Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts is a new Channel 4 series that shows many of Egypt's wonders. Egypt is an archaeologist’s treasure trove and this new series follows presenter and anthropologist Professor Alice Roberts as she travels the country by rail, delving into its ancient past.
Taking in destinations such as Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, Alice will visit well-known wonders such as the Pyramids of Giza, The Valley of the Kings and The Avenue of the Sphinxes, as well as lesser-known archeological sites. She’ll also meet the experts still uncovering new discoveries about Egypt.
“I have dreamed about coming to Egypt, especially after reading so much about it since childhood,” says Alice. “Now I’m here to immerse myself in the ancient history and culture of this country. I’m also going off the beaten track to find new discoveries and talk to the people who are still uncovering the secrets of ancient Egypt. There are so many highlights — honestly, it’s an incredible series and I learnt so much. I really hope viewers enjoy coming on this journey with me."
So here’s everything you need to know about the Channel 4 series Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts…
Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts release date
Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts is four-part series the launches on Channel 4 from Saturday June 3 at 9.30pm. Unfortunately there’s no word on where US viewers will be able to watch it in 2023 but we'll update here if we hear.
What happens in Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts?
Professor Alice Roberts will be making good use of Egypt’s 3,000 mile-long rail network as she travels the length and breadth of the country to visit some of the world’s most spectacular sites. From the treasures of Tutankhamun to the Great Pyramids, she learns more about the country’s past, and makes some new discoveries along the way. Take a look at our episode guide below...
Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts episode guide
Here's our guide to all four episodes of Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts...
Episode 1: Alexandria
Professor Alice Roberts jumps on a train to Alexandria where she gets exclusive access to some of the most recently uncovered archaeology in Egypt. She goes deep underground in some recently discovered secret tunnels and meets a former lawyer who is convinced she’s finally solved the mystery of where Queen Cleopatra is buried. Alice discovers how the Romans and the Greeks reacted to the knowledge and power of Ancient Egypt and, on a visit to the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, she learns how a slave became a sultan and built his own fairy-tale fortress.
Professor Alice Roberts says: "Archaeologist and former lawyer Kathleen Martínez has been searching for Cleopatra for 15 years, working on the ancient Taposiris Magna temple, which is a 2,000 acre site about 30 miles out of Alexandria. She recently found hidden tunnels stretching out beneath the Mediterranean sea and thinks they’re key to her quest to find Cleopatra’s resting place. It was amazing being in the tunnels. Kathleen’s discovered numerous graves of elite people and wealthy objects such as jewellery, so she believes there may be royalty down there too. She’s going to keep working. It would be huge to find the grave of Cleopatra."
Episode 2: The Pyramids
Alice follows her childhood heroine, author and Egyptologist Amelia Edward’s footsteps to the Great Pyramids and climbs deep inside to see the tomb of the mighty pharaoh Khufu. In the Great Museum, Alice is fascinated by Tutankhamun. In Saqqara she learns how and why the pyramids first came about, and she finds time for a spot shopping in a Cairo souk.
Alice says: "Visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza was mind-blowing. I met the Director of the Pyramids – what a job title! – and he said myself and the producer and director could go in alone to film! He shut the pyramid to the public for an hour and we made our way, crawling up through tunnels to the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu. It was incredible. To be there in the quiet, all alone, among such history, was really moving. Definitely a highlight."
Episode 3: Luxor
Professor Alice takes the train to Luxor to see Tutankhamun’s burial place and his mummified body in the Valley of the Kings. She walks the Avenue of the Sphinxes and catches up with an old friend who is using satellite technology to discover hundreds more burial sites, showing that we have only scratched the surface of finding the hidden secrets of Ancient Egypt. Alice says: "I really enjoyed Deir el-Medina, the ancient settlement site of artists who made the temples and decorated the tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. We know a lot about the leaders of ancient Egypt, but I’m fascinated by the rest of society, the ordinary people - and this site shows how the artists lived. I absolutely loved that. And I enjoyed visiting the Temple of Kom Ombo, by the Nile, dedicated to the crocodile god, Sobek."
Episode 4: The Temples
In upper Egypt, Alice completes her epic adventure in the city of Aswan whose quarries provided the granite for the country’s vast collection of Ancient Egyptian monuments. She sees the ancient Egyptian temples in the small towns along the railway line from Luxor to Aswan and takes a boat to see the extraordinary Philae Temple that was rebuilt in the 1970s due to flooding caused by the Aswan dam.
Interview: Professor Alice Roberts on her Ancient Egypt By Train series
Professor Alice Roberts, 50, told us how travelling on one of the oldest rail networks in the world helped her go back in time…
Over 3,000 miles of rail track link the spectacular archaeological sites of Egypt, it sounds like quite a journey!
Professor Alice Roberts says: "It was an extraordinary adventure. Over four weeks we literally cover so much ground, starting in Alexandria – known as the gateway to Egypt, and travelling along the Nile, where the train line runs south to Cairo; stopping at fantastic archaeological sites on the way and meeting local historians. It was just incredible."
Had you visited Egypt before?
"No, but I’d always wanted to! I’ve been fascinated by it since I was a child. I grew up in north Bristol and remember being at St Mary’s Church in Henbury, looking at the crosses and angels in the graveyard, and noticing a grave marked with an obelisk and stone ankh – the Egyptian symbol of eternal life. It was the grave of Amelia Edwards, a pioneering Egyptologist who {after touring Egypt in the late 19th century} wrote a fantastic book called A Thousand Miles Up the Nile. It sparked my interest in Egypt and after reading her book I knew I wanted to travel in her footsteps. There’s something alluring about ancient Egypt and all the mysteries surrounding it."
Did you take Amelia’s book with you when you were filming?
"I did! Amelia had been an amazing artist and drawn lots of pictures on her travels – like a Sphinx up to its neck in sand, and a temple that had then been only half dug-out. I saw both - now obviously completely dug-out, at the Karnak temple complex near Luxor. It was fascinating to see how things looked now compared to how she saw them."
What made you want to travel by train?
"It’s just a great way to get around. It’s much better than flying or driving as you get to sit back and appreciate the landscape, which was just beautiful. You’ve got the green, lush, fertile strip which is the flood plains of the Nile, running by the rail track, and then the amazing contrast of arid desert as you get down to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. The train was tiring but they were clean, comfy and on time, which was nice!"
Is there a trailer for Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts?
Channel 4 hasn't yet released a trailer for Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts. if the do, we'll paste it on here.
More about Professor Alice Roberts
Professor Alice Roberts is a presenter, anthropologist, biologist and author. She was one of the regular presenters on the series Coast and was an expert on Time Team. She’s also fronted Stonehenge: The Lost Circle Revealed, Britain’s Most historic Towns, The Incredible Human Journey, Dr Alice Roberts: Don’t Die Young, A Necessary Evil?, Origins of Us, The Big Dig, Fortress Britain with Alice Roberts and Digging for Britain. She also appeared as herself in an episode of Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook’s show Detectorists.
