TV Channel PBS America

Byzantium: The Tale of Three Cities







To the Ancient Greeks the city was known as Byzantium. The Romans would rename it Constantinople. Today we call it Istanbul. Straddling Europe and Asia, this great Turkish metropolis boasts an incredibly rich and fascinating past.

Home to such architectural marvels as the magnificent Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Topkapi Palace, the sprawling settlement on the Bosphoros has, in its time, witnessed more than its share of drama, intrigue, conflict, coexistence and change.

Over the centuries, Paganism, Christianity and Islam have all left indelible marks. In this series, Simon Sebag Montefiore peels away the layers of history, charting the city’s evolution from its earliest roots through to the modern era.