Bettany Hughes Treasures of the World

The host travels to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and visits the iconic sites and undiscovered jewels that are only just becoming accessible to tourists. From the natural beauty of the Red Sea, with its outstanding corals and marine life, to the ancient rock art and desert camps of local Bedouin tribes, testament to humanity's connection to this awe-inspiring landscape over millennia.

The host travels to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and visits the iconic sites and undiscovered jewels that are only just becoming accessible to tourists. From the natural beauty of the Red Sea, with its outstanding corals and marine life, to the ancient rock art and desert camps of local Bedouin tribes, testament to humanity's connection to this awe-inspiring landscape over millennia.

Bettany heads to Cyprus, where she explores Aphrodite's cult and visits her sanctuary at Palaepaphos, and also discovers stunning Byzantine churches linked to the Crusaders in the Troodos Mountains. Finally, Bettany is granted special access to archaeological treasures in the UN Buffer Zone, a no-man's land that has divided the island since the 70s.

Bettany arrives by boat in Bodrum, Turkey, and gains unprecedented access to the recently unearthed tomb of the leader of a remarkable dynasty from the 4th century BCE. At Patara, she finds a building with connections to the American constitution and finds the city to be the hometown of St Nicholas, also known as Father Christmas. She also investigates exciting new developments at the world-famous site of Troy where she reveals the truth behind the tales of the Trojan War.

In Turkey, Bettany visits the underground cave cities of Cappadocia and the 10,000-year-old temple and settlement at Göbeklitepe. In the east of the country, she visits Urfa, one of the most significant pilgrimage cities of the Middle East, believed by some to be the birthplace of the Biblical figure Abraham, and hikes up to Mount Nemrut, the highest open-air museum in the world.

Bettany explores mountainous Albania, and journeys to epic fortress towns, breath-taking archaeological sites and encounters a richly diverse history and culture. She visits the ancient city of Butrint, meets remote communities in the spectacular Albanian Alps, and goes underground to the secret bunker of former communist dictator Enver Hoxha.

Bettany uncovers a society which grew rich by selling copper, and visits the crowning glory of Bronze Age Oman: mysterious 5000-year-old beehive-shaped tombs. She also discovers an ancient irrigation system that forged the country's culture and civilisation over the last millennium, and finds out how frankincense, once one of the most sought-after products on the planet, is still harvested by tribal families today.

Bettany visits Gobustan in Azerbaijan, and uncovers 40,000-year-old rock art which tells the tales of the earliest inhabitants of this desert landscape. She then heads to Shaki, an important stop for merchants travelling on the ancient Silk Road. She meets weavers still making silk in the traditional way and explores the remarkable palace of glass built from the riches of their trade. Venturing into the Caucasus mountains, Bettany discovers why Azerbaijan is known as the Land of Fire.