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DR MICHAEL SCOTT: The world's ancient
cities still contain many surprises
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and treasures
hidden from view for centuries.
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Now, with the latest scanning technology,
I'm going to reveal the secrets
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of three of the most
fascinating cities on Earth.
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Athens - the birthplace of democracy.
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Istanbul - the crossroads
between Europe and Asia.
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And, in this programme,
the gateway to ancient Egypt...
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...Cairo.
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Today, Cairo is home to over
20 million people - that's over double
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the population of Greater London -
and as the capital of modern Egypt,
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it's a city that fills the horizon,
its streets noisy,
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frenetic with hustle and bustle.
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But so much of Cairo's past
is invisible...
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...buried deep within its giant pyramids,
mysterious towers and ancient fortresses.
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45 metres deep, up to the sky.
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These monuments today
are surrounded by the city of Cairo,
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but don't be fooled -
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these pyramids were here long before Cairo
was a twinkle in Egypt's eye.
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I'll be working with our 3-D scan team
to discover how precisely
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the pyramids were built
thousands of years ago...
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...and investigate the riddle
of the Sphinx -
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is it the face of a real pharaoh?
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But the history of Cairo
isn't all ancient Egyptians.
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I'm also going in search of a Roman
fortress hidden under the modern city...
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Wow!
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...exploring deep below
the Arabic citadel...
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...where no tourist ventures.
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You can hardly actually
get a look over the edge.
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It's still quite a way down.
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Just get down. Oh!
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And I'll be using virtual reality
to reveal the ancient world
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in a whole new way.
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Welcome to invisible Cairo.
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The life-giving Nile - a spine
running through the whole of Egypt
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and right through the centre
of the city of Cairo.
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This is the longest river in the world
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and the Egyptians used to say that
its source was in the stars,
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but it's actually in the African Great
Lakes, about 4,000 miles to the south.
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It truly is a spectacle of Mother Nature.
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Over millennia,
the Nile has flooded every year
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and transformed arid desert
into fertile fields.
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5,000 years ago,
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the ancient Egyptians built their
capital city, Memphis, on the Nile,
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at a point where the river splits up
into the many channels of the Nile Delta.
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Today, Cairo is also sited
close to this strategic position.
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(HORN TOOTS)
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Throughout its history, this region
has been ruled by many empires...
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...but one iconic shape,
built by its very first civilisation,
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defines the Cairo skyline.
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The Great Pyramid is the last remaining
wonder of the ancient world.
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We're so used to seeing
images of the pyramids
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that they can become all too familiar,
right?
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We can almost discount them
before we see them, and yet,
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when you approach the Great Pyramid,
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you realise once again
just how incredible this building is.
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It shuts out the sky, it's a...
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It's a man-made mountain
standing right in front of you.
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This place was no city or settlement,
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this place was the burial ground
of kings and queens of ancient Egypt,
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and this was the biggest of them all.
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The Great Pyramid of Giza was built
over 4,500 years ago,
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around 2560 BC.
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20,000 workers constructed it,
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but it was the last resting place
for just one man,
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a pharaoh called Khufu.
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Our scanning project to peel back the
layers of history in Cairo begins here.
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The scan team is going to create
a 3-D computer model
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to help reveal the secrets of its design.
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They're led by Will Trossell.
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Will, hard at work already.
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- Good to see you.
- Afraid I am!
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So, in the face
of the greatest challenge yet,
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are you guys going to be able to cope?
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Well, it is a challenge and a half.
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I think the temperature
is pretty killer out here
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and it has all sorts of problems
with our machinery and with us.
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The ultimate challenge
against the ultimate building -
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what's the goal, what's your primary goal?
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The scans are incredibly accurate,
they're millimetre-perfect,
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and we'll be able to put
all of our scans together
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to reveal the accuracy and the precision
at which they put together the pyramid.
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Through our 3-D scans,
we'll discover how exact
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the ancient Egyptians could be
using stone hammers and copper chisels.
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Will is also keen to scan
inside the pyramid.
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And then we can take our scanner
slowly through all those chambers
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and through all those passages
and connect them together,
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so we'll be able to tell you
exactly where you are inside,
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compared to where we are outside here.
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Fantastic.
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- Well, good luck to you.
- Thank you.
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It's going to be a great,
fun challenge ahead.
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- Thank you.
- I'll see you inside.
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We'll see you in there.
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It's certainly a challenge.
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At 137 metres tall
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and made out of 2.3 million stone blocks,
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the Great Pyramid is still
the heaviest building in the world.
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I'm going in
through the robbers' entrance,
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a tunnel dug by looters, probably just a
few centuries after the pyramid was built.
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Beyond this, in the centre of the pyramid,
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is a spectacular ceremonial space
called the Grand Gallery.
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Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass
is my guide.
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Very nice to see you.
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Tell me about the extraordinary stonework
around us today.
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Yeah, that's really the Grand Gallery,
which is a most fascinating structure
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inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
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If you look at how it was built,
you find there is nine huge blocks,
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all of this, and fine limestone.
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The pyramid was a national project
of the whole nation.
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- It's a work of magic, isn't it?
- It is.
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The nine-metre-tall walls
of the Grand Gallery lean inwards
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to accentuate their height.
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It's built to impress and leads up
to the tomb of the King.
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ZAHI: Now I take you
to the burial chamber.
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MICHAEL: What an extraordinary experience.
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The burial chamber is high up
in the very heart of the pyramid.
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This is where Pharaoh Khufu
was finally laid to rest.
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This really feels like a place
we weren't supposed to find, Zahi.
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(ZAHI LAUGHS)
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- Wow!
- Magic. Isn't it?
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The stonework is beautiful!
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Everything here built of granite.
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This tomb is now almost empty,
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any treasures that were here
stolen by graverobbers.
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The mummified body is also gone,
but one object remains.
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And this, I presume, is...the sarcophagus?
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Yeah.
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What would the ceremony have been like
when they sealed him in?
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You know, when the King died,
they mummified the King,
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and after that they dig, they bring
the King to the north entrance
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and they bury the King.
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And that took, ceremony, for 70 days.
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70 days?!
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From the death of the King until they put
him inside the sarcophagus here.
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They brought the King here
so that he would be...
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...he would have a home for the afterlife?
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The King would live in this palace,
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and therefore, the King became God
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and he lives in his palace
for immortality.
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Zahi tells me there's another chamber
deep below the pyramid.
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It's closed to the public,
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but we've been granted special permission
to explore it.
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I've come about 50 metres now, down this
tunnel, heading diagonally downwards...
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It's getting very hot, very airless,
very dusty.
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(GROANS) Oh!
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I'm heading down
to the subterranean chamber.
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Nobody's quite sure what it was used for.
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(WHISPERS) Well, where are we here?
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(GROANS) Oh!
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Coming down and down and down,
it feels like into,
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almost a journey to the centre
of the Earth down here,
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and I'm trying not to think about the 2.3
million blocks that are above my head.
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But this place is... I mean, this is the
solid bedrock here that's been carved out.
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It's much rougher, much...
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...less obvious
what this place was intended to be
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than the King's tomb up above.
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What were they thinking?
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What were they planning?
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Oh...
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Some Egyptologists believe it was built
to be the burial chamber,
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but dropped in favour of the King's tomb.
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Others think it might have been a decoy
to fool graverobbers.
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The first scans
of the Great Pyramid are in
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and I'm hoping they'll shed some light on
the mystery and make sense of its layout.
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Yeah, these are really quite incredible.
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(WHISPERS) Wow.
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So we've taken all of the scans
that we've done
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and stitched them all together,
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- both inside and outside the pyramid.
- (WHISPERS) Wow.
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WILL: We can start to sort of dive into
some of those secrets
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that the scans are really
opening up for us.
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MICHAEL: It feels like
this is all empty space,
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but, I mean, this is actually solid rock
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we're viewing from at the moment.
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The tunnels and the chambers,
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those are the empty spaces
you can actually walk through.
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WILL: Yeah.
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So where did we come in?
Can we go to...?
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WILL: Yeah.
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So, here, you can see the robbers' tunnel
and compare that to the actual structure
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of the designed,
intended descending passageway,
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down to that subterranean room.
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And the difference there between them
is remarkable.
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One's like a gnarled piece of ginger
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and the other one looked like, you know,
this precision-crafted tube
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that goes right down
into the core of the pyramid.
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Phenomenal.
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WILL: And we can also see how deep
that subterranean chamber is
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relative to the others,
which are much higher up in the pyramid.
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MICHAEL: Cos, of course, we went deep in
under the ground level, didn't we?
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WILL: Absolutely, yeah.
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OK, it sort of felt almost endless
descending that passage.
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Can we go into the chamber
where we were?
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Yeah, and it has a very curious, er,
shape and form.
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It's even clearer now
just how rough the subterranean chamber is
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compared to the King's tomb above.
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So, as we come up the Grand Gallery,
we come towards
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the entrance to the King's chamber.
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And then this beautiful,
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incredibly clean,
incredibly powerful room,
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the King's chamber here.
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And what an amazing piece of architecture
inside the pyramid.
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The scans should show us
where the chambers and tunnels lie
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in relation to one another.
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So we're looking right down from the top,
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right down at the pinnacle of the pyramid.
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WILL: Mm, and you can see
how they all kind of align.
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You know, it's quite incredible
how accurately those shafts and chambers
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go straight into the heart of the pyramid.
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It makes me inclined to think that there's
nothing accidental or mistaken
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about this building.
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Whatever that subterranean chamber
was for, it had a purpose from the get-go.
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Everything's been planned to perfection.
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Will has created a red band at a specific
height around the base of the pyramid
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to measure how level it is.
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The band shows that all four corners sit
within just ten centimetres of each other,
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despite being hundreds of metres apart.
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The pyramid is almost exactly level.
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There was a real master plan here.
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Everything was thought through
and considered,
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and probably approved
by the Pharaoh himself.
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MICHAEL: So it's really only now with
this...with this 21st-century technology
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that we're able to applaud them as much
as they deserve for their brilliance!
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- (WILL LAUGHS)
- All that, 4,500 years ago!
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Oh, it's absolutely remarkable.
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Now that the skill of the ancient Egyptian
engineers has been confirmed,
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we're going to apply
our scanning technology to a new mystery.
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It involves the most famous
and enigmatic sculpture in the world.
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It's only when you get up this close
and personal to the Sphinx
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that you realise its tremendous size -
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towering over 20 metres above my head,
carved out of the solid rock.
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It's the recumbent body of a lion
with the head of a man
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and when this sculpture was carved
at the time of the Pyramids, here at Giza,
234
00:15:41,701 --> 00:15:45,261
it was the largest man-made sculpture
anywhere for hundreds of years to come.
235
00:15:49,621 --> 00:15:51,181
But whose face is it?
236
00:15:53,661 --> 00:15:57,181
The Sphinx sits at the foot
of a ceremonial road
237
00:15:57,221 --> 00:16:02,141
leading up to the second, middle pyramid
of Giza, close to the Great Pyramid.
238
00:16:03,621 --> 00:16:05,781
This was built for the pharaoh Khafre.
239
00:16:07,941 --> 00:16:11,261
And he was the son of Khufu,
buried next door.
240
00:16:12,541 --> 00:16:17,501
The Sphinx was traditionally believed
to represent Khafre -
241
00:16:17,541 --> 00:16:20,021
a brazen act of self-promotion.
242
00:16:21,341 --> 00:16:26,141
But in 2003, some researchers argued
Khafre had instead built it
243
00:16:26,181 --> 00:16:28,341
to honour his father, Khufu.
244
00:16:33,661 --> 00:16:36,741
We will scan the face of the Sphinx
245
00:16:36,781 --> 00:16:40,221
and compare it with sculptures
of Khafre and Khufu...
246
00:16:42,181 --> 00:16:45,021
...in an attempt to answer
the age-old riddle...
247
00:16:47,021 --> 00:16:48,741
...who is the Sphinx?
248
00:16:50,741 --> 00:16:53,421
(HORNS BEEP)
249
00:16:56,101 --> 00:16:59,421
The famous pyramids of Giza
have their origins elsewhere.
250
00:17:00,861 --> 00:17:03,941
To understand what inspired
their architects,
251
00:17:03,981 --> 00:17:06,021
we need to head 20 kilometres south.
252
00:17:08,141 --> 00:17:13,421
We're travelling across the vast
sprawling city of modern Cairo,
253
00:17:13,461 --> 00:17:16,581
but we're actually making
a very ancient journey
254
00:17:16,621 --> 00:17:20,501
from the burial ground,
the necropolis at Giza,
255
00:17:20,541 --> 00:17:24,661
back to the centre of power,
the city of Memphis.
256
00:17:32,021 --> 00:17:36,101
The pharaohs of the old kingdom
ruled from Memphis.
257
00:17:36,141 --> 00:17:38,981
It had a population of about
30,000 people.
258
00:17:40,301 --> 00:17:43,181
It might not sound like many,
but 4,500 years ago,
259
00:17:43,221 --> 00:17:46,661
Memphis was one of the biggest cities
in the world.
260
00:17:51,381 --> 00:17:55,541
It was a cosmopolitan trading hub
packed with palaces, temples,
261
00:17:55,581 --> 00:17:57,581
workshops and emporiums,
262
00:17:57,621 --> 00:18:00,341
so little of which has survived today,
263
00:18:00,381 --> 00:18:04,341
but this extraordinary statue
gives us some sense
264
00:18:04,381 --> 00:18:06,021
of its glory and splendour.
265
00:18:06,061 --> 00:18:08,701
This is a statue
of the pharaoh Ramesses II
266
00:18:08,741 --> 00:18:11,221
that once stood over ten metres tall,
267
00:18:11,261 --> 00:18:14,341
one of a pair guarding the entrance
to a temple.
268
00:18:18,701 --> 00:18:24,061
Made mostly of mud bricks, the city
of Memphis has crumbled away to dust.
269
00:18:27,181 --> 00:18:29,261
But just three kilometres away,
270
00:18:29,301 --> 00:18:33,061
the ancient Egyptians built something
that would endure...
271
00:18:35,941 --> 00:18:38,141
...the stepped pyramid of Saqqara.
272
00:18:40,821 --> 00:18:44,621
It was completed about
80 years before the Great Pyramid.
273
00:18:44,661 --> 00:18:49,541
The earliest large-scale cut-stone
construction anywhere in the world.
274
00:18:49,581 --> 00:18:52,541
I can't wait to explore inside.
275
00:18:52,861 --> 00:18:56,581
- Yasmin, salaam alaikum.
- Alaikum salaam.
276
00:18:56,621 --> 00:19:00,101
Egyptologist Yasmin El Shazly
knows this place well.
277
00:19:00,141 --> 00:19:03,261
This is the earliest pyramid in Egypt.
278
00:19:03,301 --> 00:19:04,941
It actually marks the transition
279
00:19:04,981 --> 00:19:06,741
from mud-brick architecture
280
00:19:06,781 --> 00:19:08,701
to large-scale stone architecture.
281
00:19:08,741 --> 00:19:13,261
So this is the first pyramid
built in ancient Egypt?
282
00:19:13,301 --> 00:19:17,461
Yes, and it's the Pyramid of Djoser,
King Djoser of the third dynasty,
283
00:19:17,501 --> 00:19:20,741
and before they built this one,
kings were buried in mastaba tombs,
284
00:19:20,781 --> 00:19:23,661
which are basically flat, uh, platforms.
285
00:19:23,701 --> 00:19:27,301
And what was motivating this,
this massive step change?
286
00:19:27,341 --> 00:19:28,981
Well, there are different theories.
287
00:19:29,021 --> 00:19:32,221
One of them is that it was
kind of a stairway to heaven
288
00:19:32,261 --> 00:19:36,061
for the soul of the King to ascend,
to unite with the northern stars,
289
00:19:36,101 --> 00:19:40,461
and, uh, another theory is that he
wanted to build a huge monument
290
00:19:40,501 --> 00:19:43,301
that could be seen from, uh, Memphis.
291
00:19:43,341 --> 00:19:45,261
So your tomb was ever-visible
on the horizon?
292
00:19:45,301 --> 00:19:46,301
Exactly.
293
00:19:51,861 --> 00:19:54,821
I mean, we must be eight metres or so
below the ground here
294
00:19:54,861 --> 00:19:58,101
and the...the stonework has
turned into solid bedrock.
295
00:19:58,141 --> 00:20:00,581
(LAUGHING) I mean, we're literally going
under the ground!
296
00:20:00,621 --> 00:20:01,941
YASMIN: It's amazing.
297
00:20:05,541 --> 00:20:10,901
We've been allowed to explore
and scan this unique pyramid.
298
00:20:10,941 --> 00:20:11,941
Yasmin, I have to say,
299
00:20:11,981 --> 00:20:13,861
with all the scaffolding holding up
the roof above us...
300
00:20:13,901 --> 00:20:14,901
Yeah.
301
00:20:14,941 --> 00:20:17,621
...it feels like the pyramid's actually
under construction, not restoration!
302
00:20:17,661 --> 00:20:22,141
Well, it's closed to the public
for restoration, so you're very lucky!
303
00:20:22,181 --> 00:20:23,821
But be very careful.
304
00:20:23,861 --> 00:20:25,261
It feels like we're in the middle
305
00:20:25,301 --> 00:20:27,861
of some kind of Indiana Jones movie
now and kind of...
306
00:20:27,901 --> 00:20:29,821
Yeah. These planks are not very stable.
307
00:20:29,861 --> 00:20:32,981
That's an understatement,
and that is a very deep hole.
308
00:20:33,021 --> 00:20:34,061
OK, right, right, right.
309
00:20:35,341 --> 00:20:36,501
That's a big one!
310
00:20:39,341 --> 00:20:40,581
Look at this.
311
00:20:40,621 --> 00:20:42,541
Wow!
312
00:20:42,581 --> 00:20:47,101
This is the shaft that leads to
the burial chamber and it's, uh,
313
00:20:47,141 --> 00:20:49,301
- 28 metres deep.
- (WHISPERS) Wow!
314
00:20:49,341 --> 00:20:51,741
- So this is carved out of...?
- The bedrock.
315
00:20:51,781 --> 00:20:53,941
- The solid bedrock.
- Yeah.
316
00:20:53,981 --> 00:20:56,021
Imagine the amount of work.
317
00:20:59,861 --> 00:21:05,661
Further down, it's a labyrinth of tunnels,
corridors, shafts and chambers.
318
00:21:06,781 --> 00:21:08,301
- Watch your head.
- Oh!
319
00:21:08,341 --> 00:21:09,861
No, be careful!
320
00:21:09,901 --> 00:21:11,141
Oh, my Lord.
321
00:21:12,661 --> 00:21:17,341
Yasmin is taking me to a small
antechamber that can tell us more
322
00:21:17,381 --> 00:21:20,141
about why the first pyramid was built.
323
00:21:20,181 --> 00:21:22,901
Yes, come here, come.
I want to show you something.
324
00:21:24,341 --> 00:21:25,621
Look at these chambers,
325
00:21:25,661 --> 00:21:30,221
they were all covered
with these blue faience tiles.
326
00:21:30,261 --> 00:21:33,861
Wow! So, you can see the preparation of
the wall, can't you, for all of the tiles?
327
00:21:33,901 --> 00:21:35,421
- Yes.
- And there's some more here.
328
00:21:35,461 --> 00:21:38,461
Yeah. Unfortunately, there are...
These are all gone.
329
00:21:38,501 --> 00:21:40,421
We can see more here, here, here...
330
00:21:40,461 --> 00:21:43,301
So this room would have been
bright blue, sort of shining blue,
331
00:21:43,341 --> 00:21:45,141
like-like...like the open sky!
332
00:21:45,181 --> 00:21:48,501
- Exactly, would've...
- Many metres above our head.
333
00:21:48,541 --> 00:21:50,301
Yes. It would've been incredible.
334
00:21:50,341 --> 00:21:55,101
They were designed to, uh...
mimic the King's palace,
335
00:21:55,141 --> 00:21:59,261
because, to the ancient Egyptians,
the tomb was the house of eternity.
336
00:22:01,581 --> 00:22:03,301
Just like all later pyramids,
337
00:22:03,341 --> 00:22:07,781
this first pyramid represented a palace
for the afterlife.
338
00:22:09,981 --> 00:22:15,341
And it was all for an early pharaoh,
King Djoser, back in 2650 BC.
339
00:22:15,381 --> 00:22:17,581
(THEY CONVERSE)
340
00:22:17,621 --> 00:22:19,661
He must have been an incredible, uh, king,
341
00:22:19,701 --> 00:22:24,901
because we know that he, uh,
had successful military campaigns
342
00:22:24,941 --> 00:22:28,461
and he was also
the first to build a pyramid.
343
00:22:28,501 --> 00:22:31,341
Many people think of the ancient Egyptians
as people who, uh,
344
00:22:31,381 --> 00:22:34,541
were in love with death,
and that's not really true.
345
00:22:34,581 --> 00:22:36,261
They were in love with life and that's why
346
00:22:36,301 --> 00:22:40,501
they wanted life after death
to be just like life on Earth.
347
00:22:40,541 --> 00:22:43,861
I think it might be time to head up
towards the land of the living again.
348
00:22:43,901 --> 00:22:46,061
Yeah, I think I'll join you.
349
00:22:46,101 --> 00:22:47,821
But I'm definitely going to follow you,
350
00:22:47,861 --> 00:22:49,941
cos I have absolutely no idea
how to get out of here.
351
00:22:53,781 --> 00:22:56,301
Will and his team are already at work.
352
00:22:57,741 --> 00:23:02,461
They plan to map out this intricate warren
of chambers and tunnels
353
00:23:02,501 --> 00:23:05,261
more accurately than ever before.
354
00:23:05,301 --> 00:23:10,421
And discover how its design went on
to inspire the Great Pyramid.
355
00:23:14,581 --> 00:23:19,941
While they scan, I'm exploring
the Egyptian Museum in the centre of Cairo
356
00:23:19,981 --> 00:23:22,981
to find out more about King Djoser.
357
00:23:24,381 --> 00:23:29,741
But first, I can't resist
the most beautiful archaeological object
358
00:23:29,781 --> 00:23:31,581
of ancient Egypt.
359
00:23:40,581 --> 00:23:43,901
It's easy to get "pharaoh fever",
as it's known, in this museum -
360
00:23:43,941 --> 00:23:47,981
an overload of Egyptology -
but then you see this...
361
00:23:48,021 --> 00:23:49,981
...the death mask of Tutankhamun.
362
00:23:51,461 --> 00:23:56,501
Made out of gold, 11 kilos in weight,
inlaid with precious stones,
363
00:23:56,541 --> 00:24:00,301
such as lapis lazuli for the eyebrows
and the eyelids.
364
00:24:00,341 --> 00:24:05,781
The face is a realistic portrayal
of the pharaoh it once sat over the top of
365
00:24:05,821 --> 00:24:11,221
because his soul needed
to be able to find the body again
366
00:24:11,261 --> 00:24:14,221
to reinhabit it in the afterlife.
367
00:24:15,861 --> 00:24:20,541
Tutankhamun died around the age of 20,
but during his short reign,
368
00:24:20,581 --> 00:24:23,701
he's said to have restored order
to a country in turmoil.
369
00:24:24,861 --> 00:24:28,981
But all of this was happening
many centuries after
370
00:24:29,021 --> 00:24:30,981
the building of the first pyramid.
371
00:24:33,021 --> 00:24:35,061
And now what I've really come to see.
372
00:24:35,101 --> 00:24:39,181
A unique object
discovered at the stepped pyramid.
373
00:24:41,301 --> 00:24:46,741
The only complete sculpture we have
of that pyramid pioneer, King Djoser.
374
00:24:48,781 --> 00:24:53,421
He's not as bling as Tutankhamun,
but he's over 1,000 years older
375
00:24:53,461 --> 00:24:56,341
and something very special.
376
00:24:56,381 --> 00:25:02,061
This is the oldest life-size statue
ever found in ancient Egypt.
377
00:25:02,101 --> 00:25:06,461
It seems Djoser was a revolutionary,
not just in architecture with his pyramid,
378
00:25:06,501 --> 00:25:08,901
but in art as well.
379
00:25:08,941 --> 00:25:10,501
And it was coated in white plaster -
380
00:25:10,541 --> 00:25:13,421
you can still see the remnants
of it here - and then painted.
381
00:25:13,461 --> 00:25:16,061
You can see on his beard and the hair.
382
00:25:16,101 --> 00:25:19,861
And his eyes were probably inset
with some kind of precious stone or jewel,
383
00:25:19,901 --> 00:25:22,661
although now long since lost.
384
00:25:26,701 --> 00:25:29,421
The Cairo Museum also contains a full wall
385
00:25:29,461 --> 00:25:33,741
of those blue tiles
that we saw in Djoser's pyramid.
386
00:25:36,301 --> 00:25:42,501
Here you can see the faience tiling
in all its glory from the tomb at Saqqara.
387
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:45,261
It's supposed to resemble
the rush mats
388
00:25:45,301 --> 00:25:48,861
that once adorned the walls of the palace
of the pharaoh while he was alive,
389
00:25:48,901 --> 00:25:52,741
and, for me, it's just another symbol
about the way in which they invested
390
00:25:52,781 --> 00:25:58,021
so much more in their afterlife
than they ever did in their lives.
391
00:26:05,941 --> 00:26:09,581
As well as these preparations
for his home in the afterlife,
392
00:26:09,621 --> 00:26:12,781
King Djoser also seems to
have been keen to demonstrate
393
00:26:12,821 --> 00:26:15,021
his ongoing right to rule.
394
00:26:17,461 --> 00:26:22,301
If a pharaoh ruled for more than 30 years,
he had to perform the Heb Sed.
395
00:26:22,341 --> 00:26:26,701
It was a ritual designed to prove
his athletic and his mental ability,
396
00:26:26,741 --> 00:26:27,901
and power to continue.
397
00:26:27,941 --> 00:26:28,981
(EXHALES)
398
00:26:29,021 --> 00:26:32,701
It was a race around this enormous arena,
followed by a wrestling match.
399
00:26:32,741 --> 00:26:34,421
Whoo!
400
00:26:34,461 --> 00:26:38,421
And the thing about Djoser...
is that he built his pyramid
401
00:26:38,461 --> 00:26:40,941
with the Heb Sed track just behind it.
402
00:26:40,981 --> 00:26:43,661
He wasn't going to just do this
during his lifetime,
403
00:26:43,701 --> 00:26:45,901
he was going to do it for all eternity!
404
00:26:45,941 --> 00:26:48,181
(EXHALES DEEPLY)
405
00:26:51,741 --> 00:26:56,341
The construction of the first pyramid
was a feat of ancient innovation.
406
00:26:56,381 --> 00:27:00,741
But our scans reveal that it went through
different design stages.
407
00:27:06,581 --> 00:27:09,461
The six steps of the structure
stand out clearly.
408
00:27:10,581 --> 00:27:14,861
But at the bottom layer, you can make out
a join between two sections.
409
00:27:16,141 --> 00:27:21,261
Tease this apart,
and you find a smaller burial tomb,
410
00:27:21,301 --> 00:27:24,821
known as a mastaba tomb, hidden inside.
411
00:27:24,861 --> 00:27:26,261
This was built first.
412
00:27:29,341 --> 00:27:30,381
But at some point,
413
00:27:30,421 --> 00:27:35,781
the mastaba was expanded
into the full six-storey stepped pyramid.
414
00:27:42,981 --> 00:27:48,781
Also unlike the Great Pyramid at Giza, our
scans show that all the interior spaces
415
00:27:48,821 --> 00:27:51,181
were built deep below ground level...
416
00:27:52,261 --> 00:27:57,341
...including the huge central shaft
leading down to the burial chamber.
417
00:27:59,621 --> 00:28:02,261
Right next to here
is the small antechamber,
418
00:28:02,301 --> 00:28:04,621
with the beautiful blue tiles.
419
00:28:12,261 --> 00:28:15,821
The confusing labyrinth of tunnels
under the stepped pyramid
420
00:28:15,861 --> 00:28:19,261
may reflect the builders' experimentation
along the way.
421
00:28:21,221 --> 00:28:23,341
We didn't scan all the tunnels -
422
00:28:23,381 --> 00:28:26,421
there's an estimated
six kilometres of them,
423
00:28:26,461 --> 00:28:30,981
all very different from
the more streamlined Great Pyramid.
424
00:28:33,581 --> 00:28:37,541
The stepped pyramids at Saqqara
ushered in a whole new era
425
00:28:37,581 --> 00:28:40,101
in monumental tomb architecture,
426
00:28:40,141 --> 00:28:44,061
but within a very short space of time,
just 80 years,
427
00:28:44,101 --> 00:28:45,701
this magnificent structure behind me
428
00:28:45,741 --> 00:28:50,341
would look like little more than
a prototype, because the engineers
429
00:28:50,381 --> 00:28:54,101
and architects of ancient Egypt had
managed to supersize the pyramids
430
00:28:54,141 --> 00:28:58,301
and create the Great Pyramid at Giza,
and that's where I'm back off now.
431
00:29:01,741 --> 00:29:04,261
Building the Great Pyramid
was a massive undertaking,
432
00:29:04,301 --> 00:29:05,941
lasting 20 years.
433
00:29:08,021 --> 00:29:12,181
Until recently, little was known
about the workers who built it.
434
00:29:13,741 --> 00:29:15,941
It's long been assumed
the majority were slaves.
435
00:29:19,941 --> 00:29:25,101
Then, in 1990, these tombs were found
completely buried in the sand
436
00:29:25,141 --> 00:29:26,861
just next to the pyramids.
437
00:29:28,341 --> 00:29:32,341
Zahi Hawass suspected they might
belong to some of the workmen
438
00:29:32,381 --> 00:29:33,901
who built the pyramids.
439
00:29:35,021 --> 00:29:38,981
And we come face-to-face with...with
the image of one of those workmen here.
440
00:29:39,021 --> 00:29:40,901
- Yes. His name is Petety.
- Petety.
441
00:29:40,941 --> 00:29:45,981
I think he was an artist, one of the
people who are decorating the tombs,
442
00:29:46,021 --> 00:29:50,621
but what's really amazing about this tomb
is this curse in the inscription.
443
00:29:50,661 --> 00:29:55,301
The man is saying, "I never did anything
wrong in my life," which is a big liar.
444
00:29:55,341 --> 00:29:56,381
(MICHAEL LAUGHS)
445
00:29:56,421 --> 00:29:58,981
And he said,
"This is why the Gods like me,"
446
00:29:59,021 --> 00:30:00,941
and after that he said here,
447
00:30:00,981 --> 00:30:02,661
"If anyone will touch my tomb..."
448
00:30:03,821 --> 00:30:10,221
"...he will be eaten by crocodile,
the hippo and the lion."
449
00:30:10,261 --> 00:30:12,421
- (WHISPERS) Wow!
- Amazing.
450
00:30:12,461 --> 00:30:15,821
- The curse worked.
- It did work, yeah. It saved his tomb.
451
00:30:15,861 --> 00:30:19,301
For the first time,
we have ideas and knowledge
452
00:30:19,341 --> 00:30:21,341
about the workmen who built the pyramids.
453
00:30:21,381 --> 00:30:24,581
It tells us that the builders
of the pyramids were not slaves,
454
00:30:24,621 --> 00:30:28,141
that they were buried beside the pyramid,
and they were Egyptians.
455
00:30:29,781 --> 00:30:33,461
Thanks to excavations like this,
we now know that the people
456
00:30:33,501 --> 00:30:35,461
who built the pyramids were free men.
457
00:30:36,901 --> 00:30:39,461
And carvings in the walls of the tombs
458
00:30:39,501 --> 00:30:42,981
show how the 20,000-strong workforce
was kept going -
459
00:30:43,021 --> 00:30:48,781
bakers who made the bread
and brewers of the all-important beer.
460
00:30:50,541 --> 00:30:55,381
The tomb that Zahi is showing me
belonged to skilled artisan Petety.
461
00:30:57,901 --> 00:31:00,381
- Petety was an artist.
- Hm.
462
00:31:00,421 --> 00:31:05,181
He maybe decorated the tombs,
then he was able to make beautiful scenes.
463
00:31:05,221 --> 00:31:09,301
Look at the beauty
of the profile of his wife.
464
00:31:09,341 --> 00:31:14,341
Look at how Petety
drawn the face of his wife.
465
00:31:14,381 --> 00:31:15,781
I have a question for you.
466
00:31:15,821 --> 00:31:19,341
Do you think that she was happy
467
00:31:19,381 --> 00:31:22,021
with the drawing that her husband
did of her?
468
00:31:22,061 --> 00:31:23,821
Yeah. She's beautiful.
469
00:31:23,861 --> 00:31:27,501
But you have to know,
she did not look like...like this.
470
00:31:27,541 --> 00:31:29,861
This is what she wanted to be
in the afterlife.
471
00:31:29,901 --> 00:31:32,461
But what's good about Petety,
472
00:31:32,501 --> 00:31:38,421
he did not draw the scene of his wife
as small, like you see in every tomb,
473
00:31:38,461 --> 00:31:39,541
she's almost...
474
00:31:39,581 --> 00:31:41,461
- They are equal, aren't they?
- ...equal to him.
475
00:31:41,501 --> 00:31:44,341
On either side of, and behind you
is the main chamber of the tomb.
476
00:31:44,381 --> 00:31:47,301
And that is an indication
that he was in love with her.
477
00:31:47,341 --> 00:31:50,501
- Hm.
- Or she was stronger than him.
478
00:31:50,541 --> 00:31:54,061
- That's a lovely sign to see...
- Yes.
479
00:31:54,101 --> 00:31:58,061
...in the chamber where they would be
buried together for eternity.
480
00:31:58,101 --> 00:31:59,781
Exactly.
481
00:32:03,621 --> 00:32:06,181
If we think about the workers
of ancient Egypt
482
00:32:06,221 --> 00:32:10,261
we almost always think about
what they built, the Great Pyramid,
483
00:32:10,301 --> 00:32:12,021
that great community project,
484
00:32:12,061 --> 00:32:14,461
but here in their tombs,
485
00:32:14,501 --> 00:32:19,141
and looking at the images carved
by Petety of him and his wife,
486
00:32:19,181 --> 00:32:21,981
you start to think of them as individuals,
487
00:32:22,021 --> 00:32:27,461
as people with hopes, dreams, ambitions,
pride at their own achievements,
488
00:32:27,501 --> 00:32:31,661
and you start to imagine them
and their lives as they lived them.
489
00:32:31,701 --> 00:32:36,661
And that image of Petety and his wife
as a marriage of equals
490
00:32:36,701 --> 00:32:40,781
will be one that stays with me
for my entire life.
491
00:32:45,461 --> 00:32:47,301
Earlier we scanned the Sphinx
492
00:32:47,341 --> 00:32:51,021
to investigate the mystery
of which pharaoh it represents.
493
00:32:55,901 --> 00:33:00,301
The two candidates were Khafre
or his father, Khufu.
494
00:33:02,501 --> 00:33:06,621
Now we're returning to
the Cairo Museum to scan their sculptures.
495
00:33:09,421 --> 00:33:11,421
This is Pharaoh Khafre.
496
00:33:11,461 --> 00:33:14,461
It's a beautiful statue made of diorite,
497
00:33:14,501 --> 00:33:17,341
which is a very hard stone
and comes from southern Egypt, in Aswan.
498
00:33:17,381 --> 00:33:21,301
Despite the hardness of the stone,
the sculptor has been able to create
499
00:33:21,341 --> 00:33:25,021
the exact intense musculature
of Khafre's arms.
500
00:33:25,061 --> 00:33:26,501
This is a powerful ruler
501
00:33:26,541 --> 00:33:31,581
with his ceremonial skirt,
his beard and his headdress.
502
00:33:32,901 --> 00:33:36,501
And this is Khufu, his father,
503
00:33:36,541 --> 00:33:40,581
but the sculpture is absolutely tiny.
504
00:33:40,621 --> 00:33:43,621
It's just 7.5 centimetres high,
505
00:33:43,661 --> 00:33:45,981
beautifully carved in ivory.
506
00:33:46,021 --> 00:33:47,661
And we know it's Khufu
507
00:33:47,701 --> 00:33:48,941
because his name is there
508
00:33:48,981 --> 00:33:51,741
right on the front, which makes this
509
00:33:51,781 --> 00:33:54,381
the only certain surviving representation
510
00:33:54,421 --> 00:33:57,341
of the man who had
the Great Pyramid at Giza built for him
511
00:33:57,381 --> 00:33:59,101
as his home in the afterlife.
512
00:33:59,141 --> 00:34:02,261
It's striking that the man
with the biggest pyramid
513
00:34:02,301 --> 00:34:04,581
has got the smallest statue of himself.
514
00:34:08,941 --> 00:34:11,421
Using digital design technology,
515
00:34:11,461 --> 00:34:16,381
we can compare the faces of
the two pharaohs with that of the Sphinx.
516
00:34:16,421 --> 00:34:18,381
I mean, what kind of precision
are we talking?
517
00:34:18,421 --> 00:34:20,341
What level are you scanning at?
518
00:34:20,381 --> 00:34:24,261
As accurate as we can go, so really
trying to get in on the pores
519
00:34:24,301 --> 00:34:26,221
and all that, you know...
If that detail was there...
520
00:34:26,261 --> 00:34:28,181
The pharaoh will never
have been looked at
521
00:34:28,221 --> 00:34:30,661
in such close detail and scrutiny before.
522
00:34:30,701 --> 00:34:32,821
Absolutely, yeah. Absolutely, yeah.
523
00:34:34,781 --> 00:34:36,981
This is the scan of Khafre.
524
00:34:38,261 --> 00:34:43,461
The face of the Sphinx is superimposed
on top, scaled to the exact same size.
525
00:34:44,661 --> 00:34:48,221
We ignore the nose,
as it's missing from the Sphinx.
526
00:34:51,461 --> 00:34:56,381
The blue and red areas show points
where the faces are most different,
527
00:34:56,421 --> 00:34:58,621
the green and yellows a closer match.
528
00:35:00,821 --> 00:35:04,421
And this is the scan of Khufu,
the father,
529
00:35:04,461 --> 00:35:07,501
with the Sphinx's face also overlaid,
530
00:35:07,541 --> 00:35:11,541
accurate to 0.5 of a millimetre.
531
00:35:11,581 --> 00:35:15,581
By comparing the two, we can see
there's slightly more green and yellow
532
00:35:15,621 --> 00:35:19,221
on Khafre's scan,
especially along his cheeks and chin.
533
00:35:22,021 --> 00:35:23,621
It's a closer match.
534
00:35:27,941 --> 00:35:30,821
It's not definitive,
but our results support the view
535
00:35:30,861 --> 00:35:34,781
that the Sphinx is Khafre, the son,
rather than Khufu.
536
00:35:36,781 --> 00:35:41,741
This suggests Khafre built the Sphinx
not to honour his father
537
00:35:41,781 --> 00:35:45,781
but to boost his own ego...for eternity.
538
00:35:58,741 --> 00:36:04,101
The pharaohs ruled over the land
of the Nile for over 2,000 years.
539
00:36:05,941 --> 00:36:10,261
And when the time of ancient
pharonic Egypt finally ended,
540
00:36:10,301 --> 00:36:14,981
Egypt was to be subject to periods
of when it was master of its own fate
541
00:36:15,021 --> 00:36:17,861
and when it was under the thumb of others.
542
00:36:17,901 --> 00:36:19,981
The Persians, the Greeks,
543
00:36:20,021 --> 00:36:24,861
finally the Romans, who arrived with
a military force to be reckoned with.
544
00:36:29,781 --> 00:36:33,461
The Romans occupied Egypt in 31 BC.
545
00:36:34,861 --> 00:36:37,221
A turning point
in the history of the country,
546
00:36:37,261 --> 00:36:41,421
as it heralded the end
of an independent ancient Egypt.
547
00:36:43,061 --> 00:36:48,621
It was absorbed into the Roman Empire
and quickly became her breadbasket.
548
00:36:49,821 --> 00:36:55,221
Egypt was said to feed the citizens of
Rome for four months out of every year.
549
00:36:56,301 --> 00:36:57,581
I think... May I?
550
00:37:00,421 --> 00:37:02,781
Oh, oh... Ooh, it's still very hot.
551
00:37:02,821 --> 00:37:05,021
Coming out of the oven,
you can see - wow -
552
00:37:05,061 --> 00:37:07,301
you can see the steam coming out of it.
553
00:37:07,341 --> 00:37:09,861
This will be taken directly
on these boards
554
00:37:09,901 --> 00:37:13,701
and transported across the city by bike
and every other form of transport
555
00:37:13,741 --> 00:37:16,901
so that everyone gets their bread
as fresh as possible.
556
00:37:19,261 --> 00:37:21,061
Ooh! Look at that.
557
00:37:25,221 --> 00:37:26,221
Mmm!
558
00:37:27,341 --> 00:37:29,501
That is brilliant.
559
00:37:31,661 --> 00:37:36,261
For millennia, whoever controlled
the head of the Nile Delta
560
00:37:36,301 --> 00:37:37,861
could also control trade
561
00:37:37,901 --> 00:37:41,621
and the supply of wheat
from the fertile lands along the Nile.
562
00:37:41,661 --> 00:37:45,661
That's why Memphis was sited here.
563
00:37:45,701 --> 00:37:49,341
And now the Romans
stationed themselves close by
564
00:37:49,381 --> 00:37:54,421
at a place called Babylon, named
after the original city in Mesopotamia.
565
00:37:56,221 --> 00:37:57,541
It was a defining moment
566
00:37:57,581 --> 00:38:00,381
for the development
of the future city of Cairo.
567
00:38:03,021 --> 00:38:05,421
I'm walking down a street in Old Cairo,
568
00:38:05,461 --> 00:38:09,661
which follows the route of the Nile
back in ancient Roman times.
569
00:38:09,701 --> 00:38:13,421
Now, today there's the metro on one side
of me and a church on the other,
570
00:38:13,461 --> 00:38:18,581
but I've been told that this location
hides something very special indeed.
571
00:38:28,261 --> 00:38:29,501
Archaeologist Peter Sheehan
572
00:38:29,541 --> 00:38:33,181
has been studying this site
for nearly 30 years.
573
00:38:33,221 --> 00:38:34,861
- Peter?
- Hello, Michael.
574
00:38:34,901 --> 00:38:35,941
How are you? Good to see you.
575
00:38:35,981 --> 00:38:37,821
Nice to see you too.
Welcome to Old Cairo.
576
00:38:37,861 --> 00:38:41,061
Thank you, and to this fantastic
Greek Orthodox church.
577
00:38:41,101 --> 00:38:43,461
The church of St George, Mari Girgis.
578
00:38:43,501 --> 00:38:46,501
I saw a fantastic George and the Dragon
outside, and we've got another one.
579
00:38:46,541 --> 00:38:48,501
- PETER: There he is.
- MICHAEL: There he is.
580
00:38:48,541 --> 00:38:50,861
But we're here to talk about Romans.
581
00:38:50,901 --> 00:38:52,181
Romans?
582
00:38:52,221 --> 00:38:54,941
- Romans. If you want to come this way.
- OK. I'm following you.
583
00:38:57,301 --> 00:38:58,421
Wow!
584
00:38:58,461 --> 00:39:03,021
So the thing about this church
is that it's built over a Roman tower,
585
00:39:03,061 --> 00:39:04,861
a window on to another world.
586
00:39:04,901 --> 00:39:07,861
(LAUGHS) I mean, my Lord,
you can see there's one floor below us
587
00:39:07,901 --> 00:39:09,501
and there's another floor below that.
588
00:39:09,541 --> 00:39:11,021
How far down does that go?
589
00:39:11,061 --> 00:39:16,221
16 metres, three storeys.
Preserved more or less completely intact.
590
00:39:16,261 --> 00:39:17,541
How do we get there?
591
00:39:17,581 --> 00:39:20,301
We use the stairs, of course! This way.
592
00:39:30,741 --> 00:39:33,221
MICHAEL: Now, this is getting
pretty confusing.
593
00:39:34,661 --> 00:39:39,261
Peter, what's...?
Help me understand where we are now.
594
00:39:39,301 --> 00:39:40,541
This is the Roman tower.
595
00:39:40,581 --> 00:39:42,181
So this is...? Standing here...?
596
00:39:42,221 --> 00:39:43,861
All the way to the top.
That is the 16 metres
597
00:39:43,901 --> 00:39:45,741
we were looking at from above.
598
00:39:45,781 --> 00:39:47,101
MICHAEL: How extraordinary!
599
00:39:48,221 --> 00:39:51,741
Peter is taking me
into the heart of the tower.
600
00:39:51,781 --> 00:39:54,901
PETER: From here we're going to go through
into the kind of central section,
601
00:39:54,941 --> 00:39:57,501
which was really, effectively,
a light well.
602
00:39:57,541 --> 00:39:58,901
(MICHAEL LAUGHS)
603
00:39:58,941 --> 00:40:01,661
PETER: These are the ground-floor
columns of the Roman tower.
604
00:40:01,701 --> 00:40:03,781
They're still in place. They've been
chopped off, and basically
605
00:40:03,821 --> 00:40:06,701
actually used as a foundation
in fact in the medieval period.
606
00:40:06,741 --> 00:40:08,621
And that's where we were standing
in the church?
607
00:40:08,661 --> 00:40:10,461
PETER: Right up at the top, yeah.
608
00:40:10,501 --> 00:40:12,261
MICHAEL: The overwhelming impression
for me at least
609
00:40:12,301 --> 00:40:15,981
is the sheer might and power
of the structure.
610
00:40:16,021 --> 00:40:19,301
Yeah, not too many frills,
not too many. It's all...all solid
611
00:40:19,341 --> 00:40:20,461
and kind of built to last,
612
00:40:20,501 --> 00:40:22,781
and probably built by the legionaries.
613
00:40:27,781 --> 00:40:31,301
After the fall of Rome,
Christians in the seventh century AD
614
00:40:31,341 --> 00:40:35,621
used the abandoned tower
as the foundations for a church,
615
00:40:35,661 --> 00:40:38,781
the only circular church in Egypt.
616
00:40:40,141 --> 00:40:45,781
Later, in 1909, this new Orthodox church
was built on top of the old one.
617
00:40:47,901 --> 00:40:52,701
While the scan team set to work,
Peter is keen to show me evidence nearby
618
00:40:52,741 --> 00:40:55,981
that the Roman tower
is part of something much bigger.
619
00:41:00,341 --> 00:41:05,141
MICHAEL: Now, we've got another
round structure here.
620
00:41:05,181 --> 00:41:08,181
- Another round tower, Michael.
- Another round tower!
621
00:41:08,221 --> 00:41:10,501
The exact...the mirror image
of the other one.
622
00:41:10,541 --> 00:41:11,621
Wow.
623
00:41:11,661 --> 00:41:14,941
And as we go through we see something
which you've seen before.
624
00:41:14,981 --> 00:41:17,221
The light well -
with a lot more light in it!
625
00:41:17,261 --> 00:41:18,701
(BOTH LAUGH)
626
00:41:18,741 --> 00:41:20,541
So, I mean, these look absolutely...
627
00:41:20,581 --> 00:41:24,101
This looks absolutely identical
to the one we were in before.
628
00:41:24,141 --> 00:41:25,581
If you look at the plan,
629
00:41:25,621 --> 00:41:31,901
it's an exact mirror image of the other
tower, set 29 metres apart. Erm...
630
00:41:31,941 --> 00:41:36,181
So... So this is part
of a larger structure, a fortress?
631
00:41:36,221 --> 00:41:39,221
OK, this is going... I'm finding this
really hard to visualise now!
632
00:41:39,261 --> 00:41:41,981
How can we...? Have you got
something that might be of...?
633
00:41:42,021 --> 00:41:43,701
- I hope this helps a little.
- Ah, a plan!
634
00:41:43,741 --> 00:41:46,061
This is what we need. Right, OK, now it...
635
00:41:46,101 --> 00:41:47,221
So...
636
00:41:47,261 --> 00:41:49,381
- So, you show me where we are, then.
- Er...
637
00:41:49,421 --> 00:41:50,461
MICHAEL: I think we're here.
638
00:41:50,501 --> 00:41:52,341
PETER: You're right.
That's the south round tower.
639
00:41:52,381 --> 00:41:55,181
MICHAEL: OK. And so here are the walls.
This is... This is the fortress.
640
00:41:55,221 --> 00:41:56,461
PETER: So what we're looking at -
641
00:41:56,501 --> 00:41:59,701
the two towers from the western side
of the fortress of Babylon.
642
00:41:59,741 --> 00:42:02,141
- MICHAEL: And then this is the Nile here.
- PETER: This is the Nile.
643
00:42:02,181 --> 00:42:05,621
The street where we were just walking up
was actually the line of the Nile.
644
00:42:09,101 --> 00:42:12,861
The fortress enclosed a harbour,
which led off the River Nile
645
00:42:12,901 --> 00:42:17,621
and guarded the entrance
to a 170-kilometre canal
646
00:42:17,661 --> 00:42:21,101
that linked the Mediterranean
to the Red Sea via the Nile -
647
00:42:21,141 --> 00:42:23,261
like an early version of the Suez Canal.
648
00:42:25,141 --> 00:42:30,301
From 300 AD, the Babylon Fortress
dominated this region
649
00:42:30,341 --> 00:42:33,661
and was the nucleus
for the eventual city of Cairo.
650
00:42:38,741 --> 00:42:42,581
I want to see if the scans can
tease out the extraordinary history
651
00:42:42,621 --> 00:42:45,061
of these very different buildings.
652
00:42:49,261 --> 00:42:54,421
At the top is the Orthodox church,
with its ornately painted interior.
653
00:43:01,381 --> 00:43:04,621
Deep in the foundations
is the Roman tower.
654
00:43:10,861 --> 00:43:14,301
When you take away
the church superstructure,
655
00:43:14,341 --> 00:43:18,941
you see more clearly that this circular
tower is the mirror of its sister.
656
00:43:24,101 --> 00:43:28,501
The two towers are on either side
of the entrance to the harbour,
657
00:43:28,541 --> 00:43:32,781
guarding the meeting place of the
River Nile and the Red Sea Canal.
658
00:43:35,421 --> 00:43:39,941
Our computer reconstruction reveals
the full extent of the whole fortress.
659
00:43:39,981 --> 00:43:43,261
400 metres by 200 metres -
660
00:43:43,301 --> 00:43:46,541
large enough to hold
a garrison of 1,000 men.
661
00:43:50,021 --> 00:43:52,701
This has been a truly remarkable story.
662
00:43:52,741 --> 00:43:55,181
Hiding under this Greek church,
663
00:43:55,221 --> 00:43:59,221
a Roman tower -
part of a much bigger fortress
664
00:43:59,261 --> 00:44:02,581
with a harbour connected to
a massive canal.
665
00:44:02,621 --> 00:44:06,701
A vital linchpin -
not just in the Roman organisation
666
00:44:06,741 --> 00:44:12,541
and defence of their world, but in the
trading highways, byways and waterways
667
00:44:12,581 --> 00:44:15,021
of a connected ancient world.
668
00:44:18,941 --> 00:44:23,101
The Romans dominated the land
of the pharaohs for over 600 years.
669
00:44:25,101 --> 00:44:29,421
But by the seventh century AD,
a new empire was rising in the east.
670
00:44:37,061 --> 00:44:39,901
In 642, the Arabs conquered Egypt,
671
00:44:39,941 --> 00:44:44,021
bringing many new influences
from the Middle East and beyond.
672
00:44:52,741 --> 00:44:56,101
The religion of Islam was just
20 years old at the time,
673
00:44:56,141 --> 00:44:59,701
yet it would define
the developing culture of this city.
674
00:45:02,221 --> 00:45:07,141
These two minarets stand
at the boundary of the old city.
675
00:45:10,221 --> 00:45:13,461
Memphis had crumbled away to dust.
676
00:45:13,501 --> 00:45:16,981
Roman Egypt had given way to
Islamic Egypt.
677
00:45:17,021 --> 00:45:22,741
Then different Arab factions fought for
control over Egypt for hundreds of years.
678
00:45:22,781 --> 00:45:26,421
In the tenth century,
Arab rulers established a new capital
679
00:45:26,461 --> 00:45:29,301
at the head of the Nile Delta - Cairo.
680
00:45:31,301 --> 00:45:34,981
The origins, the name of the city
of Cairo are obscure
681
00:45:35,021 --> 00:45:38,741
and hotly debated, but one story
is this - that the Fatimid Arab,
682
00:45:38,781 --> 00:45:42,061
invaders of Egypt who founded
this city, wanted it to be
683
00:45:42,101 --> 00:45:45,381
a city from which they would
go on to conquer the world.
684
00:45:45,421 --> 00:45:50,501
And so they called it Al Qahirah -
the victorious, the conqueror.
685
00:45:50,541 --> 00:45:54,661
And that word - Al Qahirah -
has become westernised to Cairo.
686
00:45:59,981 --> 00:46:05,461
One of the greatest leaders
of Arab Egypt was Saladin -
687
00:46:05,501 --> 00:46:07,741
the scourge of the Crusaders.
688
00:46:07,781 --> 00:46:11,061
Shortly after he secured power
in Egypt in 1171
689
00:46:11,101 --> 00:46:15,901
he built a citadel - part palace,
part fortress, part mosque -
690
00:46:15,941 --> 00:46:18,341
in a commanding position
over the city of Cairo.
691
00:46:20,301 --> 00:46:25,261
To find out more, I'm meeting Jehan Reda,
an expert in Arabic architecture.
692
00:46:25,301 --> 00:46:27,381
- Hi, Michael. How are you?
- Very nice to see you.
693
00:46:27,421 --> 00:46:28,541
Nice to see you, too.
694
00:46:28,581 --> 00:46:30,621
We're in the middle
of Saladin's citadel.
695
00:46:30,661 --> 00:46:31,661
Yes.
696
00:46:31,701 --> 00:46:33,981
I mean, it's a monumental structure!
697
00:46:34,021 --> 00:46:35,021
Definitely.
698
00:46:35,061 --> 00:46:39,101
What was in his mind when he
decided to build on this scale?
699
00:46:39,141 --> 00:46:41,221
Well, I think that his, er,
700
00:46:41,261 --> 00:46:43,741
most urgent concern was,
er, defence, really.
701
00:46:43,781 --> 00:46:48,621
They had skirmishes and battles with
the Crusaders and this was continuous
702
00:46:48,661 --> 00:46:53,821
campaigns and counter campaigns,
so there was a real concern here
703
00:46:53,861 --> 00:46:57,461
for defence
and protecting the city of Cairo.
704
00:46:57,501 --> 00:47:01,541
And of course, from a military point
of view, this is the highest ground.
705
00:47:03,021 --> 00:47:04,661
- It's this way.
- So it feels...
706
00:47:04,701 --> 00:47:07,781
Jehan is going to show me
one of Cairo's secret places -
707
00:47:07,821 --> 00:47:10,741
the Well of the Spiral.
708
00:47:10,781 --> 00:47:15,181
This well was built to supply water
to the defenders of the citadel
709
00:47:15,221 --> 00:47:18,301
when cut off from the Nile
in times of siege.
710
00:47:18,341 --> 00:47:21,101
We're now going below the...
711
00:47:21,141 --> 00:47:24,501
We're going all the way down
to the level of the Nile.
712
00:47:24,541 --> 00:47:26,021
- Straight through...
- Straight through.
713
00:47:26,061 --> 00:47:29,461
- ...the rock of the mountain?
- Yes.
714
00:47:30,501 --> 00:47:33,101
The well has been closed
for quite some time now
715
00:47:33,141 --> 00:47:34,941
because of accidents happening.
716
00:47:34,981 --> 00:47:37,661
Oh, you can get a sense of it here,
can't you? (LAUGHS)
717
00:47:37,701 --> 00:47:39,141
Yes, through the windows.
718
00:47:39,181 --> 00:47:42,181
So is this a spiral staircase
going round the whole outside?
719
00:47:42,221 --> 00:47:45,501
Yes. It's all around,
all around all the way down.
720
00:47:52,221 --> 00:47:55,181
Do we have any sense
of who the workers were?
721
00:47:55,221 --> 00:47:57,661
Well, we have an eyewitness account,
722
00:47:57,701 --> 00:48:01,021
er, that saw a large number
of crusader prisoners.
723
00:48:01,061 --> 00:48:03,301
- So crusader prisoners...
- That's right.
724
00:48:03,341 --> 00:48:05,221
- ...captured by Saladin,
put to work on...
725
00:48:05,261 --> 00:48:07,061
Put to work here.
726
00:48:08,101 --> 00:48:09,781
Are we there? Ah.
727
00:48:09,821 --> 00:48:11,461
Yes, we are almost there.
728
00:48:13,901 --> 00:48:15,381
Wow!
729
00:48:19,341 --> 00:48:22,141
Oh! (LAUGHS)
730
00:48:24,221 --> 00:48:26,861
We are 45 metres down here.
731
00:48:26,901 --> 00:48:32,261
We're actually standing on the roof
of the second shaft - it's below us.
732
00:48:32,301 --> 00:48:34,741
I was gonna ask - there's no water here,
so we've... There's another shaft?
733
00:48:34,781 --> 00:48:35,941
There's another one right below.
734
00:48:35,981 --> 00:48:41,461
Directly below, but how did they get
the water up such an enormous distance?
735
00:48:41,501 --> 00:48:43,421
Well, they used the mechanism that was...
736
00:48:43,461 --> 00:48:47,021
that had been used in Egypt since,
oh, time immemorial.
737
00:48:47,061 --> 00:48:50,061
There is one right here, actually -
right behind you.
738
00:48:50,101 --> 00:48:51,421
- Let's go and see it.
- I can see why you said,
739
00:48:51,461 --> 00:48:53,661
erm, bring some torches, as well -
it gets dark over here, doesn't it?
740
00:48:53,701 --> 00:48:54,701
It does.
741
00:48:54,741 --> 00:48:56,221
This is Saladin's waterwheel?
742
00:48:56,261 --> 00:49:00,541
This is the waterwheel.
So you have this horizontal wheel,
743
00:49:00,581 --> 00:49:04,141
erm, powered by the oxen that
walks around in a circle driving it
744
00:49:04,181 --> 00:49:05,941
and then you can see how it fits.
745
00:49:05,981 --> 00:49:07,661
- The oxen?
- Yeah.
746
00:49:07,701 --> 00:49:10,181
Where do oxen fit in down here?
747
00:49:10,221 --> 00:49:12,981
Well, they bought them down here
a little bit young
748
00:49:13,021 --> 00:49:15,421
through the - you know the spiral
staircase we've just descended?
749
00:49:15,461 --> 00:49:16,461
So where we walked.
750
00:49:16,501 --> 00:49:19,341
Yes, and they'd be harnessed
and it would go round in a circle
751
00:49:19,381 --> 00:49:21,901
while it actually turns
the vertical wheel you see here.
752
00:49:21,941 --> 00:49:22,941
Yeah.
753
00:49:22,981 --> 00:49:26,141
And this wheel would have ropes
slung over it
754
00:49:26,181 --> 00:49:28,261
that go all the way down the second shaft.
755
00:49:28,301 --> 00:49:31,021
- To bring the water.
- To bring the water up, in cups.
756
00:49:31,061 --> 00:49:34,061
So can we get down
into the second shaft?
757
00:49:34,101 --> 00:49:35,381
Yes, you can - on your own.
758
00:49:43,541 --> 00:49:46,181
With the help of a climbing expert,
I'm leaving Jehan behind
759
00:49:46,221 --> 00:49:48,821
to explore the lower half of the well.
760
00:49:51,181 --> 00:49:54,301
So that whole well is open
761
00:49:54,341 --> 00:49:57,261
and if you fell down it would go
right the way down the hole.
762
00:49:57,301 --> 00:49:58,541
Yeah, OK. OK.
763
00:50:10,221 --> 00:50:14,901
Well, I can see now why
Jehan did not want to join me
764
00:50:14,941 --> 00:50:16,501
on this part of the tour.
765
00:50:16,541 --> 00:50:18,901
You can hardly actually get a look
over the edge
766
00:50:18,941 --> 00:50:22,621
cos there is absolutely nothing here
stopping me from the shaft.
767
00:50:24,101 --> 00:50:27,461
Yeah, that looks a long way down
and every time I...move my feet
768
00:50:27,501 --> 00:50:29,981
and send some piece
of rubble falling off
769
00:50:30,021 --> 00:50:34,821
you get a nice sound of it
hitting the water several seconds later,
770
00:50:34,861 --> 00:50:36,901
which tells me
it's still quite a way down.
771
00:50:44,741 --> 00:50:49,301
Further down, a section
of the 800-year-old steps
772
00:50:49,341 --> 00:50:51,141
has largely crumbled away.
773
00:50:55,221 --> 00:50:56,261
(GRUNTS)
774
00:51:05,421 --> 00:51:08,101
I've finally reached
the level of the Nile.
775
00:51:10,181 --> 00:51:12,661
This water would have been
a precious resource
776
00:51:12,701 --> 00:51:14,221
back in Saladin's day.
777
00:51:14,261 --> 00:51:16,981
It must have been cleaner
back then, too.
778
00:51:18,261 --> 00:51:22,301
You see Saladin's citadel walls
and you think "impressive",
779
00:51:22,341 --> 00:51:25,861
but it's when you come down here,
deep under the ground,
780
00:51:25,901 --> 00:51:29,901
that you are completely awestruck
by the engineering power
781
00:51:29,941 --> 00:51:34,901
and might of that man to construct
something like this. (LAUGHS)
782
00:51:34,941 --> 00:51:38,821
And at the same time,
I'm struck with a sense of...
783
00:51:38,861 --> 00:51:43,261
well, awe for the individual workers -
those Crusader captives
784
00:51:43,301 --> 00:51:47,661
whose job it was to hew this out
of the stone, one piece at a time.
785
00:51:52,261 --> 00:51:55,261
The well appears roughly
hacked out of the rocks,
786
00:51:55,301 --> 00:51:59,341
but our scans will reveal
the clever engineering behind it all.
787
00:52:09,221 --> 00:52:12,301
The citadel sits high on its outcrop.
788
00:52:14,261 --> 00:52:19,501
As you come down, you see just how far
the well shaft has to descend
789
00:52:19,541 --> 00:52:24,661
to reach the water table - a remarkable
90 metres through solid bedrock.
790
00:52:33,461 --> 00:52:36,901
Look how the two sections
of the well fit together
791
00:52:36,941 --> 00:52:40,261
with the middle platform
for the waterwheel mechanism
792
00:52:40,301 --> 00:52:42,621
and those ever-circling oxen.
793
00:52:47,701 --> 00:52:51,621
From there, the water would be
lifted up through the top section
794
00:52:51,661 --> 00:52:54,781
to come out into reservoirs like this.
795
00:52:58,141 --> 00:53:01,701
The Well of the Spiral helped
ensure those in the citadel
796
00:53:01,741 --> 00:53:03,781
could withstand a long siege.
797
00:53:11,101 --> 00:53:16,021
For 700 years, from the time of
Saladin until the mid-19th century,
798
00:53:16,061 --> 00:53:19,941
the seat of government
was the citadel of Cairo.
799
00:53:19,981 --> 00:53:23,461
For the second half of this period,
Egypt was occupied
800
00:53:23,501 --> 00:53:27,741
by the Ottomans and then the French,
as it would be later by the British.
801
00:53:28,941 --> 00:53:33,781
In 1953, Cairo finally became the capital
802
00:53:33,821 --> 00:53:36,501
of the independent republic of Egypt.
803
00:53:41,741 --> 00:53:45,341
But of all the cultures
that ruled this region,
804
00:53:45,381 --> 00:53:47,781
the one that continues to
feed the imagination
805
00:53:47,821 --> 00:53:49,701
and inspire the modern people of Egypt
806
00:53:49,741 --> 00:53:52,941
is the civilisation of
the ancient Egyptians.
807
00:53:54,621 --> 00:54:00,301
And that's largely due to the
architectural jewel in Cairo's crown -
808
00:54:00,341 --> 00:54:01,421
the Great Pyramid.
809
00:54:02,901 --> 00:54:07,381
Now our scans allow me
to re-enter this world in a new way -
810
00:54:07,421 --> 00:54:09,381
using virtual reality.
811
00:54:09,421 --> 00:54:10,941
Well, it looks like you're bringing me
812
00:54:10,981 --> 00:54:14,941
to some kind of magical
technical treasure trove in here.
813
00:54:14,981 --> 00:54:17,061
Michael, welcome to our virtual studio.
814
00:54:17,101 --> 00:54:20,421
I feel like I'm embarking on
a unique adventure.
815
00:54:20,461 --> 00:54:21,861
So where are we going first?
816
00:54:21,901 --> 00:54:25,261
Well, erm, we thought we'd give you
a bit of an overview of the Great Pyramid,
817
00:54:25,301 --> 00:54:28,421
so let's dive in and sort of dissect
the inside of the pyramid.
818
00:54:28,461 --> 00:54:29,621
I can't wait to see this.
819
00:54:34,781 --> 00:54:37,541
I'm standing inside the middle
of the Great Pyramid!
820
00:54:40,341 --> 00:54:42,741
Can I...? I can just... I can!
821
00:54:42,781 --> 00:54:46,381
I can just put my head out
and touch the wall.
822
00:54:48,461 --> 00:54:50,741
How extraordinary is this?
Poke back in.
823
00:54:52,021 --> 00:54:54,861
So we can just seamlessly
wander through
824
00:54:54,901 --> 00:54:57,781
the inner core of the pyramid.
825
00:54:57,821 --> 00:55:00,021
You can't help, at this level,
826
00:55:00,061 --> 00:55:03,101
but just want to hold
the King's Chamber in your hand.
827
00:55:03,141 --> 00:55:04,621
(LAUGHS)
828
00:55:04,661 --> 00:55:07,341
Michael, to be true virtual archaeologists
829
00:55:07,381 --> 00:55:08,861
we should be crawling through this.
830
00:55:08,901 --> 00:55:11,421
Yeah, cos we're standing
in the middle of the tunnel, aren't we?
831
00:55:11,461 --> 00:55:12,541
Hang on a sec, let's get down.
832
00:55:12,581 --> 00:55:15,901
Oh, God. Yes, I remember this -
here we go.
833
00:55:18,261 --> 00:55:19,941
Ah. Here we are.
834
00:55:21,581 --> 00:55:23,261
Back into the King's Chamber.
835
00:55:23,301 --> 00:55:24,861
It's an incredible space.
836
00:55:26,901 --> 00:55:30,981
Although it seems very simple,
the engineering required
837
00:55:31,021 --> 00:55:35,301
to make this space inside a huge structure
is sort of incredible, really.
838
00:55:37,021 --> 00:55:40,741
I feel like we've almost taken on
the spirit of the pharaoh
839
00:55:40,781 --> 00:55:43,541
as we wander in and out chambers
and up and down
840
00:55:43,581 --> 00:55:45,541
and through the pyramid and in and out.
841
00:55:46,781 --> 00:55:51,341
We're seeing perhaps what they hoped
they would be seeing in eternity.
842
00:55:54,981 --> 00:55:58,261
We went right down, didn't we,
to the subterranean chamber.
843
00:56:00,461 --> 00:56:02,821
Hang on a sec.
844
00:56:02,861 --> 00:56:06,021
They are absolutely aligned, aren't they?
845
00:56:09,181 --> 00:56:15,781
And when you think about them doing this
4,500 years ago, that is phenomenal.
846
00:56:22,181 --> 00:56:24,461
So, Michael, we've shrunk
the pyramid down
847
00:56:24,501 --> 00:56:28,421
so we can have this godly-like view
of the outside and the inside.
848
00:56:28,461 --> 00:56:34,341
Of the whole Giza Plateau, isn't it?
The whole...enclosure.
849
00:56:34,381 --> 00:56:36,821
And you see the pyramids there.
850
00:56:38,301 --> 00:56:40,941
And then you can just walk
with a lot more ease
851
00:56:40,981 --> 00:56:42,221
than we did in the heat.
852
00:56:42,261 --> 00:56:45,781
As we were heading across the complex,
we can head over to the Sphinx.
853
00:56:47,101 --> 00:56:48,581
Ah!
854
00:56:48,621 --> 00:56:52,261
Looking down on one of the wonders
of the ancient world.
855
00:56:53,821 --> 00:56:57,301
And what a privilege and a wonder
to see it like this.
856
00:57:04,381 --> 00:57:07,141
What really strikes me about
the city of Cairo
857
00:57:07,181 --> 00:57:12,461
is the way it contains this
immense span of human history.
858
00:57:12,501 --> 00:57:14,061
When the Romans came here
859
00:57:14,101 --> 00:57:16,821
they were confronted by the monuments
of the ancient Egyptians
860
00:57:16,861 --> 00:57:22,701
that were already older to them
than the Romans are to us today.
861
00:57:24,461 --> 00:57:28,061
I've discovered how the city
at the head of the Nile Delta
862
00:57:28,101 --> 00:57:32,301
evolved from Memphis,
to Babylon, to Cairo.
863
00:57:32,341 --> 00:57:36,781
And how successive empires
built colossal structures
864
00:57:36,821 --> 00:57:40,061
to mark and control this region -
the most important place
865
00:57:40,101 --> 00:57:43,661
in the whole of Egypt for 5,000 years.
866
00:57:45,461 --> 00:57:49,981
All of which makes Cairo
such a magical city.
867
00:57:51,301 --> 00:57:54,501
In the Arabian Nights,
a father says to a son,
868
00:57:54,541 --> 00:57:58,221
"He who has not seen Cairo
has not seen the world.
869
00:57:59,421 --> 00:58:00,981
"Because Cairo is the world."
71743
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