The Sunken Basilica -
secrets of the dead

2014, Turkey. A normal survey flight over Lake Iznik unexpectedly reveals the sunken remains a 4th century basilica. The discovery prompts scientists to probe the elusive history and geology behind the demise of the church that was built in ancient Nicaea -- now known as Iznik. When was the basilica destroyed? How did the basilica get swallowed up by Lake Iznik? And what happened to its community? Spanning the globe, this investigation follows a world-renowned team in this underwater excavation. Thanks to exclusive access to the site, including critical aerial and underwater cinematography, and spectacular CGI, we time travel through the centuries, back to the Roman and Byzantine time, and at the foundation of Christianity itself.

Episode Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 2005

About Secrets of the Dead:

Part detective story, part true-life drama, SECRETS OF THE DEAD unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events.

Using the most up-to-date science in the laboratory and in the field, scientists and researchers examine the missing pieces of each puzzle, completing the picture of what had been merely an assemblage of suppositions.

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