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[steve] Philae, egypt,

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A colossal stone temple

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Rises from a remote island

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In the waters of the nile.

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[suspenseful music playing]

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Philae
Is a spellbinding temple.

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Its beauty is majestic.

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[steve]
This extraordinary site

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Bears the names
Of the most famous leaders

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Of the ancient world.

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Why do cleopatra,
The caesars,

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And emperor trajan

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All leave their mark here?

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On a quest for answers,

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Archaeologists explore
The waters

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That surround
This mysterious site.

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[meredith] This is so cool.

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It's like a ghost town.

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[steve]
They launch high definition

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Drone cameras above it.

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And undertake a series
Of pioneering experiments.

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[adel speaking
Foreign language]

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...Moving very fast.

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[steve]
To unearth the secrets

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Of this secluded sanctuary,

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We blow apart
The ancient stone structures.

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We rebuild a great temple
At the height of its glory.

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Reveal clues
To its devastating downfall.

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And discover
Traces of salvation

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From a sunken fate.

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[suspenseful music playing]

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[steve] Philae,

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At the southern edge
Of egypt,

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A monumental temple complex
Rises up

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From the sparkling waters
Of the great nile river.

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Perched on a granite island

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Almost 500 miles
From the pyramids of giza,

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Pharaohs start work
On this ancient marvel

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In 380 bc.

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[meredith]
The pharaohs invested

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So much resource and efforts

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Into making the space huge,
And monumental,

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And beautiful.

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[steve] In its prime,

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Philae is a sight to behold.

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At the end
Of a magnificent colonnade,

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Two sixty-foot
Sandstone towers

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Display huge images
Of egyptian gods.

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Beyond them,

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Two more towers
Loom above the entrance

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To a sacred shrine.

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But among
The egyptian splendor,

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A smaller monument
Stands out.

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A colossal shrine dedicated

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To roman emperor, trajan.

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From the pharaohs
To the caesars,

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Philae is sacred ground.

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What draws
These powerful rulers

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To this remote island?

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Clues could lie
Among the vast number

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Of expertly carved images

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And countless inscriptions

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That cover the walls
Of the temple complex.

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[meredith]
Walking by, you can read it

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Almost like a book.

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[steve]
Meredith brand is an expert

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On the ancient structures
Of southern egypt.

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[suspenseful music playing]

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[meredith] This is
The first thing visitors

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To the temple would see.

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And the eye
Is immediately drawn

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To this vast image of a woman.

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This figure is not a queen

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And I can tell that
From her headdress.

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It's a beautiful image
Of a goddess.

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[steve] The figure wears
A crown of horns

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Wrapped around the sun.

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She holds a staff in one hand

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And the ankh,
Symbol of life and rebirth

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In the other.

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This dominating goddess
Could explain

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Why kings and queens
Built a temple here.

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The great towers of philae
Are dominated

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By the temple's
Primary deity.

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Carvings on the great towers

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Show pharaohs
Smiting the enemies of egypt

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And offering
Their severed heads

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To the goddess.

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Inside,
She appears in lavish scenes

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That cover every column.

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And in the innermost sanctum

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Encased inside
A decorative shrine,

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She is represented
As a gleaming statue.

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This is isis,
Goddess of rebirth and life.

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For centuries,
This holy temple

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Is a center for her cult.

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Why do egyptian royalty
Establish a monumental temple

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To honor isis here

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On a tiny, remote island?

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Meredith believes
Clues could lie

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On another island
Four miles north of philae.

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Among hundreds
Of inscribed rocks here,

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She finds
A hieroglyphic story

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Carved into a huge boulder.

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Up here, there's an incredible
Inscription.

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The text describes
The worry of the pharaoh

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After a seven-year drought
Where the nile didn't flood.

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It discusses how people
Were suffering

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To an extreme degree.

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Thousands of people
Were dying,

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Life was miserable.

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[steve]
For thousands of years,

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The ancient egyptians depend
On the nile floodwaters

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To nourish millions of acres
Of farmland.

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[meredith]
This god here is in charge

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Of the flooding of the nile.

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So the king needs to make
An offering

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To make sure
The flood comes every year.

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[steve] This reliance
On the waters of the nile

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Could be a clue

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To why kings build philae.

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[meredith] The king's job
In ancient egypt

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Was to satisfy both the gods
And his people

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So building a temple,

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Particularly one in the middle
Of the nile,

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Would ensure the gods
Were happy.

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[steve]
Building temples

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To honor the goddess
Of life and rebirth

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In the middle of the nile

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Is a wise move
For the kings of egypt.

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But why do ancient rulers

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Choose this remote location?

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The 4,000-mile long river
Runs through

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All the major ancient cities
In egypt.

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And there are many
Suitable islands

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Closer to home.

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To hunt for clues,
Meredith returns to philae.

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She examines a scene
Carved into the walls

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Of a ruined gateway

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At the edge
Of the temple of isis.

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[meredith] It seems to show
A stack of boulders

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And underneath, there's a god.

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He's associated
With fertility of the nile

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And he's crouching down
Pouring water from two jars.

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And this water
To the ancient egyptians

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Would have been
The source of the nile.

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And this source
Would have come from

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What appears to be a cave
Underneath these boulders.

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[steve] Meredith thinks
This scene could confirm

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Why the great temple of isis

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Is built at this spot
In the nile.

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She launches a drone

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To get a bird's eye
Perspective

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Of the geology
That surrounds philae.

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[drone whirring]

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[meredith] Beautiful.

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And it's amazing because
All these boulders are huge.

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It's almost like
The image of the god

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Inside the cave.

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[steve]
Massive granite boulders

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Line the river banks
Surrounding the island.

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They match the scene
Carved into the walls

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Of the temple gateway.

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[meredith]
The ancient egyptians thought

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These rocks were sacred.

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This was connected
With the start of the nile.

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It would make sense
That the ancient egyptians

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Would want to build
A sacred temple to isis here

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In a place of strength
And durability,

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And life-giving power
Of the river.

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[steve] Philae sits
In a sacred landscape,

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A place the egyptians believe
Is a source of the nile.

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The nile flows mostly
Through sandy desert.

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But in southern egypt,

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It runs into seams
Of hard granite.

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This creates shallow areas
Called cataracts,

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Where the calm flow
Of the river

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Turns into violent rapids.

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Philae sits near
The very first cataract.

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The egyptians believe
This is where the gods

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Bring forth the nile
From caverns in the rocks.

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Inspired
By this divine landscape,

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Over 20 kings build
Religious monuments

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On the island,

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Making philae
A powerful cult center.

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Ancient rulers build
The temple of isis

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To honor the sacred forces

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That control
This great river.

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It's a spectacular
Religious offering

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Designed to ensure the annual
Flooding of the nile

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And the success
Of the harvest.

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But what does it take
To construct

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A monumental temple
On a tiny island

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In the middle
Of a vast river?

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Clues could reveal
How the sheer scale

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Of the engineering task

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Tests even the most
Powerful kings.

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[steve] Philae,

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An island on egypt's
River nile,

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Worship of isis here
Is believed

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To bring bountiful harvests,

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A sacred dogma that inspires

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Egyptian pharaohs
And roman emperors

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To build
Colossal monuments here.

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[suspenseful music playing]

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[steve]
What does it take to build

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The massive stone structures
On this remote island?

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[adel]
This is really very unique

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To build these huge buildings
In a small island.

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[steve]
The great monuments of philae

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Take centuries to construct.

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Around 380 bc,

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Pharaoh nectanebo
Installs a huge stone arch

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Dedicated to isis.

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Hundreds of years later,

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Pharaohs construct
Colossal 60-foot towers

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With stones
Weighing almost three tons

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Before adding
The sacred buildings

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Of the inner courtyard

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And the temple of isis.

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By the turn
Of the millennium,

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Roman emperors decorate
Grand colonnades,

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48 ornately carved columns

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Hewn from sandstone blocks.

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How did the ancient engineers
Erect these giant structures

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On a tiny island
In the middle of the nile?

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Adel kelany is an expert

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In ancient egyptian
Construction techniques.

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He investigates
How the ancient builders

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Transport the massive stones
To the island

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From a quarry
Over 20 miles away.

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The nile stretches
Most of the journey,

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Ideal for sailing the stones
To the island.

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But the sandstone quarry
Is several miles inland

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From the river's edge.

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So, the workers
Must find a way

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To haul the stones
Across the desert.

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Adel thinks clues
To how they do it

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Can be found
In tomb paintings

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Discovered in northern egypt.

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[adel] This image show
Many numbers of people

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Walking all together
At same time.

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They're using ropes and sledge

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To pull the statue.

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[steve] Adel investigates
What it takes

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00:12:12,933 --> 00:12:16,100
To drag a huge stone block
Across the desert

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Using just ropes
And a sledge.

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His team sets out
A 30-foot course

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And ties ropes around
A two and a half ton stone

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Installed on top
Of a replica wooden sledge.

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[speaking foreign language]

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[men speaking
Foreign language]

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[steve] With each pull,
The sledge moves just inches.

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[adel] The sledge with
The block sank in the sand.

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[men speaking
Foreign language]

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[adel]
After over five minutes,

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It seems to be
Only moving six feet.

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[steve]
Hauling blocks this size

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Across miles of sand
Would take months.

260
00:13:07,167 --> 00:13:09,933
Adel thinks
The ancient engineers

261
00:13:09,967 --> 00:13:11,500
Have a secret weapon
They used

262
00:13:11,533 --> 00:13:13,867
To speed up the process...

263
00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:16,167
Wooden rollers.

264
00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:17,967
To test the theory,

265
00:13:18,067 --> 00:13:19,700
His team lays out a track

266
00:13:19,733 --> 00:13:22,333
Of wooden beams and rollers
Over the sand.

267
00:13:22,367 --> 00:13:24,333
They move the sledge up
Into position

268
00:13:24,367 --> 00:13:26,600
And gather the rope
For a second run.

269
00:13:26,633 --> 00:13:30,133
[speaking foreign language]

270
00:13:30,167 --> 00:13:36,067
[men speaking
Foreign language]

271
00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:37,633
[steve] Within seconds,

272
00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:39,267
The sledge launches
Onto the track

273
00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:41,567
And slides
Across the rollers.

274
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,067
[speaking foreign language]

275
00:13:43,067 --> 00:13:44,767
[men speaking
Foreign language]

276
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,200
[adel] It's going very well.
We're moving very fast.

277
00:13:48,233 --> 00:13:49,867
[steve]
As the block rolls forward,

278
00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:52,067
They return each roller
To the front

279
00:13:52,067 --> 00:13:54,067
To maintain their momentum.

280
00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:57,633
[adel] We're just running
A little bit

281
00:13:57,667 --> 00:13:59,167
After two minutes.

282
00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:00,867
[steve] With a few more pulls,

283
00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:03,667
The block glides
Across the finish line.

284
00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:05,067
[adel] Stop.

285
00:14:05,067 --> 00:14:06,900
We come into the finish point,

286
00:14:06,933 --> 00:14:12,067
So it's two minutes
And forty-four seconds.

287
00:14:12,067 --> 00:14:14,067
It's amazing.

288
00:14:15,133 --> 00:14:16,400
[steve] Using the rollers,

289
00:14:16,433 --> 00:14:18,500
The team slashes their time,

290
00:14:18,533 --> 00:14:20,300
Moving the two
And a half ton block

291
00:14:20,333 --> 00:14:24,533
Across thirty-feet of sand
In under three minutes.

292
00:14:24,567 --> 00:14:28,333
But the temple builders face
Another challenge.

293
00:14:28,367 --> 00:14:30,933
How can they pile up
The massive stones

294
00:14:30,967 --> 00:14:34,967
To build the huge
60-foot towers?

295
00:14:35,067 --> 00:14:38,200
No traces of crane technology
Have ever been found

296
00:14:38,233 --> 00:14:40,800
At egyptian temples
Like philae.

297
00:14:42,233 --> 00:14:44,133
Adel believes
The ancient engineers

298
00:14:44,167 --> 00:14:47,433
Built mud-brick ramps
With tight corners.

299
00:14:47,467 --> 00:14:49,233
To test this concept,

300
00:14:49,267 --> 00:14:52,533
His team has built
This replica mud-brick ramp.

301
00:14:52,567 --> 00:14:56,567
It has a 180-degree turn
Built in.

302
00:14:58,067 --> 00:15:00,300
[adel speaking
Foreign language]

303
00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:03,067
[steve] The team uses ropes
To haul the block up

304
00:15:03,067 --> 00:15:04,867
The first part of the ramp.

305
00:15:08,067 --> 00:15:10,400
Uh, it's a bit difficult
But still working.

306
00:15:10,433 --> 00:15:12,867
[men speaking
Foreign language]

307
00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:14,367
[steve] When they reach
The corner,

308
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:15,867
The team works hard

309
00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:19,267
To swivel the sledge
180 degrees.

310
00:15:22,533 --> 00:15:24,067
They have to change
The position

311
00:15:24,067 --> 00:15:25,900
Of the, uh, of the blocks.

312
00:15:25,933 --> 00:15:27,867
To do this,
You need to use a lever.

313
00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:31,900
[men speaking
Foreign language]

314
00:15:35,967 --> 00:15:38,433
[steve] Finally,
The team relays the track

315
00:15:38,467 --> 00:15:41,200
To take the stone up
The final incline.

316
00:15:41,233 --> 00:15:43,100
Okay, okay, okay, that's it.

317
00:15:43,133 --> 00:15:46,200
Okay. Oh, perfect,
That's perfect now, done.

318
00:15:46,233 --> 00:15:49,933
[cheering]

319
00:15:49,967 --> 00:15:52,400
[steve]
The zigzag ramp is a success

320
00:15:52,433 --> 00:15:54,500
In this confined space.

321
00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,667
But hoisting the stone
Is just one step

322
00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:00,867
In the gargantuan task
Of building

323
00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:03,400
The great temple of isis
At philae.

324
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400
At the quarry
Upriver from philae,

325
00:16:11,433 --> 00:16:13,767
Hundreds of workers
Use copper chisels

326
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,167
To hack out sandstone blocks
Into rough shapes.

327
00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:20,867
They load the stones

328
00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:24,200
Onto special
Double-hulled boats

329
00:16:24,233 --> 00:16:26,900
And transport them
Down the nile.

330
00:16:29,567 --> 00:16:32,367
On the island,
The workers haul the stones

331
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,967
Up the zigzag ramps,

332
00:16:35,067 --> 00:16:36,933
Building them up
Higher and higher

333
00:16:36,967 --> 00:16:39,733
To reach the top
Of the 60-foot towers.

334
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,067
Finally, after decades
Of construction,

335
00:16:44,067 --> 00:16:46,833
Skilled craftsmen
Begin the painstaking task

336
00:16:46,867 --> 00:16:49,567
Of inscribing
Almost every surface.

337
00:16:53,067 --> 00:16:55,167
The great temple of isis
At philae

338
00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,867
Is a colossal feat
Of engineering.

339
00:16:57,900 --> 00:17:00,133
But the sheer scale
Of the resources

340
00:17:00,167 --> 00:17:02,233
Needed to build here

341
00:17:02,267 --> 00:17:04,533
Could be a clue
That philae is once home

342
00:17:04,567 --> 00:17:07,533
To more than
A religious cult.

343
00:17:07,567 --> 00:17:10,867
Kings have
Some very special reason

344
00:17:10,900 --> 00:17:14,500
To go far to build
Such a huge building like this

345
00:17:14,533 --> 00:17:16,533
At this location.

346
00:17:16,567 --> 00:17:19,833
[steve] The dynastic rulers,
Who construct monuments here,

347
00:17:19,867 --> 00:17:21,867
May have a hidden motive.

348
00:17:23,233 --> 00:17:25,267
Could mysterious evidence
Unearthed

349
00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:26,967
Around the great temple

350
00:17:27,067 --> 00:17:29,933
Reveal what really
Lures kings to philae?

351
00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,467
[steve] For 2,400 years,

352
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:46,067
The temple of philae towers
Over the nile

353
00:17:46,067 --> 00:17:48,100
In southern egypt.

354
00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:50,333
Constructed over centuries

355
00:17:50,367 --> 00:17:52,333
And packed
Onto a tiny island,

356
00:17:52,367 --> 00:17:55,367
It's a marvel
Of ancient engineering.

357
00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,633
Lavish decoration
Reveals the great temple

358
00:17:58,667 --> 00:18:00,800
As the center of the cult
Of isis,

359
00:18:00,833 --> 00:18:03,367
Goddess of rebirth.

360
00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,633
But mysterious structures
Discovered near the temple

361
00:18:06,667 --> 00:18:10,067
Could reveal a hidden side
To life on philae.

362
00:18:15,167 --> 00:18:16,833
In its prime,

363
00:18:16,867 --> 00:18:20,433
Philae is not only home
To sacred monuments.

364
00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:22,667
Next to the holy complex,

365
00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:26,467
Archaeologists discover
Domestic structures.

366
00:18:26,500 --> 00:18:29,800
They stretch all the way
To the shoreline,

367
00:18:29,833 --> 00:18:31,333
Covering the island

368
00:18:31,367 --> 00:18:34,500
And surrounding
The temple complex.

369
00:18:34,533 --> 00:18:37,833
They are encircled
By a half mile long wall

370
00:18:37,867 --> 00:18:40,800
That protects the island
And its inhabitants.

371
00:18:42,433 --> 00:18:44,967
Philae is more than
Just a temple,

372
00:18:45,067 --> 00:18:47,767
It's a bustling settlement.

373
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,700
Who are these people?

374
00:18:49,733 --> 00:18:52,900
What secrets can they reveal
About the real reason

375
00:18:52,933 --> 00:18:55,967
Kings build vast monuments
At philae?

376
00:19:00,167 --> 00:19:02,433
Today, the houses have gone

377
00:19:02,467 --> 00:19:04,433
But traces
Of their inhabitants

378
00:19:04,467 --> 00:19:07,267
Survive on the walls
Of the temple.

379
00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:10,467
Meredith brand explores
A dark chamber wall

380
00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,800
Inside the great temple
Of isis.

381
00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,467
[meredith]
This is interesting.

382
00:19:19,467 --> 00:19:23,067
This wall is covered
In graffiti,

383
00:19:23,067 --> 00:19:25,433
Written mostly in demotic,

384
00:19:25,467 --> 00:19:28,733
The popular language
Of the people at the time.

385
00:19:28,767 --> 00:19:30,533
[steve]
Many of the inscriptions

386
00:19:30,567 --> 00:19:32,267
Speak of isis,

387
00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:35,100
A clue that the authors
Could be living here,

388
00:19:35,133 --> 00:19:38,133
Dedicating their lives
To her cult.

389
00:19:38,167 --> 00:19:39,733
The graffiti suggests

390
00:19:39,767 --> 00:19:41,633
That there were priests
Living here.

391
00:19:41,667 --> 00:19:44,967
There was a lot of activity
In this temple.

392
00:19:45,067 --> 00:19:46,967
[steve] Thousands more
Messages like these

393
00:19:47,067 --> 00:19:49,767
Are carved
All over the temple.

394
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,200
Some inscribed by people
From places

395
00:19:52,233 --> 00:19:54,433
As far as the island
Of crete,

396
00:19:54,467 --> 00:19:58,100
Almost 1,000 miles,
North of philae.

397
00:19:58,133 --> 00:20:00,800
Meredith believes
This evidence of visitors

398
00:20:00,833 --> 00:20:03,333
From far-flung shores
Could be a clue

399
00:20:03,367 --> 00:20:07,467
That philae is more
Than just a sacred site.

400
00:20:07,500 --> 00:20:09,567
[meredith] The graffiti
Tells us that some visitors

401
00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,500
Traveled from thousands
Of miles away.

402
00:20:12,533 --> 00:20:15,300
This was a high traffic area.

403
00:20:15,333 --> 00:20:16,800
It might be
That people were here

404
00:20:16,833 --> 00:20:18,633
For more than just the cult.

405
00:20:21,033 --> 00:20:22,933
[steve] Meredith thinks
This lost part

406
00:20:22,967 --> 00:20:25,033
Of the island's history
Could reveal

407
00:20:25,067 --> 00:20:27,200
Why great leaders
Of the ancient world

408
00:20:27,233 --> 00:20:29,567
Build massive
Structures here.

409
00:20:31,067 --> 00:20:32,600
To investigate,

410
00:20:32,633 --> 00:20:34,300
She hunts for clues
In the region

411
00:20:34,333 --> 00:20:36,567
Surrounding the island.

412
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,300
On the banks of the nile,
One mile from philae,

413
00:20:39,333 --> 00:20:42,500
She finds the remains
Of a huge structure.

414
00:20:42,533 --> 00:20:44,733
[meredith]
This is an ancient wall,

415
00:20:44,767 --> 00:20:46,700
It's clearly very old.

416
00:20:46,733 --> 00:20:48,533
Based on the thickness,

417
00:20:48,567 --> 00:20:50,633
It would have been
A very, very, very tall wall.

418
00:20:50,667 --> 00:20:52,900
And looking
At these mud bricks,

419
00:20:52,933 --> 00:20:54,867
They are so ancient.

420
00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:58,567
They look to be much older
Than even philae itself.

421
00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:00,567
And this is a great clue
Over here,

422
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,167
The wall comes out.

423
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,967
This shows
That it would have been

424
00:21:05,067 --> 00:21:06,867
Fortified and made stronger.

425
00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:08,833
This is almost like
A buttress.

426
00:21:08,867 --> 00:21:11,533
Perhaps this wall had
A defensive function.

427
00:21:14,467 --> 00:21:16,333
[steve] Originally,
This massive wall

428
00:21:16,367 --> 00:21:18,900
Runs five miles north
From philae

429
00:21:18,933 --> 00:21:21,100
To the ancient town
Of aswan.

430
00:21:25,300 --> 00:21:26,933
When the temple is built,

431
00:21:26,967 --> 00:21:29,533
Aswan is a key river port
For merchants

432
00:21:29,567 --> 00:21:32,333
Sailing down the nile
From land south of egypt.

433
00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:36,067
Meredith believes
The wall could be built

434
00:21:36,067 --> 00:21:38,233
To protect
A bustling trade route

435
00:21:38,267 --> 00:21:40,167
That travels over land here,

436
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,667
Bypassing the rocky rapids
At philae.

437
00:21:45,067 --> 00:21:47,600
The nile is just in front
Of the wall.

438
00:21:47,633 --> 00:21:50,900
And that makes the place
Between the wall and the nile

439
00:21:50,933 --> 00:21:54,133
Where I'm standing
An ancient road or passage

440
00:21:54,167 --> 00:21:56,367
Where traders travel

441
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,267
Along the first cataract
Of the nile

442
00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:00,067
With their goods
In a caravan.

443
00:22:00,067 --> 00:22:02,433
This wall protected the road

444
00:22:02,467 --> 00:22:04,733
And protected the caravan
And the travelers

445
00:22:04,767 --> 00:22:08,533
So that robbers couldn't come
And steal the trade goods.

446
00:22:10,733 --> 00:22:14,867
[steve] The rapids at philae
Form an impassable obstacle.

447
00:22:14,900 --> 00:22:17,133
Merchants must unload
Their cargo

448
00:22:17,167 --> 00:22:19,700
And carry it to aswan on land

449
00:22:19,733 --> 00:22:23,467
Where they can put it back
In the water.

450
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:25,900
But the road is treacherous.

451
00:22:25,933 --> 00:22:28,533
Caravans are vulnerable
To tribes of bandits

452
00:22:28,567 --> 00:22:31,300
Stealing
Their precious cargo.

453
00:22:34,567 --> 00:22:38,200
So the ancient egyptians
Built a wall 30-feet high

454
00:22:38,233 --> 00:22:39,933
To keep raiders at bay

455
00:22:39,967 --> 00:22:41,967
And protect
The crucial route.

456
00:22:44,367 --> 00:22:47,900
Under the wall's protection,
Trade booms.

457
00:22:47,933 --> 00:22:49,833
Philae grows to become part

458
00:22:49,867 --> 00:22:52,300
Of a strategic hub
Of commerce.

459
00:22:56,667 --> 00:23:00,100
Passing traders are enticed
By the temple of isis

460
00:23:00,133 --> 00:23:03,767
And carve their names
Into its walls.

461
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,067
But it could be
The traders cargo

462
00:23:06,067 --> 00:23:07,667
That makes philae
So attractive

463
00:23:07,700 --> 00:23:10,333
To egyptian royalty.

464
00:23:10,367 --> 00:23:13,233
To investigate,
Meredith explores the tomb

465
00:23:13,267 --> 00:23:15,367
Of a nobleman
Who controls trade

466
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,067
In this region
For the pharaoh.

467
00:23:18,067 --> 00:23:20,467
His life story
Is carved into the rock

468
00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:23,067
That surrounds the entrance.

469
00:23:23,067 --> 00:23:25,733
He's particularly proud
Of his journey south of egypt

470
00:23:25,767 --> 00:23:28,233
To open up trade in exotic
Products for the pharaoh

471
00:23:28,267 --> 00:23:31,100
Like animal skins
Or ivory from elephant tusks.

472
00:23:31,133 --> 00:23:33,333
What he begins,
Turns into a huge

473
00:23:33,367 --> 00:23:34,967
Flourishing trade of gold

474
00:23:35,067 --> 00:23:37,833
Coming from south of egypt
Into the country.

475
00:23:39,167 --> 00:23:41,100
[steve]
Gold, coming into egypt,

476
00:23:41,133 --> 00:23:43,900
Is used to decorate
The king's palaces

477
00:23:43,933 --> 00:23:47,467
And adorn his body
With gleaming jewels.

478
00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:50,067
Philae marks the spot
Where this coveted metal

479
00:23:50,100 --> 00:23:53,467
Enters egypt
Along the river nile.

480
00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:56,100
The great pharaoh,
Ptolemy ii,

481
00:23:56,133 --> 00:23:57,900
Builds his vast temple here

482
00:23:57,933 --> 00:23:59,300
As a statement of dominance

483
00:23:59,333 --> 00:24:01,900
Over his source of treasure.

484
00:24:01,933 --> 00:24:03,700
[meredith]
By erecting a huge billboard

485
00:24:03,733 --> 00:24:05,333
Almost in the form
Of a temple

486
00:24:05,367 --> 00:24:07,567
That has his image
Plastered everywhere

487
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,167
Smiting his enemies,

488
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,133
The pharaohs made
A direct statement

489
00:24:11,167 --> 00:24:12,967
To everyone in the area
That this land

490
00:24:13,067 --> 00:24:16,967
And this trade belonged
To the king and to egypt.

491
00:24:17,067 --> 00:24:19,800
[steve] The imposing temple
At philae helps control

492
00:24:19,833 --> 00:24:23,267
The flow of gold
Into the hands of the king.

493
00:24:23,300 --> 00:24:25,567
But after centuries

494
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,400
Standing as a statement
Of egyptian power,

495
00:24:28,433 --> 00:24:31,167
There are signs of a hostile
Takeover at philae.

496
00:24:33,267 --> 00:24:34,933
Who comes here to destroy

497
00:24:34,967 --> 00:24:37,367
The temple's
Sacred architecture?

498
00:24:45,467 --> 00:24:47,700
[steve] The great
Temple complex at philae

499
00:24:47,733 --> 00:24:50,267
Is a monument built
By powerful pharaohs

500
00:24:50,300 --> 00:24:53,433
To worship the gods
Who control the nile

501
00:24:53,467 --> 00:24:56,433
And to protect
The vital gold trade.

502
00:24:58,533 --> 00:25:01,067
But hidden among
The lavish temple decorations

503
00:25:01,067 --> 00:25:03,467
Are signs of royal turmoil.

504
00:25:04,867 --> 00:25:06,667
On philae's great towers,

505
00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:09,133
Meredith brand
Examines a huge carving

506
00:25:09,167 --> 00:25:12,733
Of the temple's
Primary goddess, isis.

507
00:25:12,767 --> 00:25:14,933
The pharaoh
And the goddess isis

508
00:25:14,967 --> 00:25:17,100
Have been
Violently hacked out.

509
00:25:17,133 --> 00:25:20,500
Somebody really wanted
To destroy

510
00:25:20,533 --> 00:25:23,467
The image of isis
And the pharaohs.

511
00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:26,200
[steve] Egyptian hieroglyphics
And iconography

512
00:25:26,233 --> 00:25:29,067
Are defaced right across
The structures here.

513
00:25:29,067 --> 00:25:31,767
The cult of isis
Seems to be under attack.

514
00:25:34,467 --> 00:25:36,233
They are clues to a period

515
00:25:36,267 --> 00:25:39,600
Of drastic transformation
At philae.

516
00:25:41,367 --> 00:25:43,500
In the sixth century ad,

517
00:25:43,533 --> 00:25:45,900
The temple of isis
Begins to change.

518
00:25:48,067 --> 00:25:51,067
Builders whitewash
Parts of the temple,

519
00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:54,533
Painting over
The egyptian goddess.

520
00:25:54,567 --> 00:25:58,533
They construct new walls
Inside the main hall

521
00:25:58,567 --> 00:26:01,933
To create aisles
And prayer rooms.

522
00:26:01,967 --> 00:26:03,833
In the east wing
Of the temple,

523
00:26:03,867 --> 00:26:05,400
They install an altar.

524
00:26:06,867 --> 00:26:08,667
Above it, they carve a niche

525
00:26:08,700 --> 00:26:11,067
To hold their most
Sacred objects.

526
00:26:13,067 --> 00:26:15,333
These are the hallmarks
Of a new people

527
00:26:15,367 --> 00:26:17,433
Taking over the temple.

528
00:26:17,467 --> 00:26:19,133
Who are they?

529
00:26:19,167 --> 00:26:22,500
And why do they erase
All traces of isis?

530
00:26:27,867 --> 00:26:29,900
Meredith thinks
The new regime

531
00:26:29,933 --> 00:26:31,967
Can be identified
By inscriptions

532
00:26:32,067 --> 00:26:34,600
Added to the temple
When they take power.

533
00:26:35,833 --> 00:26:37,200
To hunt for markings,

534
00:26:37,233 --> 00:26:39,100
She enters the main temple

535
00:26:39,133 --> 00:26:42,967
And examines the columns
Of the hypostyle hall.

536
00:26:43,067 --> 00:26:44,667
[meredith]
Oh, this is stunning.

537
00:26:44,700 --> 00:26:48,233
This is the inside
Of the temple of isis.

538
00:26:48,267 --> 00:26:51,067
[steve]
This room is at the heart

539
00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:54,100
Of the temple's
Dramatic transformation.

540
00:26:54,133 --> 00:26:55,900
[meredith]
Oh, this is interesting.

541
00:26:55,933 --> 00:26:58,900
This image was clearly carved

542
00:26:58,933 --> 00:27:01,167
Deep into this column.

543
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,900
This cross here shows
That christians were present

544
00:27:04,933 --> 00:27:06,400
In the isis temple.

545
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,933
[steve] Multiple crosses
Are carved deep

546
00:27:09,967 --> 00:27:11,433
Over the egyptian
Hieroglyphics

547
00:27:11,467 --> 00:27:13,267
In the great hall.

548
00:27:13,300 --> 00:27:16,267
It's conclusive proof
That philae now functions

549
00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:18,300
As a christian church.

550
00:27:21,333 --> 00:27:23,467
But meredith believes
This seemingly

551
00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:26,900
Hostile takeover
Doesn't happen overnight.

552
00:27:26,933 --> 00:27:29,533
Isis and the gods of egypt
Are embedded

553
00:27:29,567 --> 00:27:31,233
Into the lives of the people

554
00:27:31,267 --> 00:27:34,167
And aren't easily forgotten.

555
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,767
When egypt falls
To the roman empire in 30 bc,

556
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,567
Isis is still worshipped
At philae

557
00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,367
Alongside christian figures.

558
00:27:46,567 --> 00:27:48,333
Christianity started
On the fringes

559
00:27:48,367 --> 00:27:50,467
Of the roman empire
And egypt was one

560
00:27:50,500 --> 00:27:52,567
Of the earliest centers
Of christianity.

561
00:27:54,267 --> 00:27:56,167
[steve] As christianity rises,

562
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,067
Philae stands as a bastion

563
00:27:58,067 --> 00:28:01,167
Of egyptian religion
And culture.

564
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,667
One of the most iconic
Traditions of ancient egypt

565
00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:06,933
Has its last moment
Captured here

566
00:28:06,967 --> 00:28:08,800
In a carving at philae.

567
00:28:11,733 --> 00:28:13,167
[meredith] This is the last

568
00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,967
Hieroglyphic inscription
Ever made.

569
00:28:16,067 --> 00:28:19,967
The inscription indicates
That the priest of isis

570
00:28:20,067 --> 00:28:22,300
Was making an offering
To the god

571
00:28:22,333 --> 00:28:23,967
And these priests
And the pilgrims

572
00:28:24,067 --> 00:28:26,067
That would come here
Were responsible

573
00:28:26,067 --> 00:28:28,567
For keeping the traditions
Of egypt alive

574
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:30,467
Well into the christian era.

575
00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:32,633
But it's the last gasp

576
00:28:32,667 --> 00:28:36,067
Of the ancient egyptian
Religion and language.

577
00:28:36,067 --> 00:28:37,533
[steve]
Ancient egyptian religion

578
00:28:37,567 --> 00:28:39,500
Dies out at philae.

579
00:28:43,233 --> 00:28:45,300
In 31 bc,

580
00:28:45,333 --> 00:28:47,533
The great roman general
Octavian

581
00:28:47,567 --> 00:28:49,533
Sails over 1,000 miles

582
00:28:49,567 --> 00:28:53,233
Across the mediterranean sea
To invade.

583
00:28:53,267 --> 00:28:55,633
He defeats
The last ruler of egypt,

584
00:28:55,667 --> 00:29:00,100
The legendary queen cleopatra
In a decisive naval battle,

585
00:29:00,133 --> 00:29:03,133
And brings egypt
Into the roman empire.

586
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,300
In 380 ad,

587
00:29:07,333 --> 00:29:09,133
Rome declares christianity

588
00:29:09,167 --> 00:29:11,133
The official religion
Of the empire

589
00:29:11,167 --> 00:29:12,733
And its provinces.

590
00:29:15,567 --> 00:29:19,333
Over the next 200 years,
Bishops arrive at philae

591
00:29:19,367 --> 00:29:23,067
And transform the temple
Into a christian church.

592
00:29:28,067 --> 00:29:30,867
Over time,
As more priests arrive

593
00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:32,867
And congregations grow,

594
00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:35,167
Five of the isis shrines
At philae

595
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,133
Are converted into churches.

596
00:29:38,167 --> 00:29:40,133
In the hands of a new regime,

597
00:29:40,167 --> 00:29:43,333
Old gods and kings
Are erased.

598
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,567
But philae's story
Doesn't end there.

599
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,700
Strange marks on the walls
Of the temple could reveal

600
00:29:51,733 --> 00:29:55,300
How 2,400 years
After it is first built,

601
00:29:55,333 --> 00:29:58,333
Philae faces
Its greatest ever threat.

602
00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:10,200
[steve] Across 2,400 years,

603
00:30:10,233 --> 00:30:11,767
The philae temple complex

604
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,000
Has a remarkable history.

605
00:30:15,033 --> 00:30:17,867
It serves as the center
Of an ancient cult,

606
00:30:17,900 --> 00:30:20,600
A trading gateway,
And a roman church.

607
00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:26,200
But in 1899,

608
00:30:26,233 --> 00:30:28,300
The river that inspires
The construction

609
00:30:28,333 --> 00:30:31,033
Of the great temple
Changes forever.

610
00:30:32,467 --> 00:30:34,300
Engineers begin construction

611
00:30:34,333 --> 00:30:37,467
Of a huge
6,400 foot wide dam

612
00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:39,567
Across the nile at aswan

613
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,300
Just over a mile downriver
From philae.

614
00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,300
Fifty-eight years later,
Another even bigger

615
00:30:48,333 --> 00:30:51,200
Two-mile wide dam is built.

616
00:30:51,233 --> 00:30:53,133
This time, upstream.

617
00:30:55,233 --> 00:30:57,967
Engineers hope the dams
Will control

618
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,067
The flooding of the nile.

619
00:31:03,733 --> 00:31:05,733
But blocking the flow
Of the great river

620
00:31:05,767 --> 00:31:07,767
Causes the water
Between the dams

621
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,500
To rise dramatically.

622
00:31:11,367 --> 00:31:15,533
Are the 2,400 year-old
Monuments at risk?

623
00:31:15,567 --> 00:31:18,967
Meredith examines the walls
In the central courtyard.

624
00:31:20,733 --> 00:31:23,367
[meredith]
There's this brown dark line

625
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,067
That runs through
The entirety of philae temple

626
00:31:26,067 --> 00:31:27,800
At roughly the same level,

627
00:31:27,833 --> 00:31:29,800
Perhaps some kind
Of watermark.

628
00:31:29,833 --> 00:31:33,467
The fact that this dark brown
Stain was able to form

629
00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:37,100
Shows me that this water
Was here regularly

630
00:31:37,133 --> 00:31:39,800
And for a long time.

631
00:31:39,833 --> 00:31:42,067
[steve]
The watermarks are evidence

632
00:31:42,067 --> 00:31:44,933
Of the perilous fate
That faces philae.

633
00:31:44,967 --> 00:31:48,533
[suspenseful music playing]

634
00:31:48,567 --> 00:31:50,967
[meredith] It seems to be
That when the nile flooded

635
00:31:51,067 --> 00:31:52,967
After the dam was built,

636
00:31:53,067 --> 00:31:55,667
The silt covered a level

637
00:31:55,700 --> 00:31:58,067
That preserved
The original sandstone color

638
00:31:58,067 --> 00:32:00,567
And blocked the water off
From altering the stone.

639
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,533
But above this line the area
Was damaged with water.

640
00:32:04,567 --> 00:32:08,067
It shows that the entire space
Was submerged,

641
00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:09,667
That this was a sunken temple

642
00:32:09,700 --> 00:32:11,367
During the height of the nile.

643
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,633
That this entire structure
Was covered in water

644
00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:18,733
And you could even take a boat
And sail into the temple.

645
00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:22,467
[steve]
Water stains cover the temple

646
00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:24,567
Inside and out.

647
00:32:26,167 --> 00:32:28,567
They are shocking evidence
That for decades,

648
00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,200
The ancient temple of philae
Is submerged.

649
00:32:35,633 --> 00:32:37,300
In 1902,

650
00:32:37,333 --> 00:32:39,067
Engineers complete
Construction

651
00:32:39,067 --> 00:32:41,833
Of the first dam
Across the nile.

652
00:32:41,867 --> 00:32:44,300
This brings the cycle
Of drought and flood

653
00:32:44,333 --> 00:32:47,300
Under control.

654
00:32:47,333 --> 00:32:50,700
But as the water accumulates
Behind the dam,

655
00:32:50,733 --> 00:32:54,400
The island of philae floods
For nine months of the year.

656
00:32:57,900 --> 00:32:59,533
Sixty-eight years later,

657
00:32:59,567 --> 00:33:02,667
Engineers construct
The aswan dam,

658
00:33:02,700 --> 00:33:05,800
One of the largest
Of its kind in the world,

659
00:33:05,833 --> 00:33:08,667
Over 300 feet high.

660
00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:12,267
Now, the water submerges
The temple year-round,

661
00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:13,733
Leaving a permanent stain

662
00:33:13,767 --> 00:33:16,067
Across the ancient
Structures.

663
00:33:18,500 --> 00:33:21,700
In 1974,
After more than two millennia

664
00:33:21,733 --> 00:33:24,500
Standing proud
Above the nile,

665
00:33:24,533 --> 00:33:27,800
The philae monuments
Sit underwater,

666
00:33:27,833 --> 00:33:31,433
Doomed to be
Slowly eroded away.

667
00:33:31,467 --> 00:33:34,900
But today,
The temple stands intact

668
00:33:34,933 --> 00:33:38,267
High up above the nile.

669
00:33:38,300 --> 00:33:40,300
How is philae saved?

670
00:33:42,167 --> 00:33:44,600
Meredith investigates
A spot in the river

671
00:33:44,633 --> 00:33:46,300
Half a mile from philae.

672
00:33:49,067 --> 00:33:50,600
As she approaches,

673
00:33:50,633 --> 00:33:52,433
Patches of plants emerge

674
00:33:52,467 --> 00:33:54,467
From the middle of the water.

675
00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:59,733
Vegetation like this doesn't
Just sprout out of the nile.

676
00:33:59,767 --> 00:34:01,900
It has to come from something,
That it must be

677
00:34:01,933 --> 00:34:05,167
Some kind of silt
And something underneath.

678
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,367
And this must be remains
Of the old island of philae,

679
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:09,867
The original spot
Of the temple.

680
00:34:11,533 --> 00:34:13,500
This is so cool.

681
00:34:15,267 --> 00:34:17,700
[steve] A mound of sand
Silt and greenery

682
00:34:17,733 --> 00:34:20,067
Has built up
On top of the remains

683
00:34:20,067 --> 00:34:22,267
Of the original island
Of philae.

684
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,767
This submerged island
Marks the spot

685
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:28,367
Where the great temple
Of philae stood

686
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,700
For 2,400 years.

687
00:34:32,700 --> 00:34:34,200
After the dams are built,

688
00:34:34,233 --> 00:34:36,400
The original island
Is submerged.

689
00:34:40,133 --> 00:34:42,167
The temple complex
We see today

690
00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:44,267
Has been moved piece by piece

691
00:34:44,300 --> 00:34:46,233
And reassembled
On a higher island

692
00:34:46,267 --> 00:34:48,167
Known as agilkia

693
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,067
Half a mile downriver.

694
00:34:52,267 --> 00:34:54,467
Moving a temple on this scale

695
00:34:54,500 --> 00:34:56,400
Is an epic challenge.

696
00:34:57,967 --> 00:35:00,800
I'm surrounded by the remains

697
00:35:00,833 --> 00:35:02,567
Of these metal sheets.

698
00:35:03,933 --> 00:35:05,433
This looks to be the remains

699
00:35:05,467 --> 00:35:07,600
Of the incredible
Rescue mission

700
00:35:07,633 --> 00:35:10,100
That retrieved and dismantled
Every block

701
00:35:10,133 --> 00:35:12,333
From underneath
Where I'm floating

702
00:35:12,367 --> 00:35:14,433
And reassembled them
Over there

703
00:35:14,467 --> 00:35:17,133
At the new philae temple.

704
00:35:20,833 --> 00:35:22,400
[steve] To move the temple,

705
00:35:22,433 --> 00:35:24,433
Engineers disassemble
Each structure

706
00:35:24,467 --> 00:35:27,833
Into tens of thousands
Of uniform blocks.

707
00:35:27,867 --> 00:35:29,900
They carefully number
Each one

708
00:35:29,933 --> 00:35:32,900
To record its exact position

709
00:35:32,933 --> 00:35:34,867
And then move them all
Half a mile

710
00:35:34,900 --> 00:35:36,700
Across the nile waters.

711
00:35:38,733 --> 00:35:40,367
But first,

712
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,200
They need to find a way
To drain

713
00:35:42,233 --> 00:35:44,167
Thousands of gallons
Of river water

714
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:45,767
To access the temple.

715
00:35:47,067 --> 00:35:48,500
[drone whirring]

716
00:35:48,533 --> 00:35:50,100
[steve]
Meredith launches a drone

717
00:35:50,133 --> 00:35:52,100
To investigate
How they do it.

718
00:35:56,433 --> 00:35:57,833
Oh, this is great.

719
00:35:57,867 --> 00:36:00,433
I can see a circle of sand

720
00:36:00,467 --> 00:36:02,433
And it's almost
A complete circle.

721
00:36:02,467 --> 00:36:06,767
It surrounds what used to be
Philae island.

722
00:36:08,900 --> 00:36:11,800
This is the remainder
Of the dam

723
00:36:11,833 --> 00:36:14,567
That was built
To surround philae temple

724
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,167
To halt the flood waters
As they were rising.

725
00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:21,167
[steve] Engineers build
A huge watertight barrier

726
00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:22,833
Around the temple complex.

727
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,200
Then they drain
The river water inside.

728
00:36:30,333 --> 00:36:33,067
Once this dammed area is dry,

729
00:36:33,067 --> 00:36:35,500
Archaeologists could come in
To work

730
00:36:35,533 --> 00:36:38,367
To remove the temple
Block by block

731
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,100
To this new location.

732
00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:45,267
[steve]
Engineers now need to rebuild

733
00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:49,467
The ancient structures
In all their former glory.

734
00:36:49,500 --> 00:36:51,800
For the second time
In their history,

735
00:36:51,833 --> 00:36:53,500
The great temples of isis

736
00:36:53,533 --> 00:36:56,067
Are constructed
Piece by piece

737
00:36:56,067 --> 00:36:59,533
On an island in the nile.

738
00:36:59,567 --> 00:37:01,400
How did the engineers
Make sure

739
00:37:01,433 --> 00:37:04,333
They repositioned
Each of the 20,000 blocks

740
00:37:04,367 --> 00:37:06,467
In exactly the right spot?

741
00:37:15,133 --> 00:37:17,267
[steve] Today,
The great temple of philae

742
00:37:17,300 --> 00:37:19,300
Stands on an island
Half a mile

743
00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:20,900
From where
The ancient egyptians

744
00:37:20,933 --> 00:37:24,067
Originally built it
2,400 years ago.

745
00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:30,100
In the 1970s,

746
00:37:30,133 --> 00:37:32,367
The structures are saved
From sinking

747
00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,267
By a team of engineers
From around the world.

748
00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,967
By 1977,
The entire temple complex

749
00:37:40,067 --> 00:37:44,200
Is dismantled into
Over 37,000, pieces of stone.

750
00:37:46,500 --> 00:37:48,700
How can engineers
Accurately assemble

751
00:37:48,733 --> 00:37:51,100
This colossal
3d jigsaw puzzle

752
00:37:51,133 --> 00:37:53,333
On its new island home?

753
00:37:55,633 --> 00:37:58,433
The painted codes
Reveal the system used

754
00:37:58,467 --> 00:38:00,367
To record the position
Of the blocks

755
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,200
Before they are moved.

756
00:38:03,667 --> 00:38:05,800
[meredith] The engineers
Would have painted

757
00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:08,567
Identifying letters
And numbers on each block

758
00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,533
In order to fit them
In the exact right spot.

759
00:38:11,567 --> 00:38:14,400
I can see an example up here
With the letter a

760
00:38:14,433 --> 00:38:18,100
Where the numbering system
Was put inside the wall

761
00:38:18,133 --> 00:38:19,633
So no one could see it.

762
00:38:19,667 --> 00:38:22,500
But this is a rare example
Of a slight error

763
00:38:22,533 --> 00:38:24,900
And we get to see

764
00:38:24,933 --> 00:38:27,967
The hidden construction marks.

765
00:38:28,067 --> 00:38:29,933
[steve]
Engineers follow the codes

766
00:38:29,967 --> 00:38:32,700
To place each stone
In the right location.

767
00:38:32,733 --> 00:38:35,367
But while blocks
With unique carvings

768
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,867
Can be perfectly aligned
By eye,

769
00:38:37,900 --> 00:38:40,133
Thousands of stones
Are blank.

770
00:38:41,767 --> 00:38:44,200
Finding their exact
Original orientation

771
00:38:44,233 --> 00:38:46,167
Is an extra challenge.

772
00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:47,933
Meredith examines clues

773
00:38:47,967 --> 00:38:50,367
That reveal
How the engineers do it.

774
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,567
This white line runs down

775
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:56,200
The entire length
Of the column

776
00:38:56,233 --> 00:38:57,767
And it might look like
Some part

777
00:38:57,800 --> 00:38:59,467
Of the natural stone
But it's not.

778
00:38:59,500 --> 00:39:01,267
This was made by engineers

779
00:39:01,300 --> 00:39:04,567
So that they could orientate
The individual columns

780
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:06,733
And the idea is that
If they could use

781
00:39:06,767 --> 00:39:08,833
These lines as a guide post

782
00:39:08,867 --> 00:39:11,433
And move every single column
So that the line

783
00:39:11,467 --> 00:39:14,400
Is perfectly vertical,

784
00:39:14,433 --> 00:39:17,400
Then the blocks
Are in the right position.

785
00:39:17,433 --> 00:39:19,767
[steve] Construction marks
Help the engineers

786
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,400
Rebuild the temple
Almost exactly as it was

787
00:39:22,433 --> 00:39:24,433
Before the nile floods.

788
00:39:26,367 --> 00:39:28,067
And below the temple walls,

789
00:39:28,100 --> 00:39:30,700
Meredith finds evidence
Of how the engineers

790
00:39:30,733 --> 00:39:35,067
Secure the stones into place
At their new island home.

791
00:39:35,067 --> 00:39:37,900
This is the foundation
Of one of the smaller temples

792
00:39:37,933 --> 00:39:40,500
Here on philae
And it's obvious

793
00:39:40,533 --> 00:39:42,567
That the material used
To build the foundation

794
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,533
Is different
Than the sandstone

795
00:39:44,567 --> 00:39:46,367
Used to construct
The entire temple.

796
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:50,233
This is modern concrete
Under these ancient stones.

797
00:39:50,267 --> 00:39:52,967
They first tried
To make the island

798
00:39:53,067 --> 00:39:55,067
As similar to the old one

799
00:39:55,100 --> 00:39:56,633
To even out the space,

800
00:39:56,667 --> 00:39:58,567
And then they poured
This concrete

801
00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:00,833
To give the temple
A secure new home

802
00:40:00,867 --> 00:40:03,367
That would last
For another 2,000 years.

803
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:05,367
[suspenseful music playing]

804
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,067
[steve] First, the engineers
Flatten the island

805
00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:09,500
And mold it into the shape

806
00:40:09,533 --> 00:40:11,533
Of the original
Temple complex.

807
00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:17,333
Then they painstakingly
Reassemble each structure

808
00:40:17,367 --> 00:40:20,933
And replace any blocks
Damaged beyond repair.

809
00:40:22,967 --> 00:40:25,367
The finishing touch
Is a new courtyard

810
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,333
Of freshly cut stones.

811
00:40:31,333 --> 00:40:32,800
The philae a rescue mission

812
00:40:32,833 --> 00:40:35,833
Is a huge
International success.

813
00:40:35,867 --> 00:40:37,233
Over three years,

814
00:40:37,267 --> 00:40:39,567
The great temple complex
Is saved

815
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:43,367
Preserving a crucial part
Of ancient history.

816
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,900
Hundreds of the world's
Best engineers worked

817
00:40:45,933 --> 00:40:48,333
To save this spot
From the floodwaters

818
00:40:48,367 --> 00:40:52,133
And rebuild it here
In the new island.

819
00:40:52,167 --> 00:40:56,033
[steve] First built
By powerful pharaohs,

820
00:40:56,067 --> 00:40:58,467
The temple of isis
Is the lavish home

821
00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:01,733
To a spiritual ancient cult

822
00:41:01,767 --> 00:41:05,133
And a gateway into egypt.

823
00:41:05,167 --> 00:41:06,900
With each new dynasty,

824
00:41:06,933 --> 00:41:09,400
Grand monuments
Are added to the island.

825
00:41:11,333 --> 00:41:14,933
And after a new religion
Transforms the temple,

826
00:41:14,967 --> 00:41:18,100
Philae faces
Its greatest challenge

827
00:41:18,133 --> 00:41:20,367
From the nile waters

828
00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,067
Until engineering ingenuity
Saves the structures

829
00:41:24,067 --> 00:41:26,800
And secures their dominance
In the nile

830
00:41:26,833 --> 00:41:29,067
For generations to come.

831
00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:33,467
[suspenseful music playing]