1 00:00:08,416 --> 00:00:11,926 For 5,000 years, this land, Egypt, 2 00:00:11,926 --> 00:00:14,976 and the epic civilisation it gave birth to 3 00:00:14,976 --> 00:00:18,946 has been shaped by one thing more than any other. 4 00:00:18,946 --> 00:00:20,856 This awesome river. 5 00:00:22,366 --> 00:00:23,806 The River Nile. 6 00:00:25,726 --> 00:00:28,786 The Nile helped temples to rise... 7 00:00:30,166 --> 00:00:32,606 ...pharaohs to rule... 8 00:00:32,606 --> 00:00:34,526 and pyramids to be built. 9 00:00:35,776 --> 00:00:39,176 Without the Nile, there'd have been no ancient Egypt. 10 00:00:41,246 --> 00:00:44,696 So I'm making the historicaljourney of a lifetime. 11 00:00:46,586 --> 00:00:49,696 A 900 mile adventure along the Nile, 12 00:00:49,696 --> 00:00:51,656 across the whole of Egypt. 13 00:00:52,696 --> 00:00:55,726 I'll explore Egypt's greatest achievements... 14 00:00:55,726 --> 00:00:57,926 It is truly wonderful, isn't it? 15 00:00:57,926 --> 00:01:01,376 ...and find treasures hidden for thousands of years. 16 00:01:01,376 --> 00:01:03,936 Oh, my God, that's a sheer drop down there. 17 00:01:03,936 --> 00:01:07,416 This is my chance to travel this fabulous land... 18 00:01:07,416 --> 00:01:09,085 Oh, lovely! 19 00:01:09,085 --> 00:01:12,246 ...and experience it as the ancient Egyptians did, 20 00:01:12,246 --> 00:01:14,416 from the River Nile. 21 00:01:14,416 --> 00:01:16,576 From pharaohs to slaves, 22 00:01:16,576 --> 00:01:18,526 from facts to fantasies, 23 00:01:18,526 --> 00:01:20,986 I want to explore first-hand, 24 00:01:20,986 --> 00:01:23,936 and to understand how this river shaped 25 00:01:23,936 --> 00:01:28,526 one of the world's first and greatest civilisations. 26 00:01:29,536 --> 00:01:34,526 Join me as I uncover 5,000 years of history 27 00:01:34,526 --> 00:01:36,786 along the River Nile. 28 00:01:47,416 --> 00:01:49,936 So far, on my journey up the Nile, 29 00:01:49,936 --> 00:01:54,326 I've explored many of the treasures that helped to create ancient Egypt. 30 00:02:02,326 --> 00:02:04,656 And now, as the river gets busier, 31 00:02:04,656 --> 00:02:08,376 I'm coming to one incredible stretch that reveals a huge amount 32 00:02:08,376 --> 00:02:13,856 about the Egyptians' obsession with life and death. 33 00:02:16,706 --> 00:02:18,015 This river gave rise to 34 00:02:18,015 --> 00:02:20,965 one of the most captivating civilisations in the world, 35 00:02:20,965 --> 00:02:24,166 and a jewel in the crown is where I'm heading now. 36 00:02:24,166 --> 00:02:25,416 Luxor. 37 00:02:28,895 --> 00:02:31,336 300 miles south of Cairo, 38 00:02:31,336 --> 00:02:37,606 on the east bank of the Nile is a famous city full of ancient wonders. 39 00:02:37,606 --> 00:02:39,326 I love visiting Luxor, 40 00:02:39,326 --> 00:02:41,456 and I'm certainly not alone. 41 00:02:43,095 --> 00:02:45,536 This is a stretch of the river that's welcomed everyone 42 00:02:45,536 --> 00:02:48,326 from Tutankhamen to Winston Churchill, 43 00:02:48,326 --> 00:02:50,616 from Cleopatra to Agatha Christie. 44 00:02:52,376 --> 00:02:55,015 It was travellers from the Victorian age 45 00:02:55,015 --> 00:02:56,916 who helped to make Luxor super fashionable. 46 00:02:58,236 --> 00:03:00,995 Here they could swap the British winter 47 00:03:00,995 --> 00:03:02,476 for 30 degree temperatures, 48 00:03:02,476 --> 00:03:04,916 and 5,000 years of culture. 49 00:03:06,075 --> 00:03:07,836 But it didn't come cheap. 50 00:03:07,836 --> 00:03:12,865 The trip from Cairo to Luxor cost an eye-watering £12,000 51 00:03:12,865 --> 00:03:14,346 in today's money. 52 00:03:15,446 --> 00:03:17,726 But to one Victorian traveller, 53 00:03:17,726 --> 00:03:19,115 that was small change. 54 00:03:20,356 --> 00:03:22,716 Queen Victoria's son, the Prince of Wales, 55 00:03:22,716 --> 00:03:25,636 the future Edward VII came to the Nile, 56 00:03:25,636 --> 00:03:29,286 and he so loved it he came back twice. 57 00:03:29,286 --> 00:03:33,075 Now, he travelled in quite some style. 58 00:03:33,075 --> 00:03:35,476 He had six steamships, 59 00:03:35,476 --> 00:03:38,846 decorated with friezes of Anthony and Cleopatra, 60 00:03:38,846 --> 00:03:44,205 and behind them, he had a barge carrying 4,000 bottles of claret, 61 00:03:44,205 --> 00:03:47,436 and 3,000 bottles of champagne, 62 00:03:47,436 --> 00:03:50,846 plus what every good dahabeah needs... 63 00:03:50,846 --> 00:03:52,486 A donkey. 64 00:03:54,276 --> 00:03:57,205 Donkeys were used to fetch supplies from the banks. 65 00:04:00,246 --> 00:04:04,726 But it seems today the Nile has brought the shopping to us. 66 00:04:04,726 --> 00:04:07,026 Oh, hello! Oh, hi! 67 00:04:07,026 --> 00:04:09,516 You like a special price? 68 00:04:09,516 --> 00:04:11,026 I'm sure special price! 69 00:04:12,436 --> 00:04:14,636 These very enterprising boys... 70 00:04:14,636 --> 00:04:16,426 Yeah, that's beautiful! 71 00:04:16,426 --> 00:04:19,046 ...have hooked on to try and sell me a dress, 72 00:04:19,046 --> 00:04:20,456 and a tablecloth... 73 00:04:20,456 --> 00:04:21,656 Shall I come down? 74 00:04:21,656 --> 00:04:23,336 Come round this way! OK. 75 00:04:24,746 --> 00:04:25,905 Hey! Hi! 76 00:04:28,056 --> 00:04:30,336 Darling. English? Welcome! 77 00:04:30,336 --> 00:04:32,056 0h, my gosh! English? 78 00:04:32,056 --> 00:04:33,506 English, yes. 79 00:04:33,506 --> 00:04:34,786 Very good! 80 00:04:34,786 --> 00:04:36,506 It's a lovely towel. 81 00:04:36,506 --> 00:04:39,336 I would get one, but I've already got one at home. 82 00:04:40,626 --> 00:04:42,046 Nefertiti! 83 00:04:42,046 --> 00:04:44,536 That's Nefertiti. 84 00:04:44,536 --> 00:04:46,686 That's...actually quite nice. 85 00:04:46,686 --> 00:04:48,176 I'm going to buy that one. 86 00:04:48,176 --> 00:04:49,536 I'm going to buy it, actually. 87 00:04:49,536 --> 00:04:52,516 I'm sure my husband would love that. 88 00:04:52,516 --> 00:04:54,696 He'd look very nice in it! LAUGHTER 89 00:04:54,696 --> 00:04:56,866 Show me the one for my husband again? 90 00:04:56,866 --> 00:04:57,895 LAUGHTER 91 00:04:57,895 --> 00:05:00,416 Wait, wait, no, no, no! 92 00:05:00,416 --> 00:05:02,145 Oh, my gosh! APPLAUSE 93 00:05:02,145 --> 00:05:03,696 Thank you! 94 00:05:03,696 --> 00:05:07,936 That is my years of cricket practice with my brother in the garden. 95 00:05:07,936 --> 00:05:10,336 Now I've... I think I've got to buy it. 96 00:05:10,336 --> 00:05:13,666 Put in the bag. Four. Four. OK. Oh, my God. 97 00:05:13,666 --> 00:05:14,666 Four. 98 00:05:16,456 --> 00:05:18,466 Oh, OK! Four! 99 00:05:18,466 --> 00:05:20,186 And here on the Nile, 100 00:05:20,186 --> 00:05:22,316 there's even contactless payment. 101 00:05:23,626 --> 00:05:26,456 I've got to throw the money back in a plastic bag. 102 00:05:26,456 --> 00:05:27,746 One, two, three... 103 00:05:29,145 --> 00:05:30,225 Thank you! 104 00:05:31,866 --> 00:05:35,145 Isn't it great that everybody sees there's an opportunity? 105 00:05:35,145 --> 00:05:36,736 And actually, I think it's... 106 00:05:36,736 --> 00:05:37,975 huge! 107 00:05:37,975 --> 00:05:40,176 SHE LAUGHS 108 00:05:51,046 --> 00:05:54,586 Luxor is the number one tourist destination on the Nile, 109 00:05:54,586 --> 00:05:57,506 with spectacular temples and tombs, 110 00:05:57,506 --> 00:05:59,616 scattered across either side of the river. 111 00:06:07,146 --> 00:06:08,946 There's tons to see here, 112 00:06:08,946 --> 00:06:11,496 so the crew are going to moor up for a couple of days. 113 00:06:14,616 --> 00:06:18,466 Because I want to see what these spectacular sites can tell us 114 00:06:18,466 --> 00:06:21,866 about the Egyptian experience of life and death. 115 00:06:27,746 --> 00:06:30,025 After difficult times in Egypt, 116 00:06:30,025 --> 00:06:31,816 it's brilliant to see so many tourists 117 00:06:31,816 --> 00:06:34,126 flooding back to the city here on the east bank. 118 00:06:42,536 --> 00:06:46,306 But I'm crossing straight to Luxor's famous west bank. 119 00:06:49,666 --> 00:06:52,035 It's only a short hop across the river, 120 00:06:52,035 --> 00:06:54,186 but for the ancient Egyptians, 121 00:06:54,186 --> 00:06:57,136 this was a highly symbolic journey. 122 00:06:59,066 --> 00:07:02,025 I'm moving from the east bank, the land of the living, 123 00:07:02,025 --> 00:07:04,256 to the west bank, where the sun sets, 124 00:07:04,256 --> 00:07:07,296 and where the ancient Egyptians buried their secrets. 125 00:07:07,296 --> 00:07:09,816 The land of the dead. 126 00:07:09,816 --> 00:07:12,546 Which, of course, ironically means that in terms of stories 127 00:07:12,546 --> 00:07:14,746 and archaeological discovery, 128 00:07:14,746 --> 00:07:16,696 it is very much alive. 129 00:07:19,905 --> 00:07:22,136 Three miles inland from the river 130 00:07:22,136 --> 00:07:25,336 is a place that's very close to my heart. 131 00:07:25,336 --> 00:07:28,586 The legendary Valley of the Kings. 132 00:07:37,895 --> 00:07:41,746 It was the fabulous treasures hidden beneath these barren slopes 133 00:07:41,746 --> 00:07:43,946 that first sparked my interest in history 134 00:07:43,946 --> 00:07:45,456 way back when I was five. 135 00:07:48,905 --> 00:07:52,225 And one discovery here sits above all others. 136 00:07:54,696 --> 00:07:56,946 It was made by two Brits, 137 00:07:56,946 --> 00:07:59,496 archaeologist Howard Carter, 138 00:07:59,496 --> 00:08:02,186 and wealthy aristocrat Lord Carnarvon. 139 00:08:05,586 --> 00:08:09,056 Carnarvon and Carter had actually worked together for 15 years 140 00:08:09,056 --> 00:08:11,775 before they discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen. 141 00:08:11,775 --> 00:08:15,256 Carnarvon was really passionate about what he did in Egypt. 142 00:08:15,256 --> 00:08:17,166 I mean, he loved being here. 143 00:08:17,166 --> 00:08:19,005 He learned some Arabic, 144 00:08:19,005 --> 00:08:21,036 the locals called him Lordy, 145 00:08:21,036 --> 00:08:25,676 and he wrote that he drank thick, black, Turkish coffee every morning. 146 00:08:25,676 --> 00:08:30,025 But he also poured money into these excavations, 147 00:08:30,025 --> 00:08:34,865 and at one point he was hiring up to 275 boys to do the work, 148 00:08:34,865 --> 00:08:38,905 so the two of them were really, really serious 149 00:08:38,905 --> 00:08:41,066 about trying to find something, 150 00:08:41,066 --> 00:08:42,426 and once they did... 151 00:08:42,426 --> 00:08:44,946 it was the discovery of the century, 152 00:08:44,946 --> 00:08:48,105 and captured the imagination of the world. 153 00:08:54,546 --> 00:08:56,626 In the heat and dust, 154 00:08:56,626 --> 00:08:59,186 I really get a sense of what it must have been like 155 00:08:59,186 --> 00:09:01,066 digging here 100 years ago, 156 00:09:01,066 --> 00:09:04,895 as Carter and his team searched for a long-lost tomb. 157 00:09:06,576 --> 00:09:09,186 After five years of hard work, 158 00:09:09,186 --> 00:09:12,426 on 26th November, 1922, 159 00:09:12,426 --> 00:09:17,056 Carter and Carnarvon scrambled down this very passageway. 160 00:09:32,156 --> 00:09:34,356 It's a story that's been told a number of times, 161 00:09:34,356 --> 00:09:36,745 but it is always worth the retelling. 162 00:09:36,745 --> 00:09:40,726 When Carnarvon and Carter were about to break into the chamber, 163 00:09:40,726 --> 00:09:43,446 Carter looked through a tiny hole, 164 00:09:43,446 --> 00:09:46,955 and describes the glint of gold everywhere. 165 00:09:46,955 --> 00:09:49,436 "What can you see?" said Carnarvon. 166 00:09:49,436 --> 00:09:51,476 And Carter simply said... 167 00:09:51,476 --> 00:09:53,286 "Wonderful things." 168 00:09:56,436 --> 00:09:58,546 Tut's tomb stunned the world. 169 00:09:59,546 --> 00:10:01,835 And it's been drawing crowds ever since. 170 00:10:09,356 --> 00:10:10,516 \Mm-hm.l 171 00:10:14,116 --> 00:10:18,446 But the truth is Tut's tomb isn't actually that remarkable. 172 00:10:18,446 --> 00:10:20,356 It's surprisingly small for a pharaoh, 173 00:10:20,356 --> 00:10:22,546 and the decoration looks a bit rushed, 174 00:10:22,546 --> 00:10:24,726 even, in some places, a bit second-rate. 175 00:10:29,596 --> 00:10:30,646 Yeah! 176 00:10:32,005 --> 00:10:33,075 Yes. 177 00:10:37,466 --> 00:10:38,466 Yeah! 178 00:10:42,116 --> 00:10:43,316 Exactly, yeah. 179 00:10:45,726 --> 00:10:47,606 It's now believed that Tut was buried 180 00:10:47,606 --> 00:10:50,366 in a tomb originally prepared for someone else. 181 00:10:53,075 --> 00:10:55,386 Perhaps Tut's own tomb wasn't ready. 182 00:10:55,386 --> 00:10:56,676 That would make sense, 183 00:10:56,676 --> 00:10:59,036 because we know he died when he was just a teenager. 184 00:11:02,366 --> 00:11:04,556 Worth the effort, coming here? Definitely. 185 00:11:06,386 --> 00:11:08,446 Definitely for me. 186 00:11:08,446 --> 00:11:10,676 And the boys? The boys... Well... 187 00:11:10,676 --> 00:11:11,875 They're boys, aren't they? 188 00:11:11,875 --> 00:11:13,246 LAUGHTER 189 00:11:15,755 --> 00:11:18,276 Luckily for those who need a bit more convincing, 190 00:11:18,276 --> 00:11:23,516 the Valley of the Kings also boasts the most spectacular tombs in Egypt, 191 00:11:23,516 --> 00:11:25,676 and, just a few metres away, 192 00:11:25,676 --> 00:11:28,755 there is an absolute showstopper. 193 00:11:42,856 --> 00:11:46,845 Tutankhamen's tomb is the most famous in the Valley of the Kings. 194 00:11:48,236 --> 00:11:52,406 But to my mind, his neighbour's tomb is even more intriguing. 195 00:11:53,936 --> 00:11:58,366 It shows us the ancient Egyptians at their most brilliant... 196 00:11:58,366 --> 00:12:00,476 and badly-behaved. 197 00:12:02,835 --> 00:12:05,036 Just round the corner from Tut's tomb... 198 00:12:05,036 --> 00:12:07,196 Because, of course, this is a whole city of the dead, 199 00:12:07,196 --> 00:12:09,166 so there are burials everywhere. 200 00:12:09,166 --> 00:12:12,926 ...there is a real showstopper tomb. 201 00:12:12,926 --> 00:12:15,396 If you want to get a sense of what a burial was like 202 00:12:15,396 --> 00:12:17,936 when a pharaoh has pulled out all of the stops, 203 00:12:17,936 --> 00:12:20,126 then you should come here to KV Nine, 204 00:12:20,126 --> 00:12:22,015 although actually hardly anybody visits it. 205 00:12:31,556 --> 00:12:35,796 KV Nine stands for Kings Valley Number Nine, 206 00:12:35,796 --> 00:12:40,536 a pretty unassuming name for an absolutely jaw-dropping site. 207 00:12:43,146 --> 00:12:46,096 It's five times the size of Tut's, 208 00:12:46,096 --> 00:12:48,075 and instantly more impressive. 209 00:12:49,916 --> 00:12:53,626 So this is what a royal tomb really should look like. 210 00:12:53,626 --> 00:12:56,806 It stretches over 100 metres deep into the rock. 211 00:12:57,835 --> 00:13:02,396 The walls are covered with images and ideas and stories 212 00:13:02,396 --> 00:13:05,566 that are supposed to guarantee the successful journey of the pharaoh 213 00:13:05,566 --> 00:13:08,566 through the underworld, and on into the afterlife. 214 00:13:10,025 --> 00:13:12,536 Several images show that journey being made 215 00:13:12,536 --> 00:13:14,885 on a flat-bottomed Nile boat. 216 00:13:19,845 --> 00:13:23,396 KV Nine is, for me, the high point 217 00:13:23,396 --> 00:13:26,726 of over 1,000 years' worth of Egyptian tomb building. 218 00:13:39,276 --> 00:13:43,765 The 3,000-year-old decoration looks as though it was painted yesterday. 219 00:13:49,126 --> 00:13:50,845 But look a bit closer, 220 00:13:50,845 --> 00:13:53,456 and you'll see something that shouldn't be there. 221 00:13:55,246 --> 00:13:58,206 Graffiti, in Latin and Greek. 222 00:14:00,166 --> 00:14:04,406 Some of it dates back at least 2,000 years. 223 00:14:04,406 --> 00:14:07,046 People have been coming here for centuries. 224 00:14:07,046 --> 00:14:08,686 Some just to visit... 225 00:14:09,765 --> 00:14:12,246 ...but others to loot. 226 00:14:15,326 --> 00:14:18,116 Tombs like these were protected with curses. 227 00:14:18,116 --> 00:14:22,926 "May death come on wings to he who enters the tomb of the pharaoh." 228 00:14:22,926 --> 00:14:26,616 But there were some who clearly took no heed of that warning here. 229 00:14:26,616 --> 00:14:28,536 Within just 20 years, 230 00:14:28,536 --> 00:14:30,056 the tomb was robbed. 231 00:14:30,056 --> 00:14:32,845 This massive stone sarcophagus was smashed, 232 00:14:32,845 --> 00:14:36,115 and the mummy inside was desecrated with an axe, 233 00:14:36,115 --> 00:14:38,015 and all the treasure was stolen. 234 00:14:46,645 --> 00:14:50,895 The world's most famous cemetery is also a crime scene. 235 00:14:55,176 --> 00:14:58,046 All the tombs discovered here in the Valley so far 236 00:14:58,046 --> 00:15:00,015 have turned out to be robbed. 237 00:15:00,015 --> 00:15:03,116 But the truth is this isn't just random looters. 238 00:15:03,116 --> 00:15:06,206 Quite often, it's the men who built the tombs themselves, 239 00:15:06,206 --> 00:15:08,416 or it was an officially sanctioned robbery, 240 00:15:08,416 --> 00:15:11,206 so it's one pharaoh getting their own back on another. 241 00:15:12,416 --> 00:15:14,926 This was a pretty risky business, though. 242 00:15:14,926 --> 00:15:18,616 In ancient Egypt, the death penalty wasn't actually used that much, 243 00:15:18,616 --> 00:15:22,566 but you could be killed for robbing a tomb. 244 00:15:22,566 --> 00:15:25,916 And the manner of death was pretty horrific. 245 00:15:25,916 --> 00:15:28,095 You were either impaled, 246 00:15:28,095 --> 00:15:29,556 or burnt alive. 247 00:15:36,576 --> 00:15:40,256 It wasn't just the rich who were fascinated by both life and death. 248 00:15:48,816 --> 00:15:52,256 Almost two miles across the hills from the Valley of the Kings 249 00:15:52,256 --> 00:15:56,015 is a remarkable, and very different site. 250 00:15:56,015 --> 00:15:57,765 Deir El Medina, 251 00:15:57,765 --> 00:15:59,645 a village that was home to 252 00:15:59,645 --> 00:16:01,996 the workers who built the pharaohs' tombs. 253 00:16:04,616 --> 00:16:07,286 It contains extraordinary evidence 254 00:16:07,286 --> 00:16:11,376 that, for me, brings these ordinary people to life. 255 00:16:11,376 --> 00:16:14,336 It's a 40 minute walk from the Valley of the Kings. 256 00:16:15,625 --> 00:16:18,896 So I'm now treading in the footsteps of the ancient Egyptians 257 00:16:18,896 --> 00:16:22,346 who made this punishing journey to and from work 258 00:16:22,346 --> 00:16:24,075 every few days. 259 00:16:27,366 --> 00:16:31,136 And we're now walking up the main street of the village. 260 00:16:31,136 --> 00:16:34,816 You can see that the houses are so close together. Yeah! 261 00:16:34,816 --> 00:16:37,256 Egyptologist Yasmin El Shazly 262 00:16:37,256 --> 00:16:40,456 has spent 15 years studying this unique community. 263 00:16:41,975 --> 00:16:44,736 People are normally very interested in the kings, 264 00:16:44,736 --> 00:16:50,186 but I think the average Egyptian was much more interesting. 265 00:16:50,186 --> 00:16:52,046 Yeah. Because, normally, 266 00:16:52,046 --> 00:16:55,645 royal...art and architecture are full of propaganda, 267 00:16:55,645 --> 00:16:58,056 so that's not who they really were. 268 00:16:58,056 --> 00:16:59,645 But this is the real thing. 269 00:17:00,775 --> 00:17:02,775 And more than just mere builders. 270 00:17:02,775 --> 00:17:06,696 Deir El Medina was home to craftsmen and women. 271 00:17:06,696 --> 00:17:10,056 You had a community full of, you know, talent. 272 00:17:10,056 --> 00:17:12,206 You have the best artists, 273 00:17:12,206 --> 00:17:14,266 the best scribes, 274 00:17:14,266 --> 00:17:17,006 the best craftsmen, 275 00:17:17,006 --> 00:17:19,645 so it's very special. 276 00:17:19,645 --> 00:17:21,905 So it means that we haven't just got a village of people, 277 00:17:21,905 --> 00:17:23,086 but of articulate people, 278 00:17:23,086 --> 00:17:25,376 of people who are kind of used to expressing themselves. 279 00:17:25,376 --> 00:17:26,456 Yeah, exactly. 280 00:17:28,176 --> 00:17:30,735 And luckily for us, they expressed themselves 281 00:17:30,735 --> 00:17:34,406 on something that survived for 3,500 years, 282 00:17:34,406 --> 00:17:37,456 and against all the odds. 283 00:17:39,186 --> 00:17:42,095 North of the temple over here was a pit 284 00:17:42,095 --> 00:17:45,536 that was probably dug to be a well, 285 00:17:45,536 --> 00:17:47,456 but it ended up being a dump. 286 00:17:47,456 --> 00:17:48,816 Inside the pit, 287 00:17:48,816 --> 00:17:51,895 archaeologists found thousands of ostraca. 288 00:17:53,266 --> 00:17:57,855 Ostraca are chips of limestone that the workmen used to write on. 289 00:17:59,456 --> 00:18:01,466 So imagine someone going through your garbage, 290 00:18:01,466 --> 00:18:03,136 how much information they would get... 291 00:18:03,136 --> 00:18:04,416 Unfortunately, yes! 292 00:18:04,416 --> 00:18:06,256 "About your daily life. 293 00:18:08,126 --> 00:18:10,775 We found legal documents, 294 00:18:10,775 --> 00:18:12,286 letters to the living, 295 00:18:12,286 --> 00:18:13,536 and letters to the dead, 296 00:18:13,536 --> 00:18:15,076 love songs, 297 00:18:15,076 --> 00:18:17,816 even the attendance of the workmen, 298 00:18:17,816 --> 00:18:20,126 and the reasons why they were absent from work. 299 00:18:20,126 --> 00:18:21,816 And why were they absent? 300 00:18:21,816 --> 00:18:26,056 Sometimes they were celebrating a festival of a certain god. 301 00:18:26,056 --> 00:18:29,296 And could it sometimes be not just because they were celebrating, 302 00:18:29,296 --> 00:18:31,645 but because they have a hangover after the celebrations? 303 00:18:31,645 --> 00:18:32,845 That's very possible, too. 304 00:18:32,845 --> 00:18:34,816 They used to drink a lot of beer. 305 00:18:34,816 --> 00:18:36,086 CHUCKLING: OK! 306 00:18:36,086 --> 00:18:38,775 I love the idea of people nursing sore heads here, 307 00:18:38,775 --> 00:18:41,496 going, "Oh, just tell them I can't come into work today, 308 00:18:41,496 --> 00:18:42,936 "it was too much last night." 309 00:18:42,936 --> 00:18:44,256 Very true! 310 00:18:47,496 --> 00:18:49,855 I've been given incredibly privileged access 311 00:18:49,855 --> 00:18:52,426 to one place in the village that's only just been opened, 312 00:18:52,426 --> 00:18:54,336 after years of restoration. 313 00:19:01,426 --> 00:19:06,066 It belonged to a man guilty of much more than simply skiving off work. 314 00:19:10,806 --> 00:19:12,296 Oh, amazing. 315 00:19:12,296 --> 00:19:14,496 This is brilliant, this is what I was looking for. 316 00:19:14,496 --> 00:19:17,775 So this is the tomb of someone called Paneb. 317 00:19:18,915 --> 00:19:20,985 I think that's Paneb, 318 00:19:20,985 --> 00:19:23,655 and that's almost certainly his wife behind him. 319 00:19:23,655 --> 00:19:27,936 And there's Anubis, representing the god of the underworld. 320 00:19:29,346 --> 00:19:31,016 Paneb wasn't royalty, 321 00:19:31,016 --> 00:19:35,016 so his tomb is much smaller than the ones in the Valley of the Kings, 322 00:19:35,016 --> 00:19:37,496 but even though he wasn't famous, 323 00:19:37,496 --> 00:19:39,816 we still know an amazing amount about him, 324 00:19:39,816 --> 00:19:42,576 thanks to evidence discovered in the village. 325 00:19:42,576 --> 00:19:44,836 And the story it tells... 326 00:19:44,836 --> 00:19:46,016 is shocking. 327 00:19:48,556 --> 00:19:50,936 Paneb stops being an ordinary worker, 328 00:19:50,936 --> 00:19:53,915 and elevates himself somehow, to become a chief workman. 329 00:19:56,985 --> 00:19:58,546 Then the plot thickens. 330 00:19:58,546 --> 00:20:00,905 One of the labourers accuses Paneb 331 00:20:00,905 --> 00:20:03,725 of stealing building material from a royal tomb 332 00:20:03,725 --> 00:20:05,773 to construct his new burial place. 333 00:20:07,413 --> 00:20:11,083 Not only that, but there are 16 other charges levelled against him, 334 00:20:11,083 --> 00:20:13,772 and this is really serious stuff. 335 00:20:13,772 --> 00:20:16,343 So he's accused of adultery, 336 00:20:16,343 --> 00:20:19,173 of sexual abuse of the women in the village, 337 00:20:19,173 --> 00:20:21,992 of falling into kind of drunken rages, 338 00:20:21,992 --> 00:20:23,933 so that he's incredibly violent, 339 00:20:23,933 --> 00:20:27,443 and even of killing someone to cover up his crimes. 340 00:20:28,813 --> 00:20:31,543 Now, we don't know what happened in the end to Paneb, 341 00:20:31,543 --> 00:20:33,732 but, for me, what's so brilliant 342 00:20:33,732 --> 00:20:36,133 is that we've still got these intimate details 343 00:20:36,133 --> 00:20:38,093 of ordinary Egyptians' lives. 344 00:20:38,093 --> 00:20:40,063 Their affairs, their intrigues, 345 00:20:40,063 --> 00:20:42,343 the bullying, the social climbing, 346 00:20:42,343 --> 00:20:43,772 and the scandal. 347 00:20:50,722 --> 00:20:52,703 It's been a long day in the desert. 348 00:20:54,263 --> 00:20:56,063 I'm heading back across the river, 349 00:20:56,063 --> 00:20:57,703 to Luxor's east bank. 350 00:21:04,379 --> 00:21:08,580 This is one of the hottest and driest cities in the world, 351 00:21:08,580 --> 00:21:11,220 where daytime temperatures can hit 50 degrees. 352 00:21:12,630 --> 00:21:13,979 HORNS BEEPING 353 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:19,519 So, as the sun sets, 354 00:21:19,519 --> 00:21:21,090 the locals come out, 355 00:21:21,090 --> 00:21:23,620 and Luxor comes alive. 356 00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:25,340 MIZMARS PLAY TRADITIONAL MUSIC 357 00:21:32,220 --> 00:21:34,570 The ancient Egyptians used to welcome visitors 358 00:21:34,570 --> 00:21:37,220 to celebrate the joy of Ka, 359 00:21:37,220 --> 00:21:40,090 to love the spirit of life. 360 00:21:40,090 --> 00:21:43,930 And that warm welcome is still definitely on offer. 361 00:21:43,930 --> 00:21:45,690 MUSIC SLOWS 362 00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:51,810 So I was dragged in here by these kids 363 00:21:51,810 --> 00:21:53,739 who said there's something going to happen. 364 00:21:53,739 --> 00:21:55,340 How brilliant to see that dancing, 365 00:21:55,340 --> 00:21:57,370 and actually, when we think of ancient Egypt, 366 00:21:57,370 --> 00:22:00,090 we often think of it as something being rather stiff and staid, 367 00:22:00,090 --> 00:22:02,700 but actually they loved their festivals, 368 00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:04,620 and their music and their dancing, 369 00:22:04,620 --> 00:22:06,010 and their beer drinking. 370 00:22:06,010 --> 00:22:08,260 Beer was the kind of staple drink, 371 00:22:08,260 --> 00:22:11,450 and they had festivals of drunkenness up and down the Nile. 372 00:22:11,450 --> 00:22:14,340 So they were the original party people. 373 00:22:15,490 --> 00:22:17,210 Where are we going now? Oh, we're off. 374 00:22:19,700 --> 00:22:22,220 It's tempting to burn the candle at both ends, 375 00:22:22,220 --> 00:22:24,620 because tomorrow I'm up super early, 376 00:22:24,620 --> 00:22:26,979 for one of the highlights of my journey. 377 00:22:26,979 --> 00:22:29,519 Egypt's most famous temple. 378 00:22:44,389 --> 00:22:47,620 With my lovely dahabeah moored up for a few clays, 379 00:22:47,620 --> 00:22:50,950 I'm exploring the ancient wonders surrounding the city of Luxor. 380 00:22:52,500 --> 00:22:55,350 Today I'm visiting the city's famous monument. 381 00:22:55,350 --> 00:22:57,059 HORN BEEPING 382 00:22:59,710 --> 00:23:01,470 But, after a night on the town, 383 00:23:01,470 --> 00:23:03,820 there's one stop I have to make first. 384 00:23:04,910 --> 00:23:06,780 Hi. Hi, salaam, can I get a coffee? 385 00:23:06,780 --> 00:23:08,770 Coffee. Coffee. Sugar? Sugar. 386 00:23:08,770 --> 00:23:11,550 Ahwah...mahut? Mazboot. Mazboot. OK. 387 00:23:11,550 --> 00:23:12,820 OK, thank you, shokran. 388 00:23:17,259 --> 00:23:20,179 I cannot get through a day without an Egyptian coffee, 389 00:23:20,179 --> 00:23:22,980 and it's actually very appropriate that I'm drinking it here 390 00:23:22,980 --> 00:23:26,129 because this is one of the first places in recorded history 391 00:23:26,129 --> 00:23:29,500 where we know that coffee was drunk, and in Cairo, actually. 392 00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:31,900 Some people think it came from North Africa, 393 00:23:31,900 --> 00:23:34,309 some people think coffee came from Yemen, 394 00:23:34,309 --> 00:23:36,210 but when it was first spotted, 395 00:23:36,210 --> 00:23:40,790 goats ate the coffee beans, and they danced around in this wild way, 396 00:23:40,790 --> 00:23:42,550 so they noticed it was probably going to be 397 00:23:42,550 --> 00:23:43,830 quite a useful stimulant, 398 00:23:43,830 --> 00:23:45,220 but as a result, 399 00:23:45,220 --> 00:23:49,470 there were sections of society that thought it was the devil's brew, 400 00:23:49,470 --> 00:23:52,220 but even if it is the devil's brew, bring it on. 401 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:53,710 Shokran, thank you. 402 00:23:55,269 --> 00:23:56,500 Oh, lovely. 403 00:23:58,910 --> 00:24:00,259 Perfect. 404 00:24:00,259 --> 00:24:01,630 Shokran. 405 00:24:01,630 --> 00:24:03,350 Thank you. 406 00:24:03,350 --> 00:24:04,750 Oh... 407 00:24:06,389 --> 00:24:08,189 Oh, I can smell, he's put cardamom in, 408 00:24:08,189 --> 00:24:09,389 that's really lovely. 409 00:24:12,069 --> 00:24:13,139 Uh'.! 410 00:24:13,139 --> 00:24:14,480 Oh, my God, I love that. 411 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,860 First caffeine hit of the day. 412 00:24:16,860 --> 00:24:19,139 That is heaven in a cup. 413 00:24:19,139 --> 00:24:20,580 HORNS BEEPING 414 00:24:22,430 --> 00:24:25,780 Now I'm ready to face the crowds at Egypt's greatest temple. 415 00:24:25,780 --> 00:24:27,389 HORNS BEEPING 416 00:24:27,389 --> 00:24:29,620 I'm travelling by roads today, 417 00:24:29,620 --> 00:24:31,660 but at the time of the ancient Egyptians, 418 00:24:31,660 --> 00:24:33,870 I would certainly have been getting from A to B 419 00:24:33,870 --> 00:24:36,139 by travelling down one of the waterways... Whoops! 420 00:24:36,139 --> 00:24:37,700 A little bit of a bump in the road. 421 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:39,860 ...because people used the Nile. 422 00:24:39,860 --> 00:24:41,269 And it's just really cool, 423 00:24:41,269 --> 00:24:44,059 because here you've got all kinds of different vehicles on the road, 424 00:24:44,083 --> 00:24:45,235 from taxis to tuk-tuks. 425 00:24:45,235 --> 00:24:46,676 Salaam, hello, hi! HORN BEEPING 426 00:24:46,676 --> 00:24:49,115 And it would have been the same on the ancient waterways, 427 00:24:49,115 --> 00:24:51,966 so you had little cargo ships and barges, 428 00:24:51,966 --> 00:24:55,516 and then these grand, royal processional boats. 429 00:24:59,676 --> 00:25:03,526 In the far north of modern Luxor is the vast temple of Karnak. 430 00:25:11,836 --> 00:25:13,766 It's 4,000 years old, 431 00:25:13,766 --> 00:25:18,536 and still the largest religious complex anywhere in the world. 432 00:25:23,396 --> 00:25:25,756 What really strikes me, always, 433 00:25:25,756 --> 00:25:28,846 is just how rammed with people it would have been in ancient times. 434 00:25:28,846 --> 00:25:31,606 So, in fact, all these tourists are completely appropriate. 435 00:25:31,606 --> 00:25:35,656 We know that over 80,000 people worked here, 436 00:25:35,656 --> 00:25:40,035 so it would have been a riot of colour and sound and smell. 437 00:25:40,035 --> 00:25:43,086 You'd have had the noise of drums and cymbals, 438 00:25:43,086 --> 00:25:45,736 and the smell of incense and burnt meat, 439 00:25:45,736 --> 00:25:49,206 and priests with their shaven heads and hairless bodies, 440 00:25:49,206 --> 00:25:51,846 abstaining from sex so they were pure, 441 00:25:51,846 --> 00:25:54,476 rushing around to keep the gods onside. 442 00:25:59,526 --> 00:26:01,966 I'm always blown away by this place. 443 00:26:01,966 --> 00:26:04,235 Everything about it is so intense, 444 00:26:04,235 --> 00:26:06,546 and so much larger than life. 445 00:26:12,736 --> 00:26:14,016 When people come here, 446 00:26:14,016 --> 00:26:16,486 they always talk about its size and scale, 447 00:26:16,486 --> 00:26:18,326 and it was massive. 448 00:26:18,326 --> 00:26:22,676 So the whole complex stretched about a mile long and half a mile wide, 449 00:26:22,676 --> 00:26:25,726 and covered the area of about 168 football pitches. 450 00:26:27,606 --> 00:26:29,235 But today, 451 00:26:29,235 --> 00:26:31,556 I'm here to see something that's a lot smaller, 452 00:26:31,556 --> 00:26:33,276 but, in its own way, 453 00:26:33,276 --> 00:26:34,876 as impressive. 454 00:26:37,165 --> 00:26:38,476 In ancient times, 455 00:26:38,476 --> 00:26:41,326 Karnak Temple would have been bursting with astronomers, 456 00:26:41,326 --> 00:26:43,115 mathematicians, and scientists, 457 00:26:43,115 --> 00:26:46,096 all buzzing with new ideas and inventions. 458 00:26:47,766 --> 00:26:49,636 And one of those inventions was 459 00:26:49,636 --> 00:26:51,806 this humble-looking bucket. 460 00:26:53,115 --> 00:26:54,276 For the priests, 461 00:26:54,276 --> 00:26:56,886 it was really important to perform their rituals 462 00:26:56,886 --> 00:26:58,816 at the exactly the right time, 463 00:26:58,816 --> 00:27:00,995 and of course, during the day, you've got the sun, 464 00:27:00,995 --> 00:27:03,196 and you can use sundials to measure hours, 465 00:27:03,196 --> 00:27:04,806 but what do you do at night? 466 00:27:04,806 --> 00:27:08,686 Well, the ancient Egyptians came up with this really clever idea. 467 00:27:08,686 --> 00:27:12,096 So what this is is a replica of a water clock 468 00:27:12,096 --> 00:27:13,956 that was found here at Karnak, 469 00:27:13,956 --> 00:27:17,045 and what the priests would do is they'd fill it up with water. 470 00:27:17,045 --> 00:27:20,245 As the water dropped down one notch in the clock, 471 00:27:20,245 --> 00:27:21,905 that would measure an hour, 472 00:27:21,905 --> 00:27:24,125 so they could tell the time exactly during the night. 473 00:27:25,886 --> 00:27:28,806 The Egyptians followed a 24-hour clock, 474 00:27:28,806 --> 00:27:31,686 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. 475 00:27:33,096 --> 00:27:36,816 But the nights grow shorter and longer throughout the year, 476 00:27:36,816 --> 00:27:39,245 and this water clock allowed for that, 477 00:27:39,245 --> 00:27:41,966 with different measured scales inside 478 00:27:41,966 --> 00:27:43,646 for different times of the year. 479 00:27:46,456 --> 00:27:47,636 So let's see if it works. 480 00:27:51,526 --> 00:27:52,876 SHE LAUGHS 481 00:27:54,716 --> 00:27:56,756 GIGGLING 482 00:27:56,756 --> 00:27:59,476 I think they'd have done it slightly more professionally than me. 483 00:28:03,776 --> 00:28:06,096 It's definitely dripping! 484 00:28:08,286 --> 00:28:11,526 And I guess we have to wait an hour to see if it can tell the time OK. 485 00:28:14,096 --> 00:28:16,255 Simple but brilliant. 486 00:28:16,255 --> 00:28:18,536 And from 1500 BC, 487 00:28:18,536 --> 00:28:22,175 these devices would have appeared in temples up and down the Nile. 488 00:28:25,276 --> 00:28:26,616 Back on the Nile, 489 00:28:26,616 --> 00:28:29,925 there's a Luxor treasure from a very different age. 490 00:28:32,326 --> 00:28:35,005 I've just spotted this boat moored up on the bank. 491 00:28:35,005 --> 00:28:36,245 SS Sudan. 492 00:28:36,245 --> 00:28:38,896 It was built in the 1920s, 493 00:28:38,896 --> 00:28:42,196 and in 1933, it hosted a very special visitor. 494 00:28:43,276 --> 00:28:46,286 I'm going to see if I can get on board, somehow. 495 00:28:47,286 --> 00:28:48,606 Hello! Hello. 496 00:28:48,606 --> 00:28:49,766 Hi. 497 00:28:49,766 --> 00:28:51,606 Can I... Can I come on? 498 00:28:51,606 --> 00:28:54,255 Yeah, but please can you come on the other side? 499 00:28:54,255 --> 00:28:56,416 From the other side? Please. Great, thank you. 500 00:29:00,175 --> 00:29:02,086 Amazing, thank you very much. 501 00:29:04,626 --> 00:29:07,406 Thank you so much for letting me come on. Bettany. Amir. My pleasure! 502 00:29:07,406 --> 00:29:08,896 Oh, so lovely! And is it OK to come on? 503 00:29:08,896 --> 00:29:12,716 As I step on board the SS Sudan, I'm following in the footsteps of 504 00:29:12,716 --> 00:29:16,175 one of the world's best-selling writers. 505 00:29:16,175 --> 00:29:17,636 Agatha Christie. 506 00:29:18,846 --> 00:29:19,925 Oh... 507 00:29:21,286 --> 00:29:23,646 That's very kind! Thank you very much. You are welcome. 508 00:29:23,646 --> 00:29:25,255 Lovely! I've been on a hot boat. 509 00:29:25,255 --> 00:29:29,005 But where... Just show me round because I've only ever... 510 00:29:29,005 --> 00:29:31,245 I've seen this from the outside. This way. 511 00:29:31,245 --> 00:29:36,556 Oh, great! Yes, this is the original steam machine. Yes. 512 00:29:36,556 --> 00:29:40,826 With which the boat was sailing Agatha Christie, she was on board. 513 00:29:40,826 --> 00:29:42,646 Yeah. It's not still powered by steam, is it? 514 00:29:42,646 --> 00:29:44,366 It's steam, and... Yes. 515 00:29:44,366 --> 00:29:47,216 And do people come on board to travel here 516 00:29:47,216 --> 00:29:48,646 because of Agatha Christie? 517 00:29:48,646 --> 00:29:53,175 Sure, because of this, the oldest steamer ship on the Nile, 518 00:29:53,175 --> 00:29:56,336 and sure, because of Agatha Christie. Yes. 519 00:29:58,846 --> 00:30:02,366 Agatha Christie isn't just a giant of the literary world, 520 00:30:02,366 --> 00:30:04,795 she was a globetrotting history buff 521 00:30:04,795 --> 00:30:07,966 who travelled the Middle East with her archaeologist husband, 522 00:30:07,966 --> 00:30:10,886 excavating ancient sites in Iraq and Syria. 523 00:30:13,366 --> 00:30:17,816 In 1933, the couple's adventures brought them to Egypt, 524 00:30:17,816 --> 00:30:20,406 and to the SS Sudan. 525 00:30:20,406 --> 00:30:22,436 This is the Royal Lounge. 526 00:30:22,436 --> 00:30:24,086 Uh-huh. Yes. 527 00:30:24,086 --> 00:30:27,536 Yes, it's got that kind of luxurious feel, hasn't it? 528 00:30:27,536 --> 00:30:31,486 I just love it because I can so imagine Agatha and her husband... 529 00:30:31,486 --> 00:30:33,995 Yeah. Exactly, yeah. ..sitting and reading and, you know, 530 00:30:33,995 --> 00:30:36,125 enjoying a cocktail or four in the evening. 531 00:30:40,265 --> 00:30:43,816 Agatha was so inspired by her time on the SS Sudan 532 00:30:43,816 --> 00:30:46,566 that she wrote a book set on a paddle steamer 533 00:30:46,566 --> 00:30:48,005 sailing down the Nile. 534 00:30:49,646 --> 00:30:52,726 The result was one of the bestselling murder mysteries 535 00:30:52,726 --> 00:30:54,286 of all time, 536 00:30:54,286 --> 00:30:56,446 and what else did she call it... 537 00:30:56,446 --> 00:30:58,216 but Death On The Nile. 538 00:31:01,055 --> 00:31:02,776 You... Me? Yeah. 539 00:31:02,776 --> 00:31:04,536 OK, will you hold that? Yes, with pleasure. 540 00:31:04,536 --> 00:31:05,696 Just give it a big tug? 541 00:31:05,696 --> 00:31:07,626 Exactly. Three times. OK. Three times. 542 00:31:07,626 --> 00:31:09,726 FLUTING TOOTS 543 00:31:14,145 --> 00:31:15,616 Bye! Thanks! 544 00:31:17,366 --> 00:31:19,776 It's full steam ahead for the SS Sudan. 545 00:31:23,336 --> 00:31:26,366 But for me, there's a humble water taxi waiting. 546 00:31:28,616 --> 00:31:32,286 Because I have one last trip to make to Luxor's west bank. 547 00:31:33,976 --> 00:31:35,856 Perched at the foot of the hills, 548 00:31:35,856 --> 00:31:37,726 looking back across the Nile 549 00:31:37,726 --> 00:31:40,216 is an awe-inspiring monument. 550 00:31:45,656 --> 00:31:49,536 This stunning temple can be busy with tourists, 551 00:31:49,536 --> 00:31:51,925 but get here just after dawn, 552 00:31:51,925 --> 00:31:54,055 and you can have the place to yourself. 553 00:31:58,286 --> 00:32:02,795 This was the crowning glory of one of my all-time heroines, 554 00:32:02,795 --> 00:32:05,156 the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. 555 00:32:07,045 --> 00:32:09,096 A remarkable ruler, 556 00:32:09,096 --> 00:32:10,526 and, brilliantly, 557 00:32:10,526 --> 00:32:13,296 a woman ruling in a man's world. 558 00:32:14,736 --> 00:32:16,935 So, here's lovely Hatshepsut. 559 00:32:16,935 --> 00:32:18,696 Now, the thing is, of course, 560 00:32:18,696 --> 00:32:21,856 at first glance, she looks like any other male pharaoh, 561 00:32:21,856 --> 00:32:23,906 she's got her king's skirt, 562 00:32:23,906 --> 00:32:26,376 and even a little pharaonic beard. 563 00:32:26,376 --> 00:32:28,856 But we know this is definitely Hatshepsut 564 00:32:28,856 --> 00:32:32,055 because that's her name in that cartouche up there. 565 00:32:32,055 --> 00:32:34,516 But isn't it fascinating that, 566 00:32:34,516 --> 00:32:39,436 despite all her progress, and pioneering ideas, and power, 567 00:32:39,436 --> 00:32:46,135 this amazingly potent female pharaoh had to be represented as a man? 568 00:32:50,336 --> 00:32:51,726 In ancient Egypt, 569 00:32:51,726 --> 00:32:53,656 men inherited the throne. 570 00:32:53,656 --> 00:32:56,496 In fact, there wasn't even a word for queen. 571 00:32:58,866 --> 00:33:01,656 So when Hatshepsut found herself in charge, 572 00:33:01,656 --> 00:33:04,065 after her husband's early death, 573 00:33:04,065 --> 00:33:06,776 she realised the only way to rule Egypt 574 00:33:06,776 --> 00:33:09,166 was to be better than any king. 575 00:33:11,166 --> 00:33:14,526 You get the sense that she wanted to outdo any man. 576 00:33:14,526 --> 00:33:16,015 This temple, for example, 577 00:33:16,015 --> 00:33:18,616 was unlike anything that Egypt had ever seen before. 578 00:33:18,616 --> 00:33:22,255 Its design was very progressive and internationalist, 579 00:33:22,255 --> 00:33:25,526 and this whole complex would have looked completely different. 580 00:33:25,526 --> 00:33:28,155 It would have been a riot of colour, 581 00:33:28,155 --> 00:33:31,776 there were ponds, and lines of incense trees. 582 00:33:31,776 --> 00:33:35,566 It's almost as if Hatshepsut was trying to seduce her people 583 00:33:35,566 --> 00:33:37,376 with her sophistication. 584 00:33:40,376 --> 00:33:43,446 The temple walls tell us more about this intriguing woman. 585 00:33:44,976 --> 00:33:47,726 She sent delegations out across the seas 586 00:33:47,726 --> 00:33:51,135 to get incense and ivory and gold, 587 00:33:51,135 --> 00:33:54,366 from places other Egyptian rulers hadn't managed to reach. 588 00:33:56,976 --> 00:33:58,286 And the point of all of this 589 00:33:58,286 --> 00:34:00,696 wasn't to prove what the Egyptians traded in, 590 00:34:00,696 --> 00:34:03,496 but that Hatshepsut could make it happen. 591 00:34:07,646 --> 00:34:12,526 Archaeologist Dr Zbigniew Szafranski has arranged for me to see 592 00:34:12,526 --> 00:34:15,386 a part of the temple that's usually off-limits, 593 00:34:15,386 --> 00:34:19,776 and that gives us intimate insight into this remarkable woman's life 594 00:34:19,776 --> 00:34:22,296 that goes way beyond the official line. 595 00:34:22,296 --> 00:34:26,055 Hatshepsut was volcano of ideas. 596 00:34:26,055 --> 00:34:30,296 In political, military, and religious fields. 597 00:34:30,296 --> 00:34:33,416 She was really brilliant, I may say. 598 00:34:33,416 --> 00:34:35,616 So do you think she is one of the reasons 599 00:34:35,616 --> 00:34:38,366 that ancient Egyptian civilisation became so great? 600 00:34:38,366 --> 00:34:42,416 Yes, yes. We know a lot about Cleopatra, for example, 601 00:34:42,416 --> 00:34:44,296 but in my opinion, 602 00:34:44,296 --> 00:34:47,015 Hatshepsut was even more clever, 603 00:34:47,015 --> 00:34:51,216 and she was one of the greatest persons in the history of the world 604 00:34:51,216 --> 00:34:52,346 at the time. 605 00:34:54,346 --> 00:34:56,166 But Hatshepsut had a secret. 606 00:34:57,296 --> 00:34:59,446 It seems she had a bit of a soft spot 607 00:34:59,446 --> 00:35:00,925 for one of her courtiers. 608 00:35:00,925 --> 00:35:03,935 He seems to be present everywhere. 609 00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:05,306 Yes, yes. 610 00:35:05,306 --> 00:35:07,466 So can you show me where he is, here? 611 00:35:07,466 --> 00:35:08,666 Look in the niche. 612 00:35:08,666 --> 00:35:10,296 Oh, gosh, yes! 613 00:35:11,536 --> 00:35:13,805 This is Senemut. 614 00:35:13,805 --> 00:35:16,096 Not a member of the royal family, 615 00:35:16,096 --> 00:35:20,656 and yet beautifully depicted all over the queen of Egypt's temple. 616 00:35:20,656 --> 00:35:22,206 Because he's just a commoner, 617 00:35:22,206 --> 00:35:24,366 and they don't normally get represented 618 00:35:24,366 --> 00:35:25,706 in a place as sacred as this. 619 00:35:25,706 --> 00:35:27,966 That says something about him. Yes, yes. 620 00:35:29,366 --> 00:35:32,805 He was very gifted person, a very talented person. 621 00:35:34,606 --> 00:35:37,446 Senemut oversaw the temple's construction, 622 00:35:37,446 --> 00:35:39,856 and tutored Hatshepsut's daughter. 623 00:35:39,856 --> 00:35:44,065 It's long believed that his talents captured the queen's attention, 624 00:35:44,065 --> 00:35:46,856 and perhaps even her heart. 625 00:35:46,856 --> 00:35:49,966 Presumably, because the niches were always closed with doors, 626 00:35:49,966 --> 00:35:53,416 so that image would have been hidden, wouldn't it? Yes, yes. 627 00:35:53,416 --> 00:35:58,096 The door of the niche was opened inside, 628 00:35:58,096 --> 00:36:03,096 so nobody knew about his presence inside the holy place. 629 00:36:04,426 --> 00:36:06,866 By hiding him behind closed doors, 630 00:36:06,866 --> 00:36:09,935 maybe Hatshepsut was trying to keep her relationship with Senemut 631 00:36:09,935 --> 00:36:11,306 under wraps. 632 00:36:13,656 --> 00:36:16,616 But as the most famous woman in Egypt at the time, 633 00:36:16,616 --> 00:36:17,786 it can't have been easy, 634 00:36:17,786 --> 00:36:20,496 keeping a lid on a juicy bit of gossip like this. 635 00:36:25,935 --> 00:36:28,106 I've heard there's more evidence of this scandal 636 00:36:28,106 --> 00:36:29,736 up in the hills above the temple. 637 00:36:34,815 --> 00:36:36,786 It's pretty perilous to access. 638 00:36:39,856 --> 00:36:41,446 But archaeologists think 639 00:36:41,446 --> 00:36:44,616 this is where the temple builders took their breaks, 640 00:36:44,616 --> 00:36:48,966 sheltering from the sun, and catching up on all the latest news. 641 00:36:48,966 --> 00:36:51,866 I hope this is worth that scramble up the hill! 642 00:36:51,866 --> 00:36:53,075 SHE GROANS 643 00:36:53,075 --> 00:36:54,426 In a skirt! 644 00:36:54,426 --> 00:36:55,656 Oh, my gosh. 645 00:37:00,336 --> 00:37:02,456 This is it! Oh, that is amazing. 646 00:37:03,426 --> 00:37:10,216 So this little scribble on the wall here is close on 3,500 years old. 647 00:37:10,216 --> 00:37:14,706 Now, obviously it shows a man having sex with a woman. 648 00:37:14,706 --> 00:37:17,695 But there's something really special to notice here. 649 00:37:17,695 --> 00:37:20,616 The woman has got this thick royal wig on, 650 00:37:20,616 --> 00:37:24,145 so it's probably showing a queen, or Hatshepsut herself. 651 00:37:24,145 --> 00:37:26,296 So there are two possibilities here. 652 00:37:26,296 --> 00:37:28,386 Either this is feeding off a rumour 653 00:37:28,386 --> 00:37:32,176 that Senemut and Hatshepsut were actually lovers, 654 00:37:32,176 --> 00:37:36,815 or it's just a guy having sex with Hatshepsut herself, 655 00:37:36,815 --> 00:37:38,176 and this comes from a time 656 00:37:38,176 --> 00:37:42,176 where there was a woman who was the most powerful female on earth, 657 00:37:42,176 --> 00:37:44,418 doing amazing things, 658 00:37:44,418 --> 00:37:47,217 and the guys sitting here in this little cave 659 00:37:47,217 --> 00:37:48,857 wanted to remember her like this. 660 00:37:50,297 --> 00:37:54,047 3,500 years on, sometimes it feels like very little has changed. 661 00:38:01,847 --> 00:38:05,087 After two busy clays and nights in and around Luxor... 662 00:38:06,857 --> 00:38:09,886 ...and some well-earned shore leave for the crew, 663 00:38:09,886 --> 00:38:11,777 it's time to set sail, 664 00:38:11,777 --> 00:38:13,367 and continue my journey. 665 00:38:22,876 --> 00:38:24,737 Sadly, I've got to leave Luxor, 666 00:38:24,737 --> 00:38:28,657 but there are lots of discoveries and delights still to come. 667 00:38:31,377 --> 00:38:36,317 I'm heading for Egypt's more remote and enthralling south. 668 00:38:48,916 --> 00:38:51,436 I'm leaving the hustle and bustle of Luxor 669 00:38:51,436 --> 00:38:55,116 to travel deep into Egypt's beautiful south. 670 00:38:57,315 --> 00:38:59,716 It's much quieter here, 671 00:38:59,716 --> 00:39:01,516 but we're not entirely alone. 672 00:39:02,876 --> 00:39:05,446 CHEERING 673 00:39:06,646 --> 00:39:08,155 So surreal! 674 00:39:08,155 --> 00:39:09,796 That's so random. 675 00:39:09,796 --> 00:39:10,996 Wow. 676 00:39:10,996 --> 00:39:13,155 Another dahabeah, 677 00:39:13,155 --> 00:39:15,716 and flying a Union Flag, too! 678 00:39:15,716 --> 00:39:17,205 But if these are Brits, 679 00:39:17,205 --> 00:39:20,405 they're continuing the grand tradition of sailing down the Nile 680 00:39:20,405 --> 00:39:22,275 that started centuries ago. 681 00:39:25,046 --> 00:39:26,676 SHOUTING IN ARABIC 682 00:39:26,676 --> 00:39:28,916 I love the fact the crew, they all know each other, 683 00:39:28,916 --> 00:39:31,145 so they have a bit of information exchange... 684 00:39:31,145 --> 00:39:33,436 HE SHOUTS LOUDLY 685 00:39:37,636 --> 00:39:39,195 And just along the bank, 686 00:39:39,195 --> 00:39:43,356 there's something else I am determined to pay my respects to. 687 00:39:44,516 --> 00:39:46,506 It's not a temple or a tomb, 688 00:39:46,506 --> 00:39:49,756 but I think it's the unsung hero of ancient Egypt. 689 00:39:51,636 --> 00:39:53,085 The humble donkey. 690 00:39:53,085 --> 00:39:55,085 BRAYING 691 00:39:55,085 --> 00:39:58,126 There's a lovely guy who was working his fields a moment ago, 692 00:39:58,126 --> 00:39:59,726 and he's now... 693 00:39:59,726 --> 00:40:01,205 bringing us his donkey, I think. 694 00:40:02,405 --> 00:40:03,955 Oh, my gosh... 695 00:40:03,955 --> 00:40:05,866 We're being offered a cow as well. 696 00:40:11,155 --> 00:40:12,356 Thanks, Islam, thanks. 697 00:40:13,436 --> 00:40:15,766 Thank you very much. Welcome. Thank you. 698 00:40:15,766 --> 00:40:17,926 Hello. Hello, morning. 699 00:40:17,926 --> 00:40:19,556 Nice to see you. 700 00:40:19,556 --> 00:40:21,596 How do you do? Hi! 701 00:40:21,596 --> 00:40:24,486 Hello! Morning. Hi. Oh, you're beautiful! 702 00:40:25,686 --> 00:40:27,486 Is it a girl or a boy? 703 00:40:27,486 --> 00:40:31,205 A donkey. It's a donkey? Yeah, I know it's a donkey! 704 00:40:31,205 --> 00:40:32,726 Oh, he's lovely. 705 00:40:32,726 --> 00:40:34,075 Lovely, isn't it? 706 00:40:34,075 --> 00:40:36,275 Really lovely. Very beautiful donkey. 707 00:40:37,486 --> 00:40:39,085 He might look sweet, 708 00:40:39,085 --> 00:40:41,806 but he's actually as tough as old boots. 709 00:40:41,806 --> 00:40:44,566 Donkeys can pull up to twice their body weight, 710 00:40:44,566 --> 00:40:46,356 and even in these temperatures, 711 00:40:46,356 --> 00:40:50,556 they can go without water for an astonishing three days. 712 00:40:50,556 --> 00:40:52,405 Apparently he loves swimming, 713 00:40:52,405 --> 00:40:55,065 so we're going to go for a little dip... Oh! 714 00:40:55,065 --> 00:40:56,356 ...in the Nile...instead! 715 00:40:56,356 --> 00:40:57,606 LAUGHTER 716 00:41:01,716 --> 00:41:03,236 Hello, little one. 717 00:41:03,236 --> 00:41:05,415 There, is that nice on your mane? 718 00:41:05,415 --> 00:41:06,596 Yeah? 719 00:41:08,356 --> 00:41:10,576 So, at the end of... 720 00:41:10,576 --> 00:41:13,366 At the end of every night, as you go down the Nile, 721 00:41:13,366 --> 00:41:15,716 you see people bringing the donkeys and their horses in 722 00:41:15,716 --> 00:41:18,436 to give them a cooling bath. 723 00:41:18,436 --> 00:41:21,285 It's just such a lovely sight, and totally timeless. 724 00:41:21,285 --> 00:41:23,646 They definitely did this in ancient Egypt, 725 00:41:23,646 --> 00:41:25,085 we've got pictures of it. 726 00:41:27,716 --> 00:41:29,566 And they deserved a bath. 727 00:41:30,726 --> 00:41:33,636 It was donkeys that did huge amounts of hard work 728 00:41:33,636 --> 00:41:36,996 in fields, and on building sites. 729 00:41:36,996 --> 00:41:38,876 It's a bizarre thought. 730 00:41:38,876 --> 00:41:42,566 None of the pyramids, the temples, the tombs I've seen on my journey 731 00:41:42,566 --> 00:41:46,405 would have existed if it hadn't been for these gentle beasts. 732 00:41:46,405 --> 00:41:48,415 So, although this might seem slightly odd, 733 00:41:48,415 --> 00:41:50,636 it is in fact completely appropriate 734 00:41:50,636 --> 00:41:54,596 that we are treating this random donkey a bit like a pharaoh, 735 00:41:54,596 --> 00:41:58,586 and giving him his own personal bath in the waters of the Nile 736 00:41:58,586 --> 00:41:59,796 because, after all, 737 00:41:59,796 --> 00:42:05,205 it was the donkey that built the great civilisation of ancient Egypt. 738 00:42:05,205 --> 00:42:06,926 Thank you. Thank you. 739 00:42:08,035 --> 00:42:09,316 SHE GROANS 740 00:42:09,316 --> 00:42:10,405 Very wet shoes! 741 00:42:10,405 --> 00:42:12,085 Oh, my God, my shoes are too wet! 742 00:42:12,085 --> 00:42:13,405 Oh, my God! 743 00:42:13,405 --> 00:42:14,676 LAUGHTER 744 00:42:31,936 --> 00:42:34,646 We're now 35 miles upstream of Luxor, 745 00:42:34,646 --> 00:42:37,876 and the captain's just told us that we've got to slow down 746 00:42:37,876 --> 00:42:39,766 because we're approaching the Esna barrage. 747 00:42:43,676 --> 00:42:46,776 This is one of six dams along the Nile in Egypt, 748 00:42:46,776 --> 00:42:49,095 used to control the annual floods, 749 00:42:49,095 --> 00:42:51,926 and in some cases to generate electricity. 750 00:42:54,606 --> 00:42:57,646 The ancient Egyptians also built dams and locks, 751 00:42:57,646 --> 00:43:00,085 so that they could regulate the flow of the Nile, too. 752 00:43:00,085 --> 00:43:03,366 So it's a kind of 20th-century equivalent 753 00:43:03,366 --> 00:43:04,726 of a very ancient practice. 754 00:43:06,056 --> 00:43:08,596 And it makes our sailors very unhappy, 755 00:43:08,596 --> 00:43:11,965 because they say they get rather claustrophobic when they go inside. 756 00:43:11,965 --> 00:43:13,165 You OK? 757 00:43:16,796 --> 00:43:19,886 All the traffic on the Nile here has to go through one lock 758 00:43:19,886 --> 00:43:21,886 that's not much wider than our boat. 759 00:43:26,446 --> 00:43:28,806 But the dam is the gateway to the south. 760 00:43:32,155 --> 00:43:35,965 Behind me lie the familiar sights of ancient Egypt. 761 00:43:35,965 --> 00:43:40,806 And ahead lies the lesser-known, and even more intriguing south. 762 00:43:42,085 --> 00:43:44,726 But getting there is proving a tight squeeze. 763 00:43:48,236 --> 00:43:49,646 SHOUTING IN ARABIC 764 00:43:59,856 --> 00:44:03,886 It was slightly more tense than I thought it was going to be, 765 00:44:03,886 --> 00:44:06,095 because we got a lot closer to the sides, 766 00:44:06,095 --> 00:44:08,576 and there was a lot of kind of frenetic rope action, 767 00:44:08,576 --> 00:44:11,126 but the boys did amazingly, and we are through safely, 768 00:44:11,126 --> 00:44:14,165 and now we are continuing our journey south. 769 00:44:16,656 --> 00:44:18,316 Hello! Good luck! 770 00:44:18,316 --> 00:44:19,576 Next time... 771 00:44:21,165 --> 00:44:23,806 ...I sail into the beautiful city of Aswan. 772 00:44:23,806 --> 00:44:26,215 Now, that is how I like my views. 773 00:44:26,215 --> 00:44:29,856 L'lljoin the crowds and the rising sun for some ancient Egyptian magic. 774 00:44:31,606 --> 00:44:33,366 And as my Nile journey ends, 775 00:44:33,366 --> 00:44:37,016 I discover a 3,000-year-old message from a pharaoh. 776 00:44:37,016 --> 00:44:38,175 Amazing. 777 00:44:38,175 --> 00:44:40,526 And it's just all appearing right in front of our eyes. 778 00:45:02,486 --> 00:45:05,486 Subtitles by Red Bee Media