7.4/1016 votesLoading...#1 - Chartres Cathedral
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/12/2011
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/1026 votesLoading...#2 - The Great Pyramid
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/26/2011
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.5/1034 votesLoading...#3 - The Colosseum
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/19/2011
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#4 - The Alhambra
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#5 - Istanbul's Hagia Sophia
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#6 - Petra
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#7 - St. Paul's Cathedral
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#8 - Angkor Wat
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#9 - Machu Picchu
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 1/1/2008
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Ancient Megastructures
Every episode of Ancient Megastructures ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Ancient Megastructures!
Examine how ancient civilisations built some of the most magnificent structures on the face of the Earth, many centuries before the industrial revolution.
Genre:Documentary
Network:National Geographic
Best Episodes Summary
"Chartres Cathedral" is the best rated episode of "Ancient Megastructures". It scored 7.4/10 based on 16 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 3/12/2011. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Great Pyramid".