Ancient Megastructures

Take a tour of some of the world’s oldest and most iconic buildings

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Videos

St Paul's Cathedral: The invisible third dome

When we get inside the dome, it's a complete surprise.... 03:00

St Paul's Cathedral: The wood carving in the Choir

The wood carving in the Choir would cost the equivalent... 02:59

St Paul's Cathedral: Engineering problems

Building the Cathedral in sections, Wren knows the... 04:58

St Paul's Cathedral: Rebuilding starts

Nearly 10 years after the Great Fire, the re-building... 02:55

St Paul's Cathedral: London's skyline

Wren outplayed and outlived his original opponents... 02:56

The Alhambra

Granada, southern Spain, in the 13th century this... 04:48

Petra: The stories inside the sculpture

Now, through applying adopted mythology, the stories... 04:52

Petra: Design and decoration

The cliffs of Petra are pitted with rock-cut structures.... 02:56

Petra: The Siq

The Nabataeans chose the site of the Khazneh, the... 04:50

Petra: The hard work begins

Having gained access to their construction site, the... 03:00

Petra: Khazneh El-Faroun

The Khazneh is Petra’s finest construction, a sophisticated... 03:00

Petra: Four Burial Chambers

Why the Nabataeans built the Khazneh has remained... 04:59

Machu Picchu: the Hitching Post of the Sun

Towering high above Machu Picchu is possibly its most... 04:59

Machu Picchu: A natural spring

Pachacuti chose this ritual site because it was so... 02:59

Machu Picchu: Inca architecture

Temples for worship, houses for living, bathing areas,... 04:57

Machu Picchu: The battle with gravity

Perched atop a precarious mountain ridge, Machu Picchu’s... 03:00

Machu Picchu: How did they do it?

The logistics of creating Inca architecture were enormous.... 04:59

Machu Picchu: Location

Machu Picchu is a truly spectacular site, but its... 02:59

Machu Picchu

1438. Chanca warriors launch a massive attack on their... 02:59

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: The replacement dome

The dome created by Isidore the Younger to replace... 04:54

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: Decorating the cathedral

With the dome in place, Isidore the Elder could now... 03:00

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: Problems with construction

Jutting from the main supporting piers are a set of... 02:57

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: The Arches

Spanning 31meters, the grand arches form a nave about... 03:00

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: A disaster waiting to happen

Even before they have erected the first stone, Justinian’s... 02:59

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia: The Dome

This is the crowning glory of Hagia Sophia. It is... 04:58

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia

Lying in northwest Turkey, at the junction between... 02:53

Angkor Wat: A home fit for the gods

Suryavarman’s builders race against time to finish... 04:58

Angkor Wat: The survival of Angkor Wat

Despite the best efforts of Suryavarman’s engineers... 03:00

Angkor Wat: Woodwork and Stonework

The scope and scale of the Khmer Empire means that... 03:00

Angkor Wat: Carving the Stone

At the Angkor Wat site, workers swarm all over, unloading... 04:57

Angkor Wat: The Largest Temple in the Khmer Empire

Consulting with his priests and advisors, Suryavarman... 03:00

Angkor Wat

Home to more than 1 million people in the twelfth... 00:53

Petra; Al Khazneh

Al Khazneh is Petra’s architectural highlight. Find... 04:59

Petra: Ancient City

The ancient lost city of Petra is a magnificent sight... 02:28

Petra: Master Engineering

Find out about the constructional engineering that... 02:55

Petra

Petra is one of the world’s most mysterious ancient... 01:04

Petra: Water In The Desert

Discover how the Nabutian builders of Petra transported... 02:59

St Paul's Cathedral: Out Of The Fire

Discover the secrets behind the building of St Paul’s... 04:52

St Paul's Cathedral: Parliament

Sir Christopher Wren made a colossal gamble in completing... 03:00

St Paul's Cathedral: Religious Conflict

It was 9 years after the Great Fire of London before... 02:59

St Paul's Cathedral

When the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral... 01:14

St Paul's Cathedral: The Dome

The most iconic element of St Paul’s is the mighty... 02:59

St Paul's Catherdral: The Great Model Design

The equivalent of half a million dollars in today’s... 02:58

Angkor Wat: City On Water

Explore Angkor Wat – one of the most impressive engineering... 03:00

Angkor Wat: How Was It Built

Angkor Wat was like no other medieval building in... 05:00

Angkor Wat: Magic Stone

Laterite, a ‘magic stone,’ was massively important... 03:00

Angkor Wat: The Moat Explained

Find out why the gigantic moat surrounding Angkor... 03:00