Ancient cities. Lost kingdoms. Seen from the sky.
Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival 2025Best DocumentaryWinner
New York Istanbul Short Film Festival 2025Official SelectionOfficial Selection
Anatolia International Film Festival 2025Best Documentary Feature FilmFinalist
Anatolia International Film Festival 2025Best Narration in a DocumentaryWinner
Symbiotic Film Festival 2025Best DocumentaryWinnerTake an extraordinary journey through Türkiye's rich history, uncovering ancient cities, kingdoms, and empires. Using cutting-edge imaging and drone technology, the series explores remarkably preserved sites along Rome's ancient mail route, revealing the secrets of past civilisations and their architectural marvels across four captivating episodes.
A Rubicon Films and Off The Rails Productions co-production
Türkiye's rich history spans ancient empires and religious transformations. Explore Istanbul's journey from Byzantium to Constantinople, highlighting Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome and historic mosques through breathtaking visuals.
We explore Laodicea's ruins, Philadelphia's history, Sardis' legacy, Pergamum's splendour, Smyrna's resilience, Ephesus' wonders and Tarsus' past, while witnessing the devastating impact of recent earthquakes in Türkiye.
Uncovering the ancient Roman mail route, we explore Ephesus' vast ruins and the Temple of Artemis, Smyrna's thriving port and Sardis' power struggles, revealing their rich history, prosperity and architectural wonders.
From Laodicea's wealth and fine textiles to Pergamum's grand amphitheatre, Thyatira's dye industry, Philadelphia's hidden ruins and Sardis' 3,500-year history, these once-thriving cities reveal captivating stories of trade, culture and power.
Across four episodes the series follows Rome's ancient mail route through western Türkiye: Istanbul's passage from Byzantium to Constantinople; the ruins of Laodicea, Philadelphia, Sardis, Pergamum, Smyrna, Ephesus and Tarsus; the Temple of Artemis and Smyrna's harbour; and the trade, textiles and power that made these cities thrive. Narrated by Sir David Suchet, with drone and imaging photography of sites rarely seen from the air.
