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S01E03 - "Capital of a New Empire"
Aired on Dec 19, 2013, 9:00 PM
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Description
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore traces the sacred history of Istanbul. The Turkish capital was once described as the 'city of the world's desire', having been the focus of three faiths - Paganism, Christianity and Islam - and the stage for some of the fiercest political and religious conflicts over the past 2,500 years.
Episodes (1 Season · 3 Episodes)
E1
From Byzantium to Constantinople
Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at Istanbul's Greek roots, its transformation into the capital of a Christian empire and reveals how clashes forced eastern and western churches apart.
Dec 5, 2013
60 min
E2
From Constantinople to Istanbul
Simon Sebag Montefiore explores modern Istanbul in search of the last centuries of Christian Byzantium, when the once glorious city was buffeted by enemies from both east and west.
Dec 12, 2013
60 min
E3
Capital of a New Empire
Visiting the great mosques and palaces built by the Ottoman emperors, Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at how Istanbul became the imperial capital and Islam's most powerful city.
Dec 19, 2013
60 min
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