1 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:15,016 I'm Alice Roberts, and I'm on an adventure 2 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,200 to look at the world's oldest and greatest civilisation. 3 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,096 I'm going to be travelling the length and breadth of Egypt by train 4 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,200 to discover its ancient past. 5 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,536 I want to understand how the tombs, temples and pyramids came to be made, 6 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,136 and dig even deeper, 7 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:41,920 to understand what life was like for the ordinary people that made them. 8 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,056 Along the way, I'll be meeting archaeologists 9 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,056 who are still working to uncover the story of ancient Egypt. 10 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,056 I'll be looking at some familiar sites, 11 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,040 but also learning about brand-new discoveries. 12 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,576 In the first part of my journey, 13 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,096 I'll be looking at how Egypt was transformed 14 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,760 under the Greeks and Romans. 15 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:08,976 Look at this! 16 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,296 And this one here, as you can see... 17 00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:12,496 Isn't it beautiful? 18 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:13,976 Look at those colours! 19 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:15,936 I learn about the slave soldier 20 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:18,040 who created the most beautiful fort... 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,056 So we're looking out here from the battlements, over the harbour, 22 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,896 and you suddenly realise what a prime position 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,136 this citadel is in. 24 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,376 ..and I meet the archaeologist who believes she can solve 25 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,736 one of the biggest mysteries in the world - 26 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:33,936 finding the tomb of Cleopatra. 27 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:35,656 Welcome to the underworld. 28 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,760 Just incredible that it's only emerged in the last few years. 29 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,880 ..as I travel ancient Egypt by train. 30 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:50,560 Ah, coffee! 31 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,136 Is this right? Coffee? 32 00:01:58,160 --> 00:01:59,720 Coffee. 33 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,400 I think my train's coming soon. 34 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:05,696 This is good coffee. 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,056 It's thicker than the coffee I have at home, 36 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,536 sweeter than the coffee I have at home, 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:11,840 but it's just the ticket today. 38 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:14,776 It's my first time here, 39 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,496 and it's nice to see that train stations around the world 40 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:18,936 are more or less the same, 41 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:20,256 from coffee vendors, 42 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,880 to reflecting the hustle and bustle of a nation's daily life. 43 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,176 I have always dreamt of coming to Egypt, 44 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,040 especially after reading so much about it since childhood. 45 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:53,616 Until now, I've only encountered Egypt in books, 46 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:56,256 like Amelia Edwards' journey up the Nile, 47 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:57,936 and in museums, 48 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,496 but now I'm here, to see it for myself, 49 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:06,456 to immerse myself in the ancient history and culture of this country. 50 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,936 I'm going to see the Sphinx, the pyramids, 51 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,416 the temple at Karnak, of course, 52 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,256 but I'm also going off the beaten track to find new discoveries 53 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,256 and talk to the people who are still uncovering the secrets 54 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:22,416 of ancient Egypt. 55 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,920 And I'm travelling across this epic country by train. 56 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,016 Over 4,000 miles of railways 57 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,176 stretch the full length of Egypt, 58 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,456 mostly following the Nile. 59 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,496 I'm starting by travelling to Alexandria, 60 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,256 from the airport in Cairo, 61 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,656 a journey of 140 miles 62 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,680 towards the Mediterranean coast. 63 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,256 Alexandria is linked to some of the most famous names 64 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:18,496 from our history books - 65 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,480 Alexander the Great, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. 66 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,696 For a time, it was the world's biggest and most important city. 67 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,776 With its university, and the Great Library of Alexandria, 68 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,336 it was a centre of learning, 69 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,976 and it also had one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, 70 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,656 the Lighthouse of Alexandria. 71 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,456 The library and the lighthouse are long gone, 72 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,240 both lost to time. 73 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,376 And I'm finally here in Alexandria, 74 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,976 which is the perfect place to begin. 75 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,176 It is the gateway into Egypt, 76 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,256 an immense, famous port city, 77 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,776 founded by Alexander the Great, 78 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,136 bearing his name in the 4th century BCE, 79 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,456 and it became the capital of Egypt. 80 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:06,496 Today, it's absolutely vast. 81 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,416 It's home to 5.5 million people, 82 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,176 it's incredibly busy. 83 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:15,376 It stretches along 25 miles of the northern Egyptian coastline. 84 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,760 But I'm here to find out all about ancient Alexandria. 85 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,216 The seafront promenade, known here as the Corniche, 86 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:32,976 is where locals come to relax, 87 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,080 and simply to enjoy the views of their beautiful city. 88 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,016 What better way to take in the sights and sounds of a place 89 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:51,976 that's completely new to me 90 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,880 than by exploring on foot? 91 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,736 You get a feel for the history of Alexandria, just walking around. 92 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,856 There's some fantastic architecture. 93 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,336 You get really modern buildings 94 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:10,696 rubbing shoulders with edifices like this from a century or two ago, 95 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,016 and then here, 96 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,856 we've got the Morsi Abu al-Abbas mosque, 97 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,800 absolutely stunning, dating back to the 14th century. 98 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,616 There are two separate mosques here, 99 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:27,920 one for women... 100 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,136 ..and a larger one, for men. 101 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,880 But it seems I'm allowed to at least LOOK inside the men's mosque. 102 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:39,880 Head scarf on. 103 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:42,480 Shoes off. 104 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,656 Shoes here. Thank you. 105 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,816 A stone's throw away from the seafront, 106 00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:50,616 the mosque is a relatively recent addition, 107 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,360 being only 700 years old. 108 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,616 Its doors and window frames are made from teak and walnut. 109 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,056 The decorated ceiling contains an octagonal skylight, 110 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:04,360 called a Shokhsheikha. 111 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,336 This mosque is a classic example of Islamic design, 112 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,016 which flourished in Egypt, 113 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,200 after the Muslim conquest of the 7th century. 114 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,720 A much later addition to Alexandria is the tram. 115 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,616 With the roads heaving with traffic, 116 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,040 the tram is how many locals prefer to travel... 117 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,440 ..especially the city's vast population of students. 118 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,040 There are 20 lines and 140 stops crammed into the city centre... 119 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,736 ..and my first stop is around the corner from a special place, 120 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,280 called Kom el-Dikka. 121 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,856 Kom el-Dikka is the biggest and most spectacular 122 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,496 archaeological site in Alexandria. 123 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,896 Nice to meet you. 124 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,856 The director of the site is Mahmoud Abd El Rahman. 125 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:24,857 Good morning. 126 00:08:24,881 --> 00:08:27,656 So this excavation has been going on since the 1960s? 127 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,416 From 1960 until now. 128 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,360 Every year? Every year. 129 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,456 It was found by chance in the 1960s, 130 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,856 when city developers planned to build new apartment blocks. 131 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,536 But a couple of thousand years earlier, in Roman Alexandria, 132 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:47,520 people were coming here for learning and leisure. 133 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,576 I'm keen to find out more about what Egyptian life was like 134 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,336 under the rule of the Romans, 135 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,800 starting with what looks like a small theatre. 136 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,616 This seems like quite a narrow theatre. 137 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,616 Yes, a small one. Yeah. 138 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,776 Yes. Actually, it's not a theatre. 139 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:07,976 Actually, it was odeum, 140 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,936 for listening for the music in the ancient time. 141 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:10,937 OK. 142 00:09:10,961 --> 00:09:13,216 And all of this covered with a huge bulb, 143 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:14,296 covering the place here. 144 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,256 A dome? Yes, a huge dome. 145 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,136 Yeah. For the echo sound, 146 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,256 so, collecting the sound and reflecting for the people. 147 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,776 And over 2,000 years later, 148 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,976 I can experience the same acoustic effect 149 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,256 as the musicians of Roman Alexandria. 150 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,336 So, echo sound, and you can try it here. 151 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:32,416 OK. 152 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,056 So I'm going to stand on this spot... 153 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,896 ..and then speak to the room. 154 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,816 That's extraordinary. Yes. 155 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,696 I can hear my voice echoing back to me. 156 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,016 Yes. That's so peculiar, isn't it? 157 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:43,816 My voice changes completely. 158 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,536 I'm... I'm hearing myself very, very differently now. 159 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:48,656 I feel like I'm in a... in a bubble. 160 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:50,696 In an echo chamber, in fact. Yes. 161 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,376 And then, presumably, my voice is carrying up to the highest seats 162 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:55,696 up there as well. 163 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,856 I'd like to give lectures in a place like this. 164 00:09:57,880 --> 00:09:58,920 This would be wonderful. 165 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:06,536 I'm in Alexandria, 166 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:09,696 at a site that was earmarked for some new apartments, 167 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,256 but then they discovered spectacular Roman remains, 168 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,976 and rather than being turned into apartment blocks, 169 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,856 the site has become an open-air museum. 170 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,016 There's an odeon for live music, 171 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,616 and just alongside it, what Mahmud, the site director, believes 172 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:28,856 was part of the famous University of Alexandria itself. 173 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,536 Also, we have this university, 174 00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:33,296 magnificent, 22 classrooms. 175 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:34,616 In the ancient time, 176 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,696 it's a place for the professor and a place for the audience. 177 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:38,976 Can you and I walk on there? 178 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:40,176 We can walk in there. 179 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,816 Now, if I could just transport myself back in time 180 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,376 by around 2,000 years... 181 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,456 OK. I'm going to be the professor. 182 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,496 I would be here? Yes, and the students coming here. 183 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:50,536 Yeah. 184 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:52,296 So here I am, Professor Alice Roberts... 185 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,056 Yes. ..talking... 186 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:55,936 To the students. ..to my Byzantine students. 187 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,456 Yes, for philosophy, maybe, or chemistry or something like this. 188 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,096 Lecturing them, presumably, in Greek? That was the scholarly language. 189 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:03,880 In, uh, with Late Greek. 190 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,056 Now we can going down, under the ground. 191 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:16,616 It's magnificent architecture. 192 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:17,976 In the ancient time, 193 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,776 we cannot see what's happening under the ground 194 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,536 for the slaves and the people. 195 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:25,856 Yeah. But it's a hypocaust system. 196 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:29,376 The Romans also brought underfloor heating to Egypt, 197 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,496 a system called a hypocaust, 198 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,936 where slaves, working beneath street level, 199 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,296 would stoke furnaces to heat the bath house above. 200 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,016 Here we are, besides the hypocaust system, 201 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,736 and you can see the traces of fire inside it. 202 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:43,896 Yeah. 203 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,456 OK, it was closed here, 204 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:47,256 and they just put the fuel inside here... 205 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:48,496 Yeah, yeah. 206 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,136 ..and the huge fire inside, and temperature. 207 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:53,056 If you can imagine, if you're walking on the marble, 208 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,336 it will be warm. Yeah. 209 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:55,337 And sometimes here. 210 00:11:55,361 --> 00:11:57,096 It's fantastic. Underfloor heating, isn't it? 211 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:58,216 You will feel not... 212 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,280 You know, it's not cold in Egypt in this time. 213 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,056 Alongside the odeon, university and bath house, 214 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,240 there were also private dwellings here. 215 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,976 One of these homes is known as the Villa of the Birds, 216 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,240 and it contains a stunning example of Roman-Egyptian style. 217 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,736 Now we're getting to the Villa of the Birds. 218 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:26,616 This is Roman villa, 219 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:28,776 as we can see, with the mosaic floor. 220 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:30,496 Oh, wow. 221 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,056 It's something well preserved. 222 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:34,216 Isn't that gorgeous? 223 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:35,256 And a unique one, 224 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,096 because we didn't have any Roman villa, something like this. 225 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,216 Yeah. Made out of pieces of marble. 226 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:41,696 But look at this! 227 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,576 And this one here, as you can see, 228 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,856 that's why we call this Villa of the Birds. 229 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,176 Isn't it beautiful? 230 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:48,416 Look at those colours! 231 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,936 I mean, they're so bright and clear. 232 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,416 Also, we're making some restoration every year for it. 233 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,296 Have you repaired those mosaics? 234 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,496 Are those... are any of those tesserae NEW tesserae? 235 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,616 No, it's an ancient one, 236 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,816 and we found it in this condition, 237 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:09,896 because we found a huge ash over it, over the mosaic directly, 238 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,456 for 50 centimetres, because of a huge fire in the ancient time, 239 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,376 preserving the mosaic to in this condition. 240 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,056 Look at those colours, I mean, and recognisable species of birds. 241 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:20,416 So that's a duck. Yes, duck. 242 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,176 Yes, and see the peacock? 243 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:23,296 This is a peacock. Yes. 244 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:24,576 I mean, look at the colours there. Yes. 245 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,296 That's absolutely gorgeous. 246 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:27,936 They're using different materials, 247 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,216 glass and also marble. 248 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,336 What's this bird here? That almost looks like a parakeet. 249 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,496 This is parrot, yes, this one is parrot. 250 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,096 Yeah. Yes. 251 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,696 Something else we have here, 252 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,760 another mosaic, showing panther. 253 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,576 Nowadays, the panther, it disappeared from Egypt. 254 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,736 So we've got this classic Roman design... 255 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:47,936 Yes. ..this mosaic... 256 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,336 Typical Alexandria. ..but showing... showing Egyptian... 257 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,840 Yes, showing the Egyptian... ..Egyptian wildlife, yeah. 258 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,616 A mystery that has confounded archaeologists in Egypt 259 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,616 is the location of Alexander the Great's tomb. 260 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,856 It was visited by Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, 261 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,816 but today its precise whereabouts remain unknown, 262 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,456 although Mahmoud has his theory. 263 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,016 And, Mahmoud, what about the tomb of Alexander the Great? 264 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:17,216 Tomb of Alexander... 265 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,816 Where do you think it is? 266 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,216 It's supposed to be in the north of this direction, 267 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,096 because it was in the Soma Square, 268 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,216 and Soma Square is lying in the north, 269 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,016 direct in the north of this site, 270 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,056 500 metres distance away. 271 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:31,576 Oh, really close to where we are. 272 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,416 And we can't remove the building to continue the excavation 273 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:35,936 inside the site. Yeah. 274 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:37,696 It's here somewhere. 275 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,416 Hidden, for somebody will come to, you know, 276 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,736 to discover it. Yeah, yeah. 277 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:43,880 Let's wait and see. 278 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:59,336 Alexandria's history captures that later story of ancient Egypt, 279 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,280 when the country was under Greek, then Roman, rule. 280 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,416 We see different empires, civilisations 281 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:09,000 and cultures meeting here. 282 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,496 This column, known as Pompey's Pillar, 283 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,176 though actually dedicated to the Roman Emperor Diocletian, 284 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,976 was erected next to an ancient Greek temple. 285 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,936 The Romans liked to make their mark. 286 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,296 This site is also the only real remaining connection 287 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,496 to the Great Library of Alexandria. 288 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,816 It contains an annex, known as the Daughter's Library, 289 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:44,280 used as an additional storage space for the vast collection of texts. 290 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,656 As the first day of my adventures in Egypt comes to a close, 291 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:06,176 I'm keen to find out more about the beautiful fort on the headland. 292 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,656 It can be seen from every part of Alexandria's coastline, 293 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,400 as it juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. 294 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:18,016 It was the location of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, 295 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,160 one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 296 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,296 The lighthouse stood for around a thousand years 297 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,000 and was thought to be the tallest building in the world. 298 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,216 Only a few ancient descriptions survive, 299 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,536 and it seems that it was rebuilt several times, 300 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,256 after damage from earthquakes. 301 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,840 But by the 14th century, it had fallen into ruins. 302 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,376 What stands there now is a 15th-century fortress 303 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,216 known as the Citadel of Qaitbay. 304 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,176 Qaitbay is the man who built it, 305 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,560 and he started life as a slave soldier known as a Mamluk. 306 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:01,416 Hello. 307 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,016 Salaam alaikum. Wa-alaikum-salaam. 308 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,896 Archaeologist Nermine Sami, who's lived in Alexandria all her life, 309 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,560 is going to tell me more about this magical place. 310 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,896 Wow. Look at that beautiful door. 311 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,976 And also, connection is with the first floor. 312 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,096 Oh, it's impressive. 313 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:21,136 This is such a beautiful place. Tell me about it. 314 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,336 It was named after the sultan who built it, isn't it? 315 00:17:24,360 --> 00:17:26,816 Qaitbay was one of the Mamluks, 316 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:30,496 who ruled Egypt for 28 years. 317 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,256 So this is the Mamluks, they were slaves that were brought here? 318 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,816 A soldier of slave origin. 319 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:37,576 So how does he end up being sultan? 320 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,696 How does he make that transformation? 321 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:44,736 Yes. How he became a sultan, because he showed many of bravery 322 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,816 and intelligence to become a sultan. Yeah, yeah. 323 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,776 He was approved by all the soldiers 324 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,336 and he was chosen to be a sultan of Egypt. 325 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:55,337 Incredible. 326 00:17:55,361 --> 00:17:56,896 Yes, it is. Yeah. 327 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,296 So Qaitbay comes here and builds this fortress 328 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,896 on what, presumably, is the site of the original lighthouse? 329 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:08,016 Actually, the lighthouse site was in a distance of 20 meters. 330 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,736 So pretty close. Pretty close. 331 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:10,776 Yeah. 332 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,096 OK, and we still see some traces of lighthouse. 333 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,176 Stone blocks were used in construction of internal parts 334 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,016 of this fortress. 335 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,456 So the lighthouse has gone... Gone. 336 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,256 ..but Qaitbay spots this as being the ideal place to put this fortress. 337 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,216 Ideal place to protect the borders of Alexandria by the sea, 338 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,136 because there was a huge attack will come by the Ottomans. 339 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,456 So Sultan Qaitbay is worried about the Ottoman Empire. 340 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,816 This is part of his defences against the Ottomans. 341 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,376 But eventually Egypt does fall to that empire. 342 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:43,496 Yes. 343 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,656 He was afraid of Ottoman attacks 344 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:48,696 and he had to fortify the whole country, 345 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,736 not just Alexandria, but Alexandria was always the gate 346 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,576 to conquer Egypt. 347 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,336 Yeah. I mean, what do you think about Qaitbay as a man? 348 00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:58,816 It's an extraordinary story. 349 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,816 He begins life as this slave soldier, 350 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:04,416 and ends up being a sultan. 351 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:05,456 Yes. 352 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,536 I think he was different, 353 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:08,696 unusual character. 354 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,176 He was not just a militant, or soldier man, 355 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,296 he was fond of foundation, and construction, 356 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,416 and the project of opening this country to all people to come. 357 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,216 So he was interested in that kind of cosmopolitan side, which you see, 358 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,216 I mean, you still see today in Alexandria. 359 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,816 Yes, we still have the same concept and the idea and the spirit 360 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,136 of welcoming others. 361 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,656 Yeah. And that goes, I mean, that goes right back to the foundation 362 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:32,856 of Alexandria, as well, 363 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,176 and the idea of this place is a famous, famous seat of learning, 364 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,096 possibly, you know, possibly the most famous seat of learning 365 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:41,856 in the ancient world, at one time. 366 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,096 They cared about learning and education. 367 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:47,736 I think that's what led this city to be so special 368 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,056 than any other cities. 369 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:50,080 Yeah. 370 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,736 So we're looking out here from the battlements, over the harbour, 371 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:03,696 and you suddenly realise what a prime position this citadel is in 372 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,336 to defend this harbour. 373 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:08,816 In that time, actually, the fortifications of Mamluks 374 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:09,817 were not enough, 375 00:20:09,841 --> 00:20:14,136 because they were still using the old techniques. 376 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,616 But when Ottomans came, the fortress couldn't resist. 377 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,096 The rising power of Ottomans was very super, 378 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,640 comparing to the power of Mamluks. 379 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,216 It's so different from the southern battlements, 380 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:31,136 where we're looking over that safe harbour, lovely, calm water, 381 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,616 and then you look out from the northern side, 382 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,656 and you've got the crashing waves of the Mediterranean. 383 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,096 It's an image of contrast, actually, 384 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:42,816 and it makes you love the city, 385 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,416 and also to be afraid to be enemy to it. 386 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:46,536 Yes. Yes. 387 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:47,936 So you have to be careful. 388 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,736 If you are an enemy, you are not welcome. 389 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,400 If you are a friend, you are welcome. 390 00:20:56,120 --> 00:21:00,216 Alexandria today reflects its cosmopolitan history, 391 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,816 and its continuing reputation as a seat of learning, 392 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,536 where different cultures coexist. 393 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:11,896 A beautiful and defiant city on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. 394 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,536 At this time of the day, as the sun sets, 395 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:20,016 and you see a few fishermen out here just on the quay side, 396 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,520 it's easy to think yourself back to ancient Alexandria. 397 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,616 It's the start of a new day for my adventures in Egypt. 398 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,296 I'm in Alexandria, 399 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,256 heading to meet a woman on a mission to track down 400 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,800 one of Egypt's most famous names. 401 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,856 Along the coast, west of Alexandria, 402 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,616 a few stops down the line, 403 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,776 is an archaeological site 404 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,816 that has the Egyptologists divided. 405 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,936 I'm off to meet someone who is convinced that she is close 406 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,880 to finding the elusive tomb of Cleopatra. 407 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,176 Just 30 miles out of the city, 408 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,016 and I find myself in the Egyptian countryside, 409 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:40,016 where stations are little more than a concrete platform. 410 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,256 This is also where archaeologists have been excavating 411 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,400 a 2,000 acre site, called Taposiris Magna... 412 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:51,416 ..that has a lighthouse, 413 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:53,016 an ancient temple, 414 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,456 and a more recent discovery - 415 00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:00,200 a system of tunnels that go out and beneath the Mediterranean Sea. 416 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,736 Kathleen Martinez, a former lawyer from the Dominican Republic, 417 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,456 has been working here for almost 15 years. 418 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,936 Kathleen, this is just incredible. 419 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,816 It's... it's huge. 420 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:17,496 And you realised that there was much more to find, 421 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:19,656 still buried under the ground here. 422 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:24,936 Yes. I want to prove that the temple was a functioning temple 423 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:26,976 that functioned for many centuries. 424 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,936 And when you arrived here, what did it look like, at that point? 425 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,056 It was completely covered with sand. 426 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,576 So pretty much the level that we're standing on here, 427 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,016 right across the site? 428 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,320 So this is all your excavations? Yes. 429 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,296 So you've obviously done quite a bit of reconstruction here. 430 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,176 I can see this is all new mortar. 431 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:46,896 Yes. 432 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:47,976 So these plinths are strange, 433 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,216 'cause they've got little steps leading up. 434 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,936 So what do you think it's for? They put offering here. 435 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:54,416 Yeah. Here to the gods. 436 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:55,736 Right. 437 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,656 You think this is the original entrance here? 438 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,616 So this would have been the way that worshippers came into the temple? 439 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:02,656 Yes. Yeah. 440 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,336 This for the pharaohs to come into the temple, 441 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,976 because they have their own entrance, it's in the north. 442 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,536 Yeah. 443 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,096 In terms of the longevity of this temple, 444 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:14,896 when did it go out of use? Do you know that? 445 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:16,336 We have archaeological evidence 446 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:18,776 that this functioned until the 5th century. 447 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,176 So how did you prove it, then? 448 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:21,456 You presumably, as you dug, you've... 449 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,496 With archaeological evidence. You've got dating evidence? 450 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:27,416 Yes, dating with ceramics that we discovered, 451 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,096 the tombs, 452 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:34,856 uh, who are the ones who are buried in these catacombs. 453 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:35,896 Yeah. 454 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,360 There are people that lived in the time of Queen Cleopatra. 455 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:46,256 While other archaeologists believe Cleopatra was buried in Alexandria, 456 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,976 Kathleen's own research has led her to look here. 457 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,896 With a background as a lawyer, 458 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,296 she's made a case based on circumstantial evidence. 459 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,016 Archaeology is a science. This is obviously more than a hunch. 460 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,576 This is all about your very careful research. 461 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,016 What was it that made you think that this was a really good candidate 462 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:06,256 for Cleopatra's burial? 463 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,616 Because I studied Cleopatra's death 464 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,216 for more than five years. 465 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,336 Only the last days of her life. Yeah. 466 00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:18,096 And then I followed her as a criminal lawyer, 467 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:22,416 and I wanted to put myself in her shoes. 468 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,856 What would I do in my last days 469 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,936 if I am the last queen of Egypt? 470 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,976 And the Romans want to take me to be paraded in Rome, 471 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,776 because the Romans hated her too much. 472 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,536 She had to make sure that her final resting place was somewhere 473 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:38,816 the Romans wouldn't find her? 474 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,096 Exactly. That's why it couldn't be Alexandria city, 475 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:46,376 it couldn't be there, because it was under the control of the Romans. 476 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,136 We know she committed suicide, 477 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,776 and she chose the place that she wanted to be buried, 478 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:55,096 and I believe that this temple reunites all the conditions. 479 00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:58,496 The temple itself, the religious centre, 480 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,056 the architecture is magnificent. Mm, it's incredible. 481 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,136 And we know everything she did, it was a grandeur. 482 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,336 She did everything in a big scale. 483 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:10,200 Second, it was a Greek temple. 484 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,056 You've also found this crucial piece of evidence that says 485 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,256 who this temple is for, who it's dedicated to. 486 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,176 Yes, it was one of the greatest days of my life. 487 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,216 Yeah. 488 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,976 I was able to prove, when I saw the foundation plates, 489 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,560 because it already links the temple to Queen Cleopatra. 490 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,976 Ancient Egyptian temples have a foundation plate, 491 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,160 a sort of registration, marking the temple's creation. 492 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:45,200 Look here, a square. 493 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,896 I discovered the foundation plate. 494 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:51,456 Just here? Yes. 495 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,016 This nondescript-looking hole? 496 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,736 Yes. It was about this size. 497 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:58,656 Exactly the size of the cell phone. 498 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,136 So, as soon as it appeared, did you know what it was? 499 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:02,416 You realised what this object was? 500 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,096 Yes, it was a very exciting moment in the excavation. 501 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:07,376 Of course, we know the foundation plates. 502 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:08,616 Let me show you. 503 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:09,896 Oh, wow! 504 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:11,776 Everybody was searching for them. 505 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,216 And it has inscriptions in hieroglyphic. 506 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:16,336 And you could see clearly here. 507 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:18,456 So, Greek, I can read bits of, 508 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,776 and I can see here "basile". 509 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,736 That's "king". Yeah. 510 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,496 And then that says "Iside", so, "of Isis". 511 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:27,816 Exactly. Yeah. 512 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,216 This revelation was important to Kathleen, 513 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,896 because Cleopatra identified herself with the goddess Isis - 514 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,096 a strong reason, Kathleen believes, 515 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,296 that Cleopatra would have chosen this site for her own burial. 516 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,096 So everything at that moment, 517 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:46,056 it changed history. 518 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,456 Yeah. My heart was beating so strongly. 519 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,496 To whom was it dedicated? Yeah, yeah. 520 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:52,936 And then we saw "Isis". 521 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:54,656 Imagine it. I was able to prove, 522 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,216 because it could be dedicated to any other god. 523 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,096 That's amazing. So what does it say, then? 524 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:03,216 The whole translation says, "The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, 525 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,496 "Ptolemy, may he live forever. 526 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:12,416 "Beloved of Isis, son of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ptolemy, 527 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:13,976 "and the ruler Berenike. 528 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,440 "The two beneficent gods made this sanctuary for Isis." 529 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:21,856 That's just extraordinary. 530 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,176 And Cleopatra, as you said, 531 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,736 is identifying herself with the goddess Isis. 532 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:27,920 Yes. 533 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,816 Inside one of the temple walls is a collection of fragments 534 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:44,776 not quite good enough to be sent to Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities. 535 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,400 But these remnants still mean a lot to Kathleen. 536 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,376 Oh, so is this your stores? 537 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,816 Yes. We have some architectural elements. 538 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:55,896 Yeah. 539 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,616 These are pieces which are not good enough. 540 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,016 They are not considered artefacts, 541 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,456 but they are very important for me, 542 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:07,256 because I can have an idea how the temple looks like. 543 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:08,496 Yeah. 544 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,376 How the temple was covered in marble. 545 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,896 That means a lot. It was very rich. 546 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,776 Yeah. I just love the details. 547 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:21,296 I love this little one here, with this little spiral. 548 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,776 This is architectural elements 549 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:29,056 that goes in the top of the columns. 550 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,739 It's just lovely, isn't it? I mean, it looks so fresh, that carving. 551 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,096 This is the head of a sphinx. 552 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,536 So you're able to conjure a picture of what these temples 553 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:41,736 would have looked like when they were in use? 554 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,296 Yes. Yeah. 555 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,376 So how many artefacts have you found in total during your excavations? 556 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,216 Right now, I have around 2,000 objects. 557 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:55,216 Are you moving your focus of attention out of the temple now 558 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,656 and looking more outside at the necropolis? 559 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,896 Yes, we're widening the search to the east. 560 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:04,176 Can I go and see what you've been doing? 561 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:05,177 Yes. Yeah? 562 00:30:05,201 --> 00:30:06,840 Yes, I'm looking forward to show it. 563 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,696 In 2019, Kathleen's team started to dig down 564 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:17,400 to locate some tunnels that she'd identified using scanning technology. 565 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,656 Down below the temple, her team of Bedouin workers spent weeks 566 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,856 with basic tools to excavate the tunnels 567 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,680 that Kathleen believes may run for miles. 568 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:34,000 And now I'm going to go underground to see what she's found. 569 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,736 I'm at an archaeological site on the outskirts of Alexandria 570 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:43,576 with Kathleen Martinez, 571 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,176 who believes that Cleopatra herself 572 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,536 is buried somewhere here. 573 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,216 Kathleen has been searching for Cleopatra for 15 years, 574 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,776 but it's only recently that she's discovered hidden tunnels, 575 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,176 stretching out beyond the highway, for two kilometres, 576 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,176 underneath the Mediterranean Sea. 577 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,216 So how did you find the shaft? 578 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,616 Are you using ground-penetrating radar? 579 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,096 You know, how are you detecting where the shaft is? 580 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,896 Some we have discovered with GPR, 581 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,576 some excavating. 582 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:14,896 Yeah, yeah. 583 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:16,456 Can we go down? Yes. 584 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:17,536 Yeah? 585 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:18,696 How do you feel to go down? 586 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:20,176 There are snakes and... 587 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:21,920 Um... How deep is it? 588 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,416 Eight metres. Eight metres. 589 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:26,440 Not too bad. 590 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,040 But there are snakes down there. 591 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,256 There are snakes 592 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,096 and also some scorpions. 593 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,680 Yeah, OK. 594 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:39,720 Snakes and scorpions. 595 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,160 OK. I'm coming down. 596 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:07,336 Now, you said there were venomous snakes down here, 597 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:08,440 but I didn't bring my... 598 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,496 ..flaming torch to get rid of them, 599 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,120 so I hope they've all scarpered. 600 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:19,456 Welcome to the underworld, 601 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,256 the world of Osiris. 602 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,040 Thank you! 603 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,256 These tunnels are just astonishing. 604 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:30,656 So when did you dig this out? 605 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:32,176 When did you and your team dig this out? 606 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,016 I've been digging three years, 607 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,376 but it's very hard to work here. Yeah. 608 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,416 And you can see the way it was built, 609 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,816 it was chiselled, and in this direction. 610 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,576 Yeah. 611 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:46,456 It's perfectly cut, 612 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:47,840 cut in the bedrock. 613 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,696 You see, it has a lot of humidity, 614 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:53,776 this part. Yeah. 615 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:55,216 Right now, 616 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:59,456 we are exactly beneath the highway. 617 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:00,616 Really? 618 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:02,576 You can feel it in vibration. Can you? 619 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,176 The road could so easily have destroyed this archaeology, 620 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:06,736 couldn't it? Yes. 621 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,856 The tunnel, it's leading me to the Mediterranean Sea. 622 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,376 It goes all the way out? 623 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,416 And there was no historical records that indicate 624 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,016 that the temple was bigger... Yeah. 625 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:23,736 ..or it has some other structures. 626 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:24,936 Yeah, yeah. 627 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,696 Just incredible that it's only emerged in the last few years, 628 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:30,680 thanks to all your perseverance. 629 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:35,936 The tunnels were full of sand, which has been dug out, 630 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,416 but there's much more to clear before Kathleen finds out 631 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:41,216 where they eventually lead, 632 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,856 and what, if anything, she'll find there. 633 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,976 How does it feel to be amongst the latest generation 634 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:50,856 of archaeologists to be making discoveries like this in Egypt? 635 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:55,336 I think many discoveries will be made in the near future, 636 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,376 because a new generation of workers are thinking out of the box... 637 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:00,656 Yeah. 638 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:04,976 ..and that will help to understand better our past. 639 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,976 So you're not afraid to challenge those old theories? 640 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,096 Yes, I'm not afraid at all. 641 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:15,336 As a matter of fact, I like to change all those wrong theories, 642 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,696 and books written, for example, about Queen Cleopatra, 643 00:34:18,720 --> 00:34:22,016 and if I discover Cleopatra's tomb, 644 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,056 she will speak to us through her tomb... 645 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:25,136 Yeah. 646 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,536 ..and we will have another understanding 647 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,256 of her as a historical character. 648 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,160 And I believe these tunnels are the key. 649 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,456 Kathleen's passion for her quest to find Cleopatra's final resting place 650 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,336 has to be admired. 651 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,456 Kathleen believes that the tunnels 652 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,176 may have some connection with the tomb. 653 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:48,976 I'm somewhat doubtful, 654 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,056 but the ongoing excavation 655 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,656 will either prove her correct, or not. 656 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,696 Many Egyptologists dismiss her mission as fantasy, 657 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:00,816 but I have a feeling that any scepticism 658 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,080 will do nothing more than spur Kathleen on in her quest. 659 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:11,856 Back on the train, 660 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,056 to a destination halfway between 661 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:15,976 Alexandria and Cairo, 662 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:17,560 the town of Tanta. 663 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,536 This is where I'm making a quick stop, 664 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:25,256 because I've been told about an active archaeological site 665 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,600 that dates back to the very beginnings of ancient Egypt... 666 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,456 ..going back almost 5,000 years 667 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,416 to the time of the earliest pharaohs. 668 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:37,440 I'm intrigued. 669 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,296 So this is very much off the beaten track, 670 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:54,656 but I was desperate to come here. 671 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,776 This place is known as Tell El-Fara'een, 672 00:35:57,800 --> 00:35:59,816 the Hill of the Pharaohs. 673 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,736 To the Greeks, it was Buto. 674 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,096 To the ancient Egyptians themselves, 675 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,096 it was Per-Wadjet - "the place of Wadjet". 676 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:10,200 Now, she's the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt. 677 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,216 First impressions, though, 678 00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:16,216 I might have travelled a long way 679 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:18,600 just to look at a mound of earth. 680 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,120 This was once a vibrant city. 681 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:32,176 It was discovered in the late 19th century 682 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:35,496 by Scottish Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, 683 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:39,520 but excavation only really started in earnest in the 1960s. 684 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,776 It was also an important sacred site, 685 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,376 connected in ancient Egyptian myth 686 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,616 to the goddess Isis and her son, the god Horus. 687 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,296 There's all this evidence of your excavations around us. 688 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:57,096 Pieces of pottery. Shall I sit here? Yeah. This is what we... 689 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,616 I'm lucky enough to be meeting the site director, 690 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,576 Dr Hossam Ghoniem, 691 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:03,560 with translator Mohamed Hawash. 692 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,056 Oh, this is incredible. 693 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,976 So underneath all of this mound, 694 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,200 you've got incredible archaeology emerging. 695 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:16,920 So was there a temple of Horus here? 696 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:26,776 There's a temple for Horus here, 697 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,576 and there is another temple for Wadjet, 698 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:33,696 because Isis and Osiris' stories started here. 699 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:34,697 Oh, really? 700 00:37:34,721 --> 00:37:38,736 So, and also, this place was the capital of Lower Egypt, 701 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,536 before they united all of Lower and Upper Egypt. 702 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:42,736 Right. 703 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,096 So this is a really important place... 704 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:46,536 It is. ..in ancient Egypt, then? 705 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:47,776 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 706 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,776 Very, very important place, yeah. 707 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:50,777 Hossam, 708 00:37:50,801 --> 00:37:53,080 what level are we looking at here? 709 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:00,856 It's a new kingdom. Right, OK. 710 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:04,176 They're working in around 12-metre depths, 711 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,016 as layers of civilisation on top of each other. 712 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,896 Yeah. What's the most ancient? 713 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:10,896 The most ancient is Predynastic. 714 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,016 Yeah, and that takes us back to... 715 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,216 4th, uh, millennium BCE. 716 00:38:15,240 --> 00:38:16,896 4th millennium BCE? 4th millennium. 717 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:18,016 So you've got... 718 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:21,976 ..you've got 6,000 years of history here. 719 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:25,496 There is still a lot, a lot to see, or to discover, 720 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:28,776 'cause what they're working on is around one hectare, 721 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,096 and the all temples area is like 11 hectares. 722 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:33,536 Really? Yeah. 723 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:35,256 So it's like... it's a massive area. 724 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,136 And you're obviously still digging. 725 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:39,296 Is this part of the same vessel? 726 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:40,936 Does that go together? Yeah, it's the same one. 727 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:42,736 Yeah, it's the same one. 728 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:44,376 Oh, that's so satisfying, isn't it? 729 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:45,776 Look at that. Yeah. 730 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,216 With restoration, we can complete it. 731 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:49,136 And that's, what, the top of an amphora? 732 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,176 Yeah, yeah, of an amphora, and this is the piece. 733 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:53,416 Yeah. Like this. 734 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:54,936 Huge vessels. Yeah, yeah. 735 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:56,376 Full of what? Wine, oil? 736 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:57,536 Maybe. Yeah. 737 00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:58,880 Maybe for wine. 738 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,216 He's very happy when he finds anything, because anything he found, 739 00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:10,256 he adds knowledge to him. 740 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,776 It's incredible, isn't it, that, you know, we're still... 741 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,736 ..we're still learning, you're still digging, 742 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:16,776 you're still making discoveries every year. 743 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:18,016 Thank you so much. 744 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:19,600 I'm going to go and explore now. 745 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:21,840 Thank you. 746 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:32,696 With sites as rich as this, there is still so much to unearth. 747 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:35,680 The whole history of the settlement is preserved here. 748 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,296 Oh, just look at that section. 749 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:44,336 You've got the... you've got the history of the site there. 750 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:48,016 You can really see all these layers, all these strata, 751 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,256 and we go back and back in time as we go down, 752 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,056 and they're packed full of pottery. 753 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,616 So you'll be able to date each of those, 754 00:39:56,640 --> 00:40:00,536 and we're looking at going back in time, thousands of years, 755 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:04,736 until we get right back into the early Pharaonic period, 756 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:08,600 and these columns are sitting down on that level. 757 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,600 6,000 years of history in one place. 758 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:21,496 Hossam has told me to look carefully in this passage. 759 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:24,200 There should be some ancient writing on the walls. 760 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,616 This is fantastic. It just goes down and down. 761 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,296 We descend beneath the Roman layers, 762 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:34,936 beneath the Ptolemaic layers, 763 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,000 get back to the time of the Pharaohs... 764 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:40,640 ..and down here... 765 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:43,440 ..are some hieroglyphs. 766 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:49,056 Over here, what we've got are these rounded off rectangles. 767 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:50,656 Now, these are cartouches, 768 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:54,256 and we know, then, that that contains a name, 769 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:57,496 so you've got a set of symbols in here, which will be a name. 770 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:00,896 This one, you can see, has got a little scarab in it, 771 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:02,680 and here's a falcon. 772 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:08,136 And over here, I think, this is the double crown, 773 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:12,136 so the crown, the red and white crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, 774 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:13,960 when the two kingdoms come together. 775 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:18,056 This looks like horns, 776 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,296 with a sun disk in the middle, 777 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:23,960 so that's very possibly Hathor, the cow goddess. 778 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:26,336 And this is taking us back 779 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,200 to the early dynasties of ancient Egypt. 780 00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:38,480 Three mounds of earth, taking me back 5,000 years ago. 781 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:41,920 It's given me so much to think about. 782 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:48,176 Hossam is continuing the work here that Flinders Petrie started 783 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,416 over 100 years ago. 784 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:52,856 Now, when Amelia Edwards died, 785 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,856 she left a bequest to University College London, 786 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:59,496 to set up a Chair in Egyptian archaeology, 787 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:04,376 and the first professor in that post was Flinders Petrie. 788 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,376 He was a pioneer of Egyptology, 789 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,656 and indeed modern archaeology, 790 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:14,136 but he's a deeply controversial figure for his political views 791 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,296 and his racist ideology. 792 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:20,736 So we've got a familiar quandary here in the history of archaeology, 793 00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:22,376 and science in general - 794 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:24,856 what do we do about these people, 795 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:27,376 when we want to respect their discoveries 796 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,176 and their contribution to knowledge, 797 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,096 but at the same time, we want to 798 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:37,120 confront that troubling history of archaeology? 799 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:42,000 And perhaps it's a lesson not to put people on pedestals. 800 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,936 The cosmopolitan and historic city of Alexandria has given me 801 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,240 a great insight into the tail-end of ancient Egypt. 802 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:16,560 From finding out more about how the Romans lived at Kom el-Dikka... 803 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:24,736 ..to walking in the tunnels that could lead to Cleopatra's lost tomb, 804 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:28,496 I'll be forever grateful for my time spent here. 805 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,256 More treasures of ancient Egypt await me, 806 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:33,160 and it's time to get back on the train. 807 00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:48,280 I'm going to be heading south to Cairo, the capital city. 808 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,536 I'm really sad to be saying goodbye to Alexandria 809 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:08,136 and the Mediterranean Sea, 810 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:10,296 but my journey now lies to the south. 811 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,296 I'm also leaving behind that more recent history, 812 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:17,376 the Mamluk rulers of Egypt, the Romans and the Greeks, 813 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:20,336 and I'm going in search of the pharaohs. 814 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:22,440 I'm headed for the pyramids. 815 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,576 Next time, I'll find out about the British involvement 816 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:33,976 in the birth of the Egyptian railways. 817 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:36,800 Robert Stephenson, Newcastle on Tyne. 818 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,736 Bridge up. 819 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:43,976 The death of the most famous pharaoh of them all. 820 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,216 I've seen so many pictures of this, 821 00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:48,720 but nothing quite prepares you for the real thing. 822 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,656 Absolutely beautiful. 823 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:54,800 - This would have been roofed over? - Yes. 824 00:44:57,160 --> 00:44:59,976 I get amazing access to the only surviving 825 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:01,600 Ancient Wonder of the World. 826 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,496 I'm incredibly privileged to be going inside 827 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:07,616 the Great Pyramid of Khufu 828 00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:08,960 on my own. 829 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:18,360 Surely the greatest tomb that has ever been made. 830 00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:24,296 And I even squeeze in a bit of shopping. 831 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:25,576 I love that one. 832 00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:26,936 That's 50. 833 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:28,200 Could it be 25? 834 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:30,160 30? 835 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:33,240 Thank you very much. 836 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:44,680 Captions by Red Bee Media (c) 2023 SBS Australia