Original subtitles

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Today's Turkiye is an absorbing mixture

of the modern and the ancient of Eastern

and Western influences...

vibrant cities, archeological sites, and

stunning natural landscapes.

Modern Turkiye is a global powerhouse.

But this is nothing new, as the country

has been an important player on the world stage

throughout the past.

The history of the region dates all the way back

to ancient antiquity, and some of the earliest civilizations

were established in this area, leading to many thousands

of years of kingdoms, empires, and states.

It's this rich and fascinating history,

combined with the country's cultural diversity, world

famous cuisine, and a rapidly modernizing infrastructure that

makes it a very popular destination with visitors

from all over the world.

Ancient history has never been made

more alive than in Turkiye's magnificently

preserved archeological sites.

Be immersed in these remarkable destinations

as we take a glimpse into the lives and times of the people

who lived in them so long ago.

Welcome to Turkiye's Astonishing Antiquities,

revealed from the air and from the ground.

The history of Turkiye is mythical and at times violent,

dating back many thousands of years

to the ancient antiquity, when the area was known

as Anatolia or Asia Minor.

In this four part series, we're going to visit quite a number

of these sites to marvel at what they are today

and come face to face with what life

was like when they were thriving

cities and communities.

Much of our journey will follow the mail route of ancient Rome,

which went through the major population and

political centers of the time.

We've called this series Turkiye's

Astonishing Antiquities because that's what they truly are...

Astonishing.

Guiding us along the way, a leading experts

on the history of this area, especially the cultural

and religious aspects.

David Trim is a historian, archivist,

and educator who specializes in European military

and religious history.

He's been a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London

since 2003.

It's a privilege to be part of this project.

As an historian, I love visiting

Turkiye because it fires my historical imagination.

NARRATOR: Dr. Marina Garner grew up in Brazil,

where she studied theology and taught religion before moving

to the USA in 2013, where she has

since completed a PhD in religious studies

at Boston University.

At the inception of the Republic of Turkey,

Turkish laws regarding women were ahead of its time.

Before many countries allowed women to vote,

Turkish women were voting.

NARRATOR: Dr. Jon Paulien is Professor of New Testament

and Dean of the School of religion at Loma Linda

University in California.

He has authored over 25 books and is a keen traveler.

I love the sights, the sounds,

and the smells of Istanbul.

You may not be aware of it, but it's

the only major city in the world

that's actually lies on two continents.

And the continents are divided by a body

of water called the Bosphorus.

NARRATOR: Over the first absorbing episodes

of this series, we have already visited many of the country's

key historic sites.

But there's still much more to come in this fourth program.

Our travels have so far taken us to Istanbul,

with its mixing pot of cultures and influences

and breathtaking locations such as the famous Hagia

Sophia mosque.

We've been to the southern city of Tarsus,

linked to a great many famous names from ancient history,

and then explored the extensive ruins

of ancient Ephesus, which continues to reveal

more of its many wonders.

Now we're heading for Pergamon, which arguably rivals

Ephesus for its sheer scope and impressive state

of preservation.

In ancient mythology, Pergamon was

founded by Telephus, who was the son of Heracles and Auge.

Historical records suggest settlement

dates back to the early part of the 8th century BC.

However, the city didn't begin to gain any prominence

until around 280 BC, when it became

the capital of the newly established

kingdom of Pergamon.

Subsequently, it quickly developed

into one of the most important cultural centers

in the ancient Greek world.

The kingdom and the city thrived for close to 150 years,

until they were bequeathed to the Roman Empire

after the death of King Attalus III in 133 BC.

Turbulent times followed.

But the Romans eventually prevailed.

And slowly, Pergamon again became

one of the most important centers in Asia Minor.

Over the subsequent centuries, the city

passed through many rulers, including

the Arabs, the Byzantines, the Crusaders,

the Seljuks, and the Ottomans.

Over this time, most of its ancient structures

either decayed or were destroyed.

Rediscovery of these remains largely

began in the 17th century.

And the key sites that can be visited today

are located in and around the modern Turkish town of Bergama.

These are all mostly date from the Roman

and Byzantine periods.

There's actually a cluster of sites here.

Among them, an asclepeion, or sanctuary,

which was, in many ways, the ancient equivalent

of a holistic wellness center.

JON PAULIEN: It was founded by Galen, probably

the most famous... or one of the two most famous physicians

of the ancient world.

In addition, there's the second largest library in the world

at the time was in Pergamon.

The largest was in Alexandria.

And Pergamon is also the place for the invention

of parchment, which is a form of ancient paper.

One thing to know about paper in the ancient world

is originally, it was mostly papyrus.

NARRATOR: The word "asclepeion" is

derived from the name of the Greek God of

healing, Asclepius.

People came here for all manner of cures,

as well as rest and recreation.

So there was a theater, a bath complex with a gymnasium,

a library, and a temple.

The asclepeion at Pergamon was reached by a colonnaded street

called "The Sacred Way," and the re-erected

remains of some of the columns lined the paved roadway today.

Not far from the asclepion, which is still being excavated,

is a Roman era amphitheater, which could seat around 3,500

people, and was mainly used to entertain

the patients with musical events,

orations, and poetry readings.

However, much more dramatic is the huge amphitheater

at Pergamon's main site.

Today, known as the upper Acropolis,

and is the oldest part of the ancient city,

dating from the Hellenistic period.

Able to accommodate an audience of around 10,000,

it's set into a steep Hillside and originates

from the third century BC.

There are 78 rows of seats, which rise up to 36

meters above the stage area.

Not surprisingly, it's the steepest of any amphitheater

anywhere in the ancient world.

The views were and obviously still are panoramic, enabling

the extent of the site and its many treasures

to be fully appreciated.

Among these are the numerous palaces

that were used by the kings of the Pergamon dynasty.

And each had his own.

And a number of temples to the Greek gods

such as Athena and Dionysus.

At the northern end of the great amphitheater

is what remains of the Temple of Dionysus,

which was rebuilt in marble during the second century BC.

It was accessed via set of 25 steps, which stretched

the width of the entire temple and are still largely

intact today.

A notable feature of the upper Acropolis

is the Temple of Trajan, which had

been partially reconstructed.

Also known as the Trajaneum, it was constructed

by the Roman emperor Trajan, who

reigned between 98 and 117 AD.

Hence the name, temple of Trajan.

Consequently, it's the only entirely Roman building

on this site, rather than a repurposed or renovated

Hellenistic structure.

The temple was later also dedicated

to Hadrian, who succeeded Trajan as emperor in 117 AD.

And just for good measure, Zeus was also worshipped here.

Many fragments of massive statues of all three,

which would have once dominated the interior,

were uncovered during the 19th century excavations.

As the reconstruction attests, the Trajaneum

would have been a truly impressive building,

with multiple rows of huge Corinthian columns

along each side and sitting atop an expansive terrace.

Stowers wide covered walkways once enclosed

the terrace on three sides.

The Greek word "Acropolis" roughly translates as the city

above, as so many ancient cities

were built on hills so they could be more easily defended.

Today, it's all about the views.

From Pergamon's old citadel, the views

are of the busy center of modern Bergama.

But clearly standing out from the contemporary buildings

is the distinctive Red Hall.

This was originally a temple dedicated to Egyptian gods,

most likely Serapis, but possibly Isis, and was

constructed during the first half of the second century

AD using red bricks.

At one end, it's flanked by two smaller circular temples,

which would also have been used to worship

various Egyptian gods.

Around 270 meters in length and roughly meters in width,

the Red Hall was quite a feat of engineering for the time,

even more so as it was built directly

over the river Selinountas.

This necessitated the construction of 196 meter

wide bridge type platform, and two tunnels

to take the water under the temple.

Water was also channeled into the building

to be used for a variety of purposes.

Remarkably, the rest of the Roman era bridge

also still survives to this day, now supporting modern era

buildings and a roadway.

Containing so many historically important structures,

it goes without saying that the collection

of ancient sites at Pergamon is now a now UNESCO

World Heritage listed.

Pergamon likely had a large Jewish population

from some time in the first century BC.

And so 100 or so years later, the city

would have been visited by the first Christian missionaries.

Remember, the concept of a Messiah was Jewish in origin.

And early on, there was a belief

that only Jews could subsequently become Christians.

By the end of the first century AD,

there was a thriving Christian community at Pergamon.

And so it was included in the list of seven early churches

in this region, addressed directly by God

at the beginning of the book of Revelation.

Known as the Seven Churches of Revelation,

all were located in Asia Minor, now modern Turkiye.

And their individual messages were relayed through

the visions of John of Patmos.

In exile on the Greek island, John

penned the last book of the Bible

sometime between 81 and 96 AD.

The third of the seven churches,

the Christians of Pergamon, received praise

for its faithfulness, but criticism

for failing to more strongly repudiate false teachings

from other groups.

A letter to the city of Pergamon

is a letter to the compromising church.

It's a church that was willing to live and let live,

one could say.

Pergamon was probably the second most

important city among the seven churches of Asia Minor.

And it has a spectacular site on top of a hill,

and then also a vast complex outside town,

which was a medical institution.

NARRATOR: Not all the important ancient sites in Turkiye

are big.

But even the smaller ones have important historical stories

to tell, such as Thyatira in the country's

far west near the Aegean Coast.

As we've seen elsewhere, ancient Thyatira

pops up in various parts of the modern city

that has been built over it.

In this case, Uchisar, which today has

a population of over 177,000.

The history of Thyatira stretches

back all the way to 3000 BC.

It was originally called Pelopia

before being renamed by the Greeks

to Thyatira around 290 BC.

It was particularly known for dyeing textiles,

notably royal purple cloth.

But the whole area was important agriculturally

and still is.

Olive oil is one of the key products from here.

Thyatira came under Roman rule in 129 BC,

and continued to grow as an important center

of trade and commerce.

A number of trade guilds were established

in the city for cloth dyeing, of course,

but also tanners, coppersmiths, wool, leather, and linen.

Various historical sites and collections of artifacts

pop up unexpectedly along the busy streets of downtown Akiza,

some dating back to Hellenistic times,

and others are either Roman or Byzantine.

At Tepe Mesara, the Thyatira hill tombs,

parts of a large temple, likely dedicated to Apollo,

have been unearthed, along with the grand entrance

to a colonnaded street of Roman origins.

Dating from around the second century BC, some of the arches

have been fully restored.

And it's clear this would have once

been a substantial complex of buildings,

both religious and secular.

Also at this site are remains of a large Basilica,

still partially buried, of Byzantine origins,

and a reminder that Thyatira too

was an important place in the history of early Christianity.

Although not proven conclusively,

it's likely that the apostle Paul visited

the city, along with Silas on his second

big missionary expedition.

More definitively, the book of Acts

records that in Philippi, the pair met with a woman called

Lydia, who, to quote, was from the city of Thyatira

and a dealer in purple cloth.

Lydia is regarded as the first documented convert

to Christianity in Europe.

She and her entire family were baptized.

So perhaps she was subsequently involved

in establishing the first Christian community

at Thyatira.

This community quickly grew to become important enough

to be singled out for special mention

as one of the seven churches of Revelation.

MARINA GARNER: It's mostly known for its textiles.

So textiles of red color and purple color

mostly came from Thyatira.

The church in Thyatira is praised for its love,

for its endurance.

NARRATOR: Well, certainly the Christian community of Thyatira

did indeed continue to thrive.

The city became a bishopric.

And by the third century AD, it's

recorded that the entire city was Christian.

The church survived until Orthodox Christians were

expelled in 1922, but is now part of the Archdiocese

of Thyatira and Great Britain.

Around kilometers East of Smyrna

is Sardis, which, for a lot of its history,

was another ancient city frequently

caught up in the tug of war between the powers of the day.

Sardis was a thriving and cosmopolitan metropolis

for around 3,500 years.

Throughout this time, it was an important center

for the Hittites, the ancient Greeks, the Lydians,

the Persians, the Macedonians, the Romans, the Byzantines,

and finally the Seljuk Turks.

After its destruction at the start of the 15th century,

it lay in ruins for around 500 years.

Sardis was the capital of the Lydian empire.

The Lydians had become extremely wealthy thanks

to their discovery of a new way of refining

gold, which gave rise to coins that were unusually pure.

These coins, minted in Lydia, became the standard trading

coins used throughout the Fertile Crescent

and the Eastern Mediterranean because they were

unusually pure in their gold.

NARRATOR: Sardis became the capital of Lydia

in the seventh century BC and grew to be a very large city.

At its height, the Lydian empire

took in most of the Western half of Asia Minor.

As well as refining high grade gold,

the Lydians are credited with being the first to dye wool.

And they also invented games that used dice.

According to myth, the availability of alluvial gold

deposits in the area of Sardis was the result

of Midas, the mythical king known

for the golden touch, the Midas touch,

bathing in the river Pactolus.

In the 550s BC, a new king emerged in Sardis...

King Croesus.

His name became a byword for wealth.

Even today, we would say, of somebody

who is wealthy, that they are as rich as Croesus.

So wealthy were the Lydians that around 546 BC,

the Persian Empire declared war and began an invasion.

King Croesus was deeply concerned,

and he sent for advice to the famous Oracle

that lived in Delphi.

Now, Delphi was a Greek city, and the Oracle

was believed to convey words of advice from the God Apollo.

Even though the Lydians were not Greeks,

they shared the Greek pantheon, as did

many people living around the ancient Eastern Mediterranean.

In Delphi, the God Apollo was believed

to grant prophetic visions to the oracle, who then could give

advice to people who had come from around the ancient world

seeking prophetic guidance.

NARRATOR: The oracles were a line of priestesses called

Pythia, whose prophecies were generally considered

to be the most accurate.

In fact, they were said to be infallible.

DAVID TRIM: So King Croesus sent ambassadors to Delphi

to ask the oracle whether he should

try to make peace with the Persians or should fight them.

The reply of the oracle was that if Croesus went to war,

a great empire would be destroyed.

Croesus not unnaturally assumed that this would

be the Persian empire, only to discover

that in fact, it was his own.

Sardis became the capital of the new Persian province

of Lydia.

But it was more than that.

Sardis, in effect, became the capital

of the western Persian empire.

NARRATOR: Sardis's golden era came to an end

when the Persian King Cyrus defeated

Croesus and captured the city.

It was subsequently taken by Alexander the Great in 334 BC.

And after a few more changes of rule,

becomes part of the Roman Empire in 133 BC.

The archeological site is less well

known than many of the others in Turkiye,

but boasts a number of impressive features

that mostly date from the city's time under Roman rule.

During the Roman period, Sardis had a large and thriving

Jewish community.

And one of the highlights here is

the partially restored remains of a third century synagogue.

At the time it was built, it was the largest

outside Palestine and could accommodate

upwards of thousand people.

Not only was this synagogue located right in the middle

of a Roman city, but it was, which

is unusual, also part of a large baths

and gymnasium complex.

Secondly, there were no separate arrangements

for women who worshipped with the men, which was

also an unusual arrangement.

Impressive in its sheer scale, the whole complex

covers around 5.5 acres and dates

back to the second century AD.

It included cold, warm, and hot baths, a swimming pool,

public toilets, and a large central courtyard

called a palaestra, where visitors exercised

or took part in games.

A row of two story shops was built

along the southern side of the complex

during the fourth century.

And quite a few of these two story structures

also had residences on the top floors.

Interestingly, it's been determined

there were at least a couple of restaurants here too.

The shops fronted onto a grand colonnaded street, which

was paved with marble, and there would originally

have been shops on both sides.

Ownership was divided between Jewish and Christian vendors,

as by the third century, there was a growing

community of converted Jews.

However, the early church at Sardis

comes in for stiff criticism from Jesus via John's vision

as relayed in the Book of Revelation.

In fact, Sardis is the only one of the seven churches

that receives no praise at all.

Instead, they're told rather bluntly, you are dead.

And admonished, if you do not wake up,

I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what

hour I will come to you.

In other words, watch out, as judgment could arrive

when you least expect it.

Sardis, under Roman rule, would have been a tough place

to be a Christian, especially as the imperial cult

turned emperors into gods.

And this was made the state religion.

There would also have been many who worshipped the Greek gods,

such as Artemis.

The Temple of Artemis at Sardis was

the fourth largest ionic temple in the ancient world.

Construction began sometime around 300 BC using marble.

And when finished, it was 100 meters in length

and around 50 meters wide.

It was extensively damaged by an earthquake in 17 AD

and subsequently mostly rebuilt over the next century.

So what can be seen today dates mostly from the Roman period.

Thought to be dedicated to both Artemis and Zeus

after the second century rebuild,

the temple was also used for Roman imperial cult worship.

Only two complete columns remain standing today,

but the large number of surviving base sections

indicate just how impressive this building would have been,

both inside and out.

Symbolic of the changing times, by the fourth century,

the temple had been abandoned and a Christian chapel

was built on the site.

[music playing]

Like Thyatira, ancient Philadelphia

has been almost entirely consumed by a modern city.

Alasehir is in the Manisa province of Western Turkiye

and is most famous for the production

of dried golden sultanas.

The area's soil and climate are particularly favorable

for the growing of grapes.

Philadelphia was founded in 189 BC

by Eumenes II, Sota of Pergamon.

He was succeeded by his brother, Attalus II, who

was given the nickname Philadelphos, which means

he who loves his brother.

From this was derived the name of the new town.

At that time, it was in the Lydia

region of ancient Anatolia.

Earthquakes and wars shaped its subsequent history,

and there were many of both over the following centuries.

After a particularly devastating quake in 17 AD,

the city was spared taxation by its Roman masters

for five years so the funds could be used for rebuilding.

Several centuries of prosperity followed.

And by the 6th century, Philadelphia

rivaled Athens for its huge number

of temples and festivals.

It wasn't all partying and prayers, though.

As part of the Byzantine Empire,

the city was the last to fall to the Ottomans in 1391.

They called it the many colored city,

which translates as alasehir.

By the end of the 1st century AD,

Philadelphia was another important

center of early Christianity and became a bishopric in 325.

Later, around 1190, it was promoted

to an Archdiocese, otherwise known as a metropolis.

One of the key archeological sites in Alasehir

is what remains of the Church of St. John the Theologian,

also known as the St. John Church.

It was built around 600 AD, and the remaining

pillars suggest that it would have

been a substantial building.

Three of the six substantial main pillars

remain, giving some idea of the building's size.

They were built using repurposed stone for the base,

with bricks at the top.

The roof would have been made up of multiple domes.

Carved sections of internal columns

still remain on the site and suggest that the interior would

have been richly decorated.

The site also contains many relics

from the church, including carved sections

of the Internal columns, marble sarcophagi, and tombstones.

Look very carefully, and the faded remains

of 11th century frescoes can be made

out on some of the pillars.

At the time of John, and much before John,

it was common practice among Egyptian temples

and Hellenistic temples, for a practitioner

who was going to the temple, to write his or her name down

on the walls.

This was in order for the practitioner

to be able to be in the temple, even when they were not

able to be physically there.

So the practitioner knew that he

or she was with her God, or goddess,

even when they weren't.

NARRATOR: As happened frequently over the centuries

in this part of Turkiye, the St. John Church was

destroyed by an earthquake.

The early Christians in Philadelphia

were sixth on the seven churches of Revelation list,

and along with Smyrna, received only praise for their efforts.

Jesus also tells the Philadelphian Christians

that, quote, "I will make you a pillar in the Temple of my God.

You will never go out of it."

The substantial remaining pillars of the St. John Church

are symbolic of the strength of this message.

We're now heading for Laodicea, which

is located near the modern Turkish city of Denizli,

in the southwest of the country.

Under Roman rule, Laodicea flourished, becoming a center

for banking and finance, and in the process,

fabulously wealthy.

It's still in evidence even in the ancient ruins.

As we've seen so often in this series, the ruins of Laodicea

have been extensively excavated,

and many structures have been partially

recreated to give a very real impression

of what it would have been like to live here

thousands of years ago.

Laodicea was founded in the middle of the 3rd century BC

by the Seleucid King, Antiochus II, Theos, who named

it after his wife, Laodice.

Incidentally, he later divorced her,

but obviously wasn't unhappy enough to also rename his city.

Ancient Laodicea was situated on the river lycus,

and also at the junction of two major trading routes

from the coast heading inland.

Consequently, it flourished as a center

of commerce and banking, amassing

great wealth in the process.

At its peak, the population was around 150,000.

According to the Greek geographer and historian

Strabo, an important medical school

was also established in the city,

specializing in the treatment of eyes and ears.

Perhaps because of its medical facilities,

Laodicea became popular with wealthy retirees.

Strabo also noted that a fertile soil

supported very productive agricultural activities.

Additionally, it became known for a luxuriously

fine black wool, which created a lucrative textile industry.

Everything was going very well indeed for ancient Laodicea.

But as is so common in this region,

earthquakes played a significant role

in the city's history.

It was rebuilt on at least two occasions,

but a particularly catastrophic event in 494 AD

spelled the beginning of the end.

A smaller settlement remained in existence until around

the 13th century, but destructive invaders finally

ended Laodicea for good, and the site was abandoned

during the 15th century.

Major excavations only began in the early 1960s,

but soon began revealing extensive remains across a vast

area of around 5 square kilometers,

and confirming that laodicea had indeed been a very

prosperous and busy city.

So far, the site boasts no less than four large bath complexes,

five agoras or public squares, two amphitheaters, a stadium,

five monumental fountains, a town hall, or council building,

public toilets, and a number of substantial residential houses.

The City's Central agora, now also known

as the west agora, was huge, covering

an area of around 35,000m.

And in fact, it's the largest to be

found in any of the ancient sites in Turkiye.

34 original columns, which stand at 10.8 meters tall,

have been re-erected, recovered from where they were buried

after the 494 earthquake.

Some had to be dug out from under up to 7 meters of earth,

and the long term plan is to restore

the grand agora to how it would have looked 2000 years ago.

Laodicea's central agora, was accessed

through one of three grand entrances called a propylon.

Typically, a propylon served as a symbolic separation of the

religious and secular areas.

The central propylon was built sometime in the late second

or early 3rd century AD.

It was damaged by an earthquake later in that century

and subsequently rebuilt. An arched passageway

decorated with reliefs led into the agora.

When Laodicea was in its heyday,

the huge area of the civic agora

would have been a hive of activity full of market stalls,

meetings, both formal and informal,

orations, religious gatherings, and maybe

even sporting activities.

More formalized shops were located in colonnaded stowers,

often double story, that surrounded

the agora on several sides.

More unusually, on one side was a temple

that made this a sacred agora, quite

possibly the only one of its kind in the ancient world.

Today, this is known simply as Temple A,

and was originally built in the latter half

of the second century AD, most likely

primarily for the Roman imperial cult of Emperor

worship, but may also have been dedicated

to one of the Roman gods, such as Apollo or Athena.

The temple's courtyard was surrounded on three sides

by colonnaded porticos, and there were originally

a total of 54 columns.

15 of them have now been re-erected.

Seven steps lead up to the entrance

of the temple's naos, or shrine,

and its travertine platform.

The steps are capped with marble flagstones

and are flanked by marble banisters.

This temple design is referred to architecturally as prostyle,

or prostylos in Greek, which simply

means with columns in front.

As Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire

in the fourth century, the temple

was converted into an archive for the Church of Laodicea.

Subsequently, it was another victim of the 494 AD

earthquake, and much of the original material

was then either stolen or repurposed.

This paved and colonnaded street

was one of the main thoroughfares

through the ancient city, and is today known as Syria Street.

It ran for around a kilometer.

And 400 have been excavated so far.

Behind the colonnades would have been rows of shops.

Originally, you would have entered the city through one

of three main gates.

But not much remains of any of them.

The western entrance was called the ephysis gate,

and is still mostly buried, with only its triple arches

visible above ground.

The City's central baths complex was another indicator

of its earlier wealth, as it occupied an area of 89

by 58 meters, or four blocks from the hippodamian

system, which was one of the earliest

urban planning systems.

Built in the first half of the second century BC,

the complex comprised a number of large halls designed

in a cascading layout.

These were for changing and then progressing through cold,

tepid, and hot baths.

There was also a training ground called a palaestra.

The grand entrance was triple arched.

However, a lot more went on in these bath complexes

than merely washing and bathing.

Typically, the baths operated until around noon, and then

schools, meetings, and even trade

were conducted in the afternoon.

Logically, located close to the baths, the stadium at Laodicea

was built in 79 AD and mostly funded

by one of the city's wealthiest citizens

by the name of Nicostrate.

It was dedicated to the Roman emperor, Titus.

It was used for both sporting events

and for gladiatorial showdowns.

There was no shortage of entertainment for Laodiceans.

The city had two theaters that originate

from the Hellenistic period, and subsequently

modified by the Romans during the second century AD.

The larger venue, now known as the north theater,

is the best preserved and was built

after the earlier theater, just to the west,

was no longer big enough.

It's built into the Hillside and the seating is marble.

However, much is yet to be excavated

and some rows have collapsed down the slope.

It's estimated that the north theater could

seat up to 12,000 people.

And there's evidence of reserved seating,

with the names of wealthy citizens

and civic leaders engraved into some blocks.

The smaller west theater has been almost entirely restored.

A project only finished quite recently

and has complete banks of seating looking down

onto a rebuilt stage area with the underground passages

for the movement of performers and animals.

Able to accommodate around 8,000 people,

there would once have been canvas awnings to protect

them from the sun and weather.

Again, there was reserved seating

for the great and the good.

The restoration took 20 years and is

a masterful accomplishment, compellingly recreating

what it would have been like to be part of an audience two

millennia ago.

As it happens, it's now being used as an outdoor venue

for concerts and other events.

Ornate fountains were another sign of a city

flush with civic funds.

And of course, water.

And these were often huge structures,

such as the Septimius Severus Nymphaeum,

which would have been a major showpiece of status.

Nymphaeums could be big enough to include rooms or reservoirs.

And a good example of the concept

is Rome's famous Trevi Fountain.

How wealthy was ancient Laodicea?

Well, it actually had a total of four nymphaea.

And another recently completed restoration project at the site

is the Trajan Nymphaeum.

Built in 114 AD, it was dedicated to the superstar

Roman emperor Trajan, who can be seen in all his glory

at the front of the restored monument.

There are also plenty of remains related

to Laodicea's water supply.

In Roman times, water was delivered via aqueducts

from hot mineral springs located some miles

outside the city, and then distributed

from holding towers via system of terracotta pipes.

They had running water long before most

people knew about such things.

But there was a problem with the water.

You see, their water came from Hierapolis.

Hierapolis was about six or seven miles away.

And it was hot water that came up out of the ground,

and it was full of minerals.

So it didn't taste very good.

And by the time it got to Laodicea,

it wasn't even hot anymore.

NARRATOR: Sounds good?

Well, it actually wasn't.

Because by the time the water arrived in the city,

it was only lukewarm.

And what's more, it was so laden with minerals,

it was pretty well undrinkable.

Consequently, any analogy relating to hot, cold,

and lukewarm water would have been well understood

by Laodiceans, which is undoubtedly

why it was used in the message delivered

to the early Christians there.

Laodicea was also one of the earliest centers

of Christianity, again related to its large Jewish community,

because right at the start it was contended that only

Jews could be converted.

The concept of a Messiah being entirely Jewish in origin.

The Christian community at Laodicea

was the last of the group known as the Seven churches

of Revelation, which were addressed directly

by God via John of Patmos and written down at the start

of the book of Revelation.

It's very telling that all seven of these churches

were in Asia Minor, today's Turkiye,

confirming the significance of this area

in Christianity's first steps into a wider world.

It was clear God wanted to make sure they were heading

in the right direction.

In an archeological site full of highlights,

one of the most significant is the remains

of an early fourth century Byzantine era Basilica that

was first discovered in 2010 and is still

being extensively restored.

It was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor

Constantine, making it one of the oldest Christian churches

in the world.

It's worth remembering that a dedicated building

for Christian worship didn't come

into being for quite a while.

And originally, a church was wherever Christians gathered.

Constantine was the first Roman emperor

to convert to Christianity.

And this gave the faith a much firmer footing

across the empire, which included a substantial amount

of church building.

The site is now covered by a protective roof,

and work continues on restoring the walls and the marble floor.

It's a large building which originally occupied

a whole block in the ancient city,

and later, in the fourth century,

Laodicea became a bishopric, the seat of a bishop.

In 363, or maybe 364 AD, the Council of Laodicea

took place here, when around 30 Christian leaders from all

over the region met to establish codes of conduct

for the church.

A total of 60 canons were subsequently issued, including

one which decreed the 26 books acceptable for inclusion

in the New Testament.

Ironically, revelation was not one of them.

Ancient Laodicea is already a treasure

trove of historical wonders.

But work is still ongoing here, and

there's much more to discover.

The plan is to create a site to rival

those of Ephesus and Pergamon.

And they're certainly well on the way.

Our journey through the ancient history of Turkiye

has come to an end.

But like these endlessly fascinating

archeological sites, the memories will endure.

Who can forget the many splendors of Ephesus

with its very long list of brilliant highlights?

It's hard to single anyone out.

But you can't help but be awed by the library of Celsus,

or be fully immersed in the past while walking

along [inaudible] street.

The large bath gymnasium complex at Sardis

is truly memorable, with its magnificently reconstructed

courtyard, as is the dramatic Red Hall at Pergamon

and the fourth century Byzantine era

Basilica at Laodicea.

We have encountered many temples and churches

on this journey, indicative of the important role that

religion has played in the lives of so

many people over the eras.

We've seen the emergence of Christianity

and how it took hold and spread.

Despite stiff opposition from many quarters.

In the Southern city of Tarsus, we

met one of the people who played a big part in all this,

the seemingly indefatigable apostle Paul, who

at times single handedly and at the risk of life and limb,

spread the Christian message throughout what

was then Asia Minor.

And we've enjoyed a tour of grand amphitheaters...

At Pergamon, at Laodicea, at Ephesus, and at Sardis.

Entertainment was also a big part of the ancient world.

And finally, let's not forget where we started out...

The dynamic city of Istanbul, with

its wonderful mix of cultures, art, architecture, and cuisine.

Modern Turkiye has much to offer today's visitor.

But it's the long and varied history over many millennia

which can now be encountered firsthand

that makes for a truly special and memorable experience.

I think you'll agree that all the antiquities we've

explored in this series have been, without a

doubt, astonishing.

[music playing]