Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World
with Bettany Hughes
STREAMING NOW ON MY5 OR WATCH ON CHANNEL 5

FEATURING AN AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY SNAP AR STUDIOS PARIS

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World  follows historian and adventurer Bettany Hughes on an exhilarating journey across three continents to investigate the world’s first travel bucket list – the original Seven Wonders. This list, written over 2,000 years ago, celebrated the boldest engineering marvels of the ancient world. 

From the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Colossus of Rhodes to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Bettany embarks on a mission to rediscover and rebuild these extraordinary monuments, where they once stood. Packed with stunning visuals and groundbreaking research, as well as adventures on the road, this is an unforgettable journey through time, uncovering humanity’s greatest architectural and cultural masterpieces.  

Experience History Like Never Before with Our Groundbreaking Augmented Reality Feature

We are proud to introduce an Augmented Reality (AR) experience as part of this series. For the first time, viewers can explore the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World through stunning, newly created 3D graphics — brought directly into your own space using just a smartphone.

As you watch the films, simply scan the on-screen QR codes to launch the AR models. These immersive experiences allow you to explore each Wonder in real time, right on your floor, desk, or kitchen table.

No special equipment or glasses are required — just your smartphone. You can even record your AR experience and share it with friends and family. It’s an innovative and engaging way to step into the past and bring ancient history to life in your own home.

FIND OUT MORE

Bettany Hughes OBE, author and presenter of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

“The past is a living place, a place that’s relevant to all of us. Using this meticulously researched Augmented Reality allows viewers at home to explore right inside these ancient wonders. It’s an immersive experience that we hope will bring the past to life for millions!”

How It Works

1. Open up your phone's camera app

If you are watching the series the QR codes will appear on screen at the best time to enjoy the augmented reality experience

2. Focus your camera on the QR code

Hold your camera steady and have the QR code clearly in focus. Make sure that the flat surface you are using is visible and clear and is about 1-2 m away from you

3. Click the QR code link which appears on screen and follow the instructions to open the experience

For Snapchat users the experience will open in the app, for non Snapchat users wait for the ‘continue in browser' pop up then follow the on-screen prompts to open the experience. You will see more info about this below in the section called 'How to view the AR lens in your phone internet browser'

4. Experience a Wonder in augmented reality!

Watch the Wonder appear in front of you - move your phone to experience different angles and rotate the Wonder with your finger

SCAN THE QR CODES BELOW TO EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS

Great Pyramid at Giza

It was made of 2.3 million blocks of stone, some of which weighed up to 15 tonnes. It took between 20-25 years to construct, meaning that one block would have been put in place every two minutes!

Lighthouse at Alexandria

Also known as the Pharos Lighthouse as it was built on an island off the mainland called Pharos. The lighthouse was around 100 metres or so tall and had around 300 rooms.

Colossus of Rhodes

The statue was made with a 7-millimetre thin skin of bronze in the 3rd Century BCE but was felled by an earthquake just 50 or so years later.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Work on the giant statue began in around 438 BCE and took about 5 years to build. A pool of olive oil at his feet acted as a mirror and doubled his divine image.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

The monumental tomb built by King Mausolus and Queen Artemisia of the Kingdom of Caria (South-western Turkey) between 361 – 351 BCE gave the world the word ‘Mausoleum’.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

2,600 years ago, Babylon was the largest city in the world. The height of the Hanging Gardens isn’t known for sure, but it could have been up to 100 metres tall.

Temple of Artemis

The temple was 130 metres long and 70 metres wide, making it twice the size of the Parthenon, and featured 127 columns!

How to view the AR lens in your phone internet browser

Scan QR code when it appears during the programme

TECHNICAL & TROUBLESHOOTING

For the best experience with the series' AR element, we recommend downloading the Snapchat app and scanning the on-screen QR codes with your phone's camera.

If you prefer not to use Snapchat, an iPhone running iOS 17 (or later) or Android 14 (or newer) is recommended for the web-based AR experience.

Compatibility and performance may vary across devices, browsers and settings.

If the AR experience isn't working on your device / browser:

Check your phone's operating system is up-to-date
Make sure that the flat surface you are using is visible and clear and is about 1-2 m away from you
The experience will not load if your front-facing camera is selected, make sure to switch the camera view around
Switch from Google Chrome to another browser (such as Firefox, Edge. Opera, Safari)
On Android (including Chrome or Samsung Internet) try resetting camera permissions for the site, and reload the page. For more information, see Google Chrome Help: Change site settings permissions