WONDER woman

BETTANY HUGHES on bringing seven magnificent monuments to life

- IAN MACEWAN

7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

NEW SATURDAY, 6.30PM, 5 FACTUAL

Originally a destination bucket list for Greeks travelling through Babylon and Egypt, the Seven Wonders of the World were amazing examples of the ingenuity of these Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilisations.

Now, historian Bettany Hughes is bringing them vividly to life in a new 5 docuseries that follows her to Greece, Egypt and Turkey on an itinerary that includes the sites of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Colossus of Rhodes. With the Great Pyramid of Giza the only traditional Wonder still standing, the three-parter also uses 'augmented reality' technology to give viewers an immersive experience of what the spectacular structures would have looked like, by scanning on-screen QR codes.

'You can see them come to life virtually on your floor or desk at home, and you just need a smartphone,' says Bettany, 58, as she gives TV Times an exclusive guide to her adventure...

7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD is previewed on pages 36-37

LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA EGYPT

Constructed between 284 and 246 BC, the skyscraper was a technical masterpiece standing over 100m tall on the island of Pharos, off the coast of Egyptian port city Alexandria. Its powerful light was said to be visible from up to 30 miles away.

'It had over 300 rooms, and its three tiers soared into the sky,' says Bettany. 'Huge statues guarded its monumental doorway.' The lighthouse was destroyed by a series of earthquakes, with the final collapse occurring in the 14th century, but the ruins remain.

'One of the standout moments was seeing these massive blocks on the seabed,' adds Bettany.

STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA GREECE