Twenty-five hundred years before the reign of Julius Caesar, the ancient Egyptians were deftly harnessing the power of engineering on an unprecedented scale. Egyptian temples, fortresses, pyramids and palaces forever redefined the limits of architectural possibility. They also served as a warning to all of Egypt's enemies-that the world's most advanced civilization could accomplish anything. This two-hour special uses cinematic recreations and cutting-edge CGI to profile the greatest engineering achievements of ancient Egypt, and the pharaohs and architects who were behind them. Includes Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Senusret's Nubian Superfortresses, Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Dier el-Bahari, Akhenaten's city at Amarna, and the temples of Ramesses the Great at Abu Simbel.

First we watch restoration on one of the greatest monuments to the dead ever created, Queen Hatshepsut's exquisite Deir el Bahari, and her Red Chapel, a smaller temple near Karnak. Then, our host Peter Woodward leads us into the inner sanctuaries of the Great Temple of Karnak to explain the sacred duties of the temple priests, and epigrapher William Murnane shows how the art and decoration contributed to the temple's holy power and political prestige.

At the ancient port city Mendes, we speak with archaeologist Donald Redford, who has been uncovering the lives of farmers, priests, and merchants. We also visit the ancient craftsman's village Deir el Medina to learn more about the lives of workers who toiled in the Valley of the Kings. And finally, we wander through modern Cairo to discover the amazing number of similarities between ancient Egypt and the Egypt that we know today.

Renowned as one of Egypt's greatest rulers, his 67-year reign gave rise to the Ramses myth. Yet, his legend includes responsibility for the "Exodus." Benevolent or brutal? We'll examine his possible political motives.

Think you know everything about Ancient Egypt? The secrets surrounding this incredible civilization have endured for millennia. The riddles of the Sphinx, Mummification, the Pyramids--the discoveries of Egypt have been among the highest profile archaeological finds in history. But with so many contenders, which Top 10 secret has had the biggest impact on our view of Ancient Egypt?

The Great Pyramids of Giza remain one of the enduring wonders of the ancient world. These mesmerizing monuments have eluded astronomers and archeologists for centuries. Why and how were they built? Were they merely burial tombs, or a cosmic vehicle to the celestial world? The world's renowned Egyptologists, astronomers, and engineers join forces to solve some of the long-held mysteries about the pyramids. What were the motives and methods behind the orientation of the pyramids to face the four cardinal directions with extreme accuracy? Did the ancient Egyptians use the sun or nighttime stars in the orientation of the pyramids? Were the pyramids the pharaohs' portal to the nighttime stars? Or was the entire Giza complex built as a place of cult worship to the sun?

Twenty-five hundred years before the reign of Julius Caesar, the ancient Egyptians were deftly harnessing the power of engineering on an unprecedented scale. Egyptian temples, fortresses, pyramids and palaces forever redefined the limits of architectural possibility. They also served as a warning to all of Egypt's enemies-that the world's most advanced civilization could accomplish anything. This two-hour special uses cinematic recreations and cutting-edge CGI to profile the greatest engineering achievements of ancient Egypt, and the pharaohs and architects who were behind them. Includes Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Senusret's Nubian Superfortresses, Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Dier el-Bahari, Akhenaten's city at Amarna, and the temples of Ramesses the Great at Abu Simbel.

First we watch restoration on one of the greatest monuments to the dead ever created, Queen Hatshepsut's exquisite Deir el Bahari, and her Red Chapel, a smaller temple near Karnak. Then, our host Peter Woodward leads us into the inner sanctuaries of the Great Temple of Karnak to explain the sacred duties of the temple priests, and epigrapher William Murnane shows how the art and decoration contributed to the temple's holy power and political prestige.

At the ancient port city Mendes, we speak with archaeologist Donald Redford, who has been uncovering the lives of farmers, priests, and merchants. We also visit the ancient craftsman's village Deir el Medina to learn more about the lives of workers who toiled in the Valley of the Kings. And finally, we wander through modern Cairo to discover the amazing number of similarities between ancient Egypt and the Egypt that we know today.

Renowned as one of Egypt's greatest rulers, his 67-year reign gave rise to the Ramses myth. Yet, his legend includes responsibility for the "Exodus." Benevolent or brutal? We'll examine his possible political motives.

Think you know everything about Ancient Egypt? The secrets surrounding this incredible civilization have endured for millennia. The riddles of the Sphinx, Mummification, the Pyramids--the discoveries of Egypt have been among the highest profile archaeological finds in history. But with so many contenders, which Top 10 secret has had the biggest impact on our view of Ancient Egypt?

The Great Pyramids of Giza remain one of the enduring wonders of the ancient world. These mesmerizing monuments have eluded astronomers and archeologists for centuries. Why and how were they built? Were they merely burial tombs, or a cosmic vehicle to the celestial world? The world's renowned Egyptologists, astronomers, and engineers join forces to solve some of the long-held mysteries about the pyramids. What were the motives and methods behind the orientation of the pyramids to face the four cardinal directions with extreme accuracy? Did the ancient Egyptians use the sun or nighttime stars in the orientation of the pyramids? Were the pyramids the pharaohs' portal to the nighttime stars? Or was the entire Giza complex built as a place of cult worship to the sun?

Twenty-five hundred years before the reign of Julius Caesar, the ancient Egyptians were deftly harnessing the power of engineering on an unprecedented scale. Egyptian temples, fortresses, pyramids and palaces forever redefined the limits of architectural possibility. They also served as a warning to all of Egypt's enemies-that the world's most advanced civilization could accomplish anything. This two-hour special uses cinematic recreations and cutting-edge CGI to profile the greatest engineering achievements of ancient Egypt, and the pharaohs and architects who were behind them. Includes Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Senusret's Nubian Superfortresses, Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Dier el-Bahari, Akhenaten's city at Amarna, and the temples of Ramesses the Great at Abu Simbel.

First we watch restoration on one of the greatest monuments to the dead ever created, Queen Hatshepsut's exquisite Deir el Bahari, and her Red Chapel, a smaller temple near Karnak. Then, our host Peter Woodward leads us into the inner sanctuaries of the Great Temple of Karnak to explain the sacred duties of the temple priests, and epigrapher William Murnane shows how the art and decoration contributed to the temple's holy power and political prestige.

At the ancient port city Mendes, we speak with archaeologist Donald Redford, who has been uncovering the lives of farmers, priests, and merchants. We also visit the ancient craftsman's village Deir el Medina to learn more about the lives of workers who toiled in the Valley of the Kings. And finally, we wander through modern Cairo to discover the amazing number of similarities between ancient Egypt and the Egypt that we know today.

Renowned as one of Egypt's greatest rulers, his 67-year reign gave rise to the Ramses myth. Yet, his legend includes responsibility for the "Exodus." Benevolent or brutal? We'll examine his possible political motives.

Think you know everything about Ancient Egypt? The secrets surrounding this incredible civilization have endured for millennia. The riddles of the Sphinx, Mummification, the Pyramids--the discoveries of Egypt have been among the highest profile archaeological finds in history. But with so many contenders, which Top 10 secret has had the biggest impact on our view of Ancient Egypt?

The Great Pyramids of Giza remain one of the enduring wonders of the ancient world. These mesmerizing monuments have eluded astronomers and archeologists for centuries. Why and how were they built? Were they merely burial tombs, or a cosmic vehicle to the celestial world? The world's renowned Egyptologists, astronomers, and engineers join forces to solve some of the long-held mysteries about the pyramids. What were the motives and methods behind the orientation of the pyramids to face the four cardinal directions with extreme accuracy? Did the ancient Egyptians use the sun or nighttime stars in the orientation of the pyramids? Were the pyramids the pharaohs' portal to the nighttime stars? Or was the entire Giza complex built as a place of cult worship to the sun?