Ancient Megastructures

Follow the dramatic story behind the building of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome. The Romans used innovative technology that we still use today, but the money to pay for the project enslaved the nation.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is 4,500 years old. It's the only ancient wonder of the world still standing. To cut and move the 2 million stones needed to build it would involve the whole Egyptian state.

Building the Chartres Cathedral pushed construction techniques to the limit, but behind this engineering triumph lies a dark story of violence, political double-dealing and destruction.

The Alhambra is the greatest example of Islamic military architecture in Europe. Sultan Muhammad I constructed this ingenious, impregnable fortress in 1238 amid treacherous political betrayals.

Fiery Roman Emperor Justinian ordered the rebuilding of the great church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul almost 1500 years ago. Modern science now uncovers the secret to this vast golden dome's longevity.

Carved into the side of a narrow gorge in the unforgiving deserts of Petra in modern day Jordan, the ancient Nabataeans turned engineering on its head to create their glorious royal city, Khazneh.

From the ashes of London's Great Fire in 1666 rises Christopher Wren's daring architectural vision. As England's first Baroque cathedral, St Paul's is an icon to rival the grandeur of ancient Rome.

Hidden deep in Cambodia's jungles, the temple of Angkor Wat is a towering monument to the Hindu god Vishnu, belying its origins as the mausoleum for a usurper king who murdered his great uncle.

Built using techniques that surpass modern ones, the temples, altars and residences of Machu Picchu have resisted torrential rains, landslides and earth tremors since being abandoned by the Incas.