Searching for CLEOPATRA

PROFESSOR ALICE ROBERTS on her epic rail odyssey into Egypt’s mesmerising past

ANCIENT EGYPT BY TRAIN WITH ALICE ROBERTS
SAT, 9.10PM, C4 FACTUAL (BOX SET, CHANNEL 4)

Despite being told of the risks, TV presenter Professor Alice Roberts didn’t hesitate to go deep underground in search of Cleopatra’s elusive final resting place for her new C4 series, Ancient Egypt by Train.

‘I was warned that venomous snakes and scorpions had been seen in the hidden tunnels we’d be exploring,’ says Alice. ‘Luckily, the scorpions stayed away, but it did feel very “Indiana Jones” being 8m down, looking for the tomb of Cleopatra!’

The four-part series follows the anthropologist and author as she uses Egypt’s extensive rail network to explore one of the world’s most ancient civilisations, beginning in Alexandria and going to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.

Here, Digging for Britain’s Alice, 50, tells 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 link the spectacular archaeological sites of Egypt – it sounds like quite a journey!

It was an extraordinary adventure. Over four weeks, we 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.