Alexandria: the ancient world's greatest city

Alexandria: the ancient world's greatest city

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Nell Gwyn: England's mistress

Nell Gwyn became famous for her love affair with Charles II, and for her love of drinking, gambling and carousing. Yet, as this Long Read written by Sophie Shorland explores, this upwardly mobile celebrity was also a canny political operator who wielded substantial power in court ...  Show more

The Asante gold: a tale of blood and plunder

It’s a tale of slavery, racism and naked imperial power. This Long Read written by Barnaby Phillips traces the fate of the exquisite golden treasures looted by British forces from the kingdom of Asante 150 years ago. Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

Alexandria
Dan Snow's History Hit

This is the story of a city that laid the foundations for our modern world. Sitting at the intersection of East and West, Alexandria has been home to many of humanity's greatest architectural and cultural achievements, like the famous Lighthouse and the storied Great Library. Som ...  Show more

Gods, demons, witches and exorcists: inside an ancient Assyrian library
HistoryExtra podcast

In the seventh century BC, the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal created a gigantic library in his capital city – one that contained centuries of wisdom. And this vast wealth of ancient knowledge can reveal a lot about how the people of the Near East thought about their gods. Dr ...  Show more

Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria
The Ancients

Known as the 'King of the World' and the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal bestrode the ancient Mesopotamian world as a warrior but also a scholar, ruling the great Assyrian empire at the height of its power.In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Assyriologist Dr Sel ...  Show more

519. The World's First City
The Rest Is History

In as early as 5000 BC the vast and spectacular city of Uruk - replete with towering walls, glistening temples and complex irrigation systems - lay sprawled across the face of Southern Mesopotamia. Not only is Uruk the oldest city in the world, but it is arguably one of the most ...  Show more