Were they merely burial tombs, or a cosmic vehicle to the celestial world? What were the motives and methods behind the orientation of the pyramids to face the four cardinal directions with extreme accuracy? The world's renowned Egyptologists, astronomers and engineers join forces to solve some of the long-held mysteries about the pyramids.
The Red Sea is one of the youngest oceans in the world and one of the warmest. The northern region, with its diverse array of marine life, is one of the most visited dive locations on earth while the southern end remains virtually unexplored. It's a global hotspot for marine biology and an important trade route throughout human history, linking the trade goods of India and the Far East with the markets of Egypt and Europe.
An apocryphal view on the pyramids, starting in awe at the amazing achievement of the Pharaonic architecture and sculpture, most specially at Gizeh, given Cheops's pyramid's size, weight, incredibly precise carving, four pairs of slightly shifted half sides, stunningly precisely measured shapes and symmetry. Then it questions and challenges conventional Egyptology beliefs, which it calls unproven or even impossible to verify, such as the absence of machines, a wharf duration of only 20 years or accidental equinox-orientation. Next it elaborates the theory that other major pyramid technology sites in Precolombian America, Easter Island and China can't coincidentally lie on two lines intersecting at Gizeh, even if not contemporaneous and without known contacts in their ages, and have several improbable things in common, like some of their cultures. Elaborate mathematical theories and measurements indicate the Egyptians must have known some astronomy, pi and the golden number
Join a team of local archaeologists as they excavate never before explored passageways, shafts, and tombs, while piecing together the secrets of one of the most jaw-dropping, exciting, and important Ancient Egyptian discoveries in decades. News of the tomb discovery has gone around the world and it has been heralded as the most significant find in almost fifty years. The condition of the tomb is remarkable - but the real excitement lies in what is to come. The archaeologists hope they are going to unearth the possessions, grave goods, and mummies of the high-priest and his family - and with that information hoping to transform our understanding of this period of Old Kingdom history.
Now archaeologist Pepi Papakosta is on a mission to find Alexander the Great's lost tomb. Excavating in a public garden in the center of Alexandria, Egypt, the city he founded 2,300 years ago, she has discovered a rare marble statue of Alexander, Greek treasures and secret tunnels. But Pepi's biggest find is an extraordinary discovery even she was not expecting.