BUILDING WONDERS

In the first of three segments, explore how ancient Romans built the vast Colosseum to house reenactments of naval battles and stage spectacles involving gladiators and wild animals. In the program on Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, architects use medieval tools to determine how this massive cathedral dome has survived for 1500 years in one of the world’s most violent seismic zones. Finally, travel with archaeologists and sculptors to Jordan to investigate how the lost city of Petra, once a thriving metropolis, was able to flourish so long ago in Jordan’s extreme climate.