
Professor Alice Roberts takes a train ride that covers 600 years of the Ottoman Empire. Her mission is to learn about this vast empire that started with a dream in the 14th century.
WritersPaul Crompton, Alice Roberts

The Whirling Dervishes
Oct 26, 2024
Alice Roberts starts her Ottoman adventure in Adana. She visits a historic mosque and learns about the origins of Turkish delight. She then takes a train across the Taurus Mountains to Konya.

A Tale of Two Cities
Nov 2, 2024
Alice Roberts is on a train to Ankara on her Ottoman adventure. She visits the tomb of Ataturk who saw out the end of the empire. Next, a train to the tomb of Osman, the empire's founder, in Bursa.

Ships in the Night
Nov 9, 2024
Alice Roberts arrives in Istanbul and delves into the ingenious strategies employed by the Ottomans to capture the city from Roman control.

Controlling Europe
Nov 16, 2024
Entering the Balkans by sleeper train, Alice Roberts visits Bulgaria's capital Sofia. She learns how Istanbul controls the empire and how the landscape is almost entirely Soviet.

Choosing the Wrong Side
Nov 23, 2024
In her final train journey, Alice Roberts travels to Budapest to explore the Ottoman Empire's western front and understand its eventual collapse.