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00:08Across the globe, ancient architectural marvels stand as testaments to human ingenuity.
00:15However, within the stunning craftsmanship of some of these structures, sinister whispers linger.
00:21People see something that is so majestic, so perfect, so beautiful,
00:27that they don't believe it could have been created by human hands.
00:31In the Andean heights of Peru, a colossal stone complex defies explanation.
00:37Its seemingly impenetrable walls, stunning 16th century conquerors.
00:43Why did the Spanish believe the Inca called on dark forces to build their fortress?
00:50Deep in the arid landscape of Rajasthan, India,
00:53the mesmerizing geometry of an ancient stepwell plunges 13 stories into the earth.
01:00Its intricate design seems almost otherworldly.
01:04King Chanda is trying to save his kingdom, so he turns to the dark arts.
01:08Did a malevolent force perform this architectural feat?
01:13Rising above the streets of Paris, the gothic spires of a famed cathedral have long echoed tales of demonic pacts.
01:21This is a bastion of the Christian faith.
01:25Demons will want to play with it.
01:27What secrets lie hidden in its elaborate designs?
01:31Exploring these architectural wonders uncovers the fine line between genius and the supernatural.
01:37It seemed like magic, and it's not that much of a leap to go, the devil was involved.
01:42Could it be true?
01:43Or do the real answers lie in forgotten human knowledge?
01:48The real answers lie in the future.
02:10High in the Andean mountains, perched above the Peruvian city of Cusco,
02:15lies Sacsayhuaman, a massive stone complex that has baffled experts for centuries.
02:22The true purpose of this colossal structure remains one of the greatest mysteries of Inca archaeology.
02:29Its layout hints at a level of sophistication that we're only beginning to understand.
02:35With zigzagging walls that stretch for hundreds of meters,
02:40Sacsayhuaman's cryptic design speaks to a grand purpose.
02:43Commonly, it was believed that this was a fortress,
02:48and that makes sense when you consider its defensive walls and strategic location.
02:55But Sacsayhuaman's mysteries run deeper than its imposing walls.
03:00Below its foundation is a rumored labyrinth of tunnels,
03:04potentially guarding ancient secrets and a haunted passage to the underworld.
03:09Was this primarily a military fortress or a religious center?
03:13Or something else entirely?
03:17When Spanish conquistadors arrive in Cusco in the 16th century,
03:22they are bewildered by the sight of Sacsayhuaman.
03:25It's hard to imagine what was going through the minds of the Spanish conquistadors,
03:29the first time they set eyes on Sacsayhuaman.
03:32Well, the first sight of the fortress must have been awe-inspiring.
03:37It must have been intimidating.
03:39They had no frame of reference for what they were seeing.
03:42In some ways, the engineering met or even exceeded what was possible back in Europe.
03:47They can't believe that it was constructed by the Incas,
03:51because they saw them as backward and uncivilized.
03:54So, in their mind, they couldn't possibly build something as magnificent and sophisticated as this fortress.
04:04They swiftly attribute its construction to demonic forces.
04:17Nearly a century before the conquistadors' arrival in Cusco,
04:21Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Sapa Inca,
04:25begins the transformation of the kingdom of Cusco into the mighty Inca Empire,
04:30the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas.
04:36Pachacuti is a brilliant strategist.
04:39During his reign from 1438 to 1471 CE,
04:44he expands Inca territory across western South America
04:47through conquest and diplomacy,
04:50and oversees massive construction projects,
04:53including Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman,
04:56marking the beginning of the Inca Empire's Golden Age.
05:01Cusco serves as the capital of the Incan Empire
05:04until the Spanish conquistadors arrive in the 16th century,
05:08an event that would be the catalyst for a bloody battle.
05:12It's November 1533.
05:15Francisco Pizarro and his conquistadors have arrived in Cusco.
05:19This moment marks the culmination of a decade of Spanish aggression in the Americas.
05:25In 1521, Hernán Cortés had conquered the Aztec Empire for Spain.
05:31Now Francisco Pizarro seemed poised to do the same to the Incas.
05:35The Spanish are initially welcomed in Cusco.
05:38Earlier that year, Pizarro's forces had captured and executed the Incan Empire at a whelper
05:45and installed the young Manco Inca as a puppet ruler.
05:49But things started to go bad shortly thereafter,
05:52and tensions began to rise.
05:53The Spanish began to strip the city of all of its gold and silver.
05:57They looted the sacred buildings of the city.
06:00And all of this reached the breaking point.
06:03In 1536, Manco Inca led a rebellion against the Spanish conquistadors,
06:09culminating in the siege of Cusco.
06:12Sacsayhuaman's role in the siege is a crucial one.
06:15Its position overlooking Cusco makes it an ideal spot as the headquarters for the 200,000 warriors Manco has assembled.
06:24For the Spanish, getting control of Sacsayhuaman is suddenly now a strategic objective.
06:31In May of 1536, a force of 50 cavalry and 120 Spanish infantry stormed the complex.
06:40A bloody battle ensues.
06:42But the Spanish eventually succeed in capturing Sacsayhuaman.
06:47This victory serves as a pivotal moment in their efforts to break the siege of Cusco.
06:52In the chaos that followed, many Inca warriors threw themselves from the walls,
06:57death being preferable to being captured by the Spanish.
07:01So it's interesting to ask what these events can tell us about the intended use of Sacsayhuaman.
07:07Was it actually intended to be a fortress, or was it just being used as one out of necessity?
07:13New evidence suggests the structure may have served a much more practical purpose.
07:20In 2008, archaeologists make a groundbreaking discovery, suggesting a more complex role in Inca society,
07:28one that may transcend its use as a simple fortress.
07:32They uncover the ruins of an ancient temple near the site of Sacsayhuaman.
07:37The temple's interior reveals a connection to the dead,
07:41a series of intriguing structures that point to sophisticated funerary practices.
07:46Within this temple, they find 11 enclosures of varying sizes.
07:51The configuration and contents of these chambers strongly suggests its use for mummy burials.
07:57These mummification rituals were very important, very significant in Inca culture.
08:03Clearly, they had an understanding that it was important to preserve the body for passage to the afterlife.
08:12While the archaeological evidence suggests that the site's origins may stretch back even further than the Inca's,
08:18it is believed that the Inca significantly expanded and developed the structure.
08:22The presence of this temple and its secret funerary enclosures
08:27may hint at its role in connecting the human realm to that which lies beyond.
08:32Could other undiscovered structures in this area help further expand our knowledge of this site?
08:38Or does the truth lie somewhere within the mysterious patterns of the walls?
08:43The design of Sacsayhuaman seems to be heavily influenced by Incan religious beliefs
08:49and their tether to other realms.
09:03During his reign in the 15th century, Pashakuti elevates the sun god Inti to supreme status,
09:10reshaping the state religion.
09:12When people can't explain what's happening around them or they see the forces of nature,
09:16they often turn them into spiritual beings or entities.
09:20And so within this mysticism, we find that there's sun gods repeated over and over and over again.
09:26The sun was the giver of life.
09:29It also marked the seasons.
09:32In the Incan culture, that was Inti.
09:38It's been theorized that Sacsayhuaman was dedicated to the worship of this sun god,
09:44and many elements of its design hint at its mystical connections.
09:48The walls form this very distinct zigzagging pattern.
09:52This angular shape creates a series of sharp turns and recesses.
09:57Some suggest the design resembles the head of a puma,
10:00a sacred animal in Inca mythology, with the city of Cusco forming the body.
10:06They had a complex understanding of the cosmos.
10:10They recognized three realms, and each of them were tied with significant creatures.
10:16The underworld was associated with the serpent, the earthly realm with the puma, and the heavens with the condor.
10:23These three realms and the cryptic language of the stars above often govern the ancient Inca rituals and sacred sites.
10:32Many ancient civilizations actually put spiritual values and powers into the animals that were around them.
10:39They've anthropomorphized the animals themselves to place a spiritual lead within that realm.
10:47Sacsayhuaman's position as the puma's head emphasizes its importance in connecting the earthly and spiritual realms.
10:55But perhaps even more intriguing is the theory that its layout incorporates sophisticated astronomical alignments,
11:02potentially encoding ancient knowledge.
11:06Researchers have identified astronomical values in both the pattern of its zigzag walls
11:11and in the angles of the wall stones themselves,
11:14which could indicate the alignment of the moon, earth, and sun at a given time,
11:19and help predict lunar and solar eclipses.
11:22Similar patterns found at ancient sites worldwide raise intriguing questions about a shared knowledge
11:29spanning continents and millennia.
11:32This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of ancient civilizations' capabilities.
11:38But would the Inca really have had the engineering foresight
11:41to build such a grand complex in the shape of a puma's head,
11:45or to build complex astronomical values into its very walls?
11:49We often wonder how the ancients accomplished what they did,
11:54but they knew a lot more than we give them credit for.
11:57The Inca people were amazing at developing technology.
12:02They built incredible structures.
12:04They domesticated llamas and alpacas and guinea pigs.
12:08They had terraced agriculture.
12:10They had water control.
12:12This society was very, very innovative from a technological point of view.
12:17While a conclusive answer to its original purpose may continue to evade us,
12:22the stones of Saxe-Huaman themselves hold their own secrets,
12:26hinting at a mastery of construction that continues to challenge mortal comprehension.
12:31These walls are built with massive stones, some of them weighing up to 200 tons.
12:37Believing that only demonic forces could have built Saxe-Huaman's amazing walls,
12:43the Spanish attempt to take down the entire structure,
12:46but reportedly find that the biggest stones are simply too heavy to move.
12:51If the heaviest stones were too large to take down,
12:55how on earth were they erected in the first place?
12:58Could this have been the work of otherworldly forces?
13:04We don't know how they built these walls,
13:06but it's reasonable to say that they had a good understanding of physics,
13:09and they perhaps harnessed the power of levers to move these giant boulders.
13:15It's believed they used wooden rollers and levers to facilitate the movement of heavy stones
13:20over relatively flat terrain,
13:22and may have constructed ramps and inclined planes for transporting up steep slopes.
13:28Where there's a will, there's a way, and they figured it out.
13:31It's possible that over 20,000 workers were involved in building this colossal fortress,
13:37likely including labourers who carried out the Herculean task
13:40of transporting the stones from nearby quarries,
13:43as well as the workers who assembled the walls.
13:46But how did the Inca achieve the seemingly impossible precision
13:50in the stonework we see today?
13:55The Inca were master stonemasons,
13:58renowned for their remarkable ability to construct monumental structures
14:03that have stood the test of time.
14:06The strength of their empire is often credited to this talent.
14:10They used multiple techniques in order to shape not only these massive stones,
14:16but also to create very polished, finely decorated stones.
14:21So clearly this is signs of a very sophisticated, artisanal culture,
14:27but also a culture in which art and engineering went hand in hand.
14:31Many stones still bear the marks of the tools used to shape them,
14:35suggesting the use of bronze chisels and stone hammers
14:38to achieve the desired shape and smoothness.
14:41The cutting and setting of the blocks was so exact that mortar was unnecessary.
14:47Mortar is an important piece to the durability of a brick wall.
14:52If you were to build a wall without mortar, you would likely have some gaps.
14:57That's a bit problematic because you're going to get water flowing down in between the rocks.
15:02If you get freezing periods, it's going to cause ice to form,
15:06and when ice forms, it creates pressure and causes rocks to be pushed apart
15:10and basically destroys your construction through natural weathering processes.
15:16Mortar would close those gaps and allow for a more airtight structure.
15:19However, they didn't use mortar.
15:23Instead, they just shaped everything so precisely that mortar wasn't needed.
15:29Dry stone masonry is a really incredible way to construct buildings,
15:34and we're constructing basically a stone that fits like a puzzle piece
15:39into a larger part of a building.
15:41We're matching every stone to the stones around it.
15:45Some believe they used methods similar to those used in the building of log cabins,
15:50called scribing and coping.
15:53Scribing is the act of shaping those stones to match the profile of something else,
15:59and coping is a precise cut, sort of a carving out of something.
16:04This is beneficial from so many points of view.
16:07It creates a very stable structure, but it also resists weathering.
16:11If we're not getting water flowing down between our rocks because they're so tight together,
16:16we have a much better chance of it enduring long periods of time
16:20and not failing due to normal weathering processes.
16:23And they are just perfectly fit with no mortar.
16:27There is no gap between there.
16:29You can't even put a piece of paper in between there.
16:31That is incredible.
16:33They either coped or carved or cut out or sanded or rounded all of these rocks.
16:38Each one of these is a labour of love.
16:40But the Inca engineers weren't just concerned with aesthetics.
16:44They built with an eye towards longevity.
16:48The Inca empire is built high in the Andes,
16:50and the Andes are a geologically active area.
16:53This area has massive earthquakes.
16:56It's not uncommon to have magnitude 7 plus earthquakes in this area.
17:00And to build structures that have been able to endure thousands of years in this environment is amazing.
17:07Where we use dry masonry, because the stones fit together and lock together,
17:13they don't want to tumble apart in an earthquake.
17:16And so that interlock of all of these stones together can resist quite a bit of horizontal pressure on that
17:22wall,
17:23be it from wind, from an impact from something, or from soil consistently pressing on it.
17:29They also were thoughtful about the configuration of these walls.
17:32They're in a zigzag pattern.
17:33Each shift through that zigzag adds lateral stability into these walls as well.
17:39It acts as a unit to resist all of those forces that it might experience.
17:42To recognize that the need for robustness around lateral forces in these ancient times is pretty awesome.
17:50But the mysteries of its construction don't end at its unshakable walls.
17:55Legend speaks of vast underground networks connecting the fortress to other important Inca sites.
18:01Some even claim these tunnels stretch all the way to Cusco's Coricantra, the most sacred temple of the Inca Empire.
18:11These tunnels could have served multiple purposes, from storage and shelter to escape routes and ritualistic spaces.
18:20Legends persist of vast chambers filled with gold and precious artifacts hidden away from Spanish conquistadors,
18:39In the 1920s, following the rumored disappearance of several tunnel explorers,
18:45all entryways were shuttered to the public, though many are still tempted to venture below today.
18:52According to some local tales, these cursed passages promise to kill anyone who steps foot inside.
19:00Could this be otherworldly forces at work, guarding a potential channel to the underworld?
19:07Tunnels and passages come up again and again when we talk about ancient structures.
19:12And a lot of this comes to the idea that, you know, a tunnel is a passageway,
19:17and it has a mystical significance to it because you don't know what's on the other end.
19:21And you can imagine that if you travel down this tunnel, you will leave one realm and enter another.
19:26Could the Spanish have seen these tunnels as the source of the demonic forces they believed built Sacsayhuaman?
19:33It's interesting to reflect as a modern person that descriptions of demons creating the structure seems foreign,
19:42and it seems unreasonable to us, but in fact, that would have been perfectly natural.
19:47It would have been a rational interpretation for someone like Pizarro.
19:52There's a tendency on the part of many conquerors to see the people that they were conquering as inferior and
20:00incapable
20:01and being bound by the powers of darkness.
20:08When we're faced with something, we don't know how it happened, how it was built,
20:12or it just looks beyond normal abilities of man, we put it into the supernatural.
20:17We put it onto the side of the divine.
20:19If it's something that matches with our religion, with the primitives, the heathens,
20:24they're the ones that are supporting the negative side of the spirituality, devils, demons, the underworld.
20:30Early modern people understood that the devil was real, the devil was present,
20:35that the devil's function was to create chaos, havoc, destruction.
20:41And so for someone like Pizarro, encountering the Incas would have reminded him of the ever-present reality of the
20:49demonic.
20:51So when we consider how the Spanish minimized and underestimated the Inca,
20:56it's worth asking ourselves if we don't do the same thing sometimes
21:00when we look at the accomplishments of other ancient civilizations.
21:06Halfway across the world lies another architectural enigma.
21:12Like Sacsayhuaman, its geometry, an impossible scale,
21:16whisper of origins beyond mortal comprehension.
21:22India, a land of ancient wonders and rich cultural heritage,
21:27boasts a remarkable array of architectural marvels that have stood the test of time.
21:33While iconic sites like the Taj Mahal often steal the spotlight,
21:37some of India's most tantalizing structures continue to perplex historians today.
21:45Hidden in the arid landscape of Rajasthan,
21:48a descent into the depths awaits.
21:51The Chandbhari Stepwell.
21:53This is one of the largest and deepest stepwells in India,
21:58reaching 13 stories into the earth.
22:01Chandbhari is one of many stepwells in India
22:03intended as a reservoir during the region's dry spells.
22:07But the intricate carvings and sculptures that adorn its walls
22:11hint at a purpose beyond mere water storage.
22:13It is not only beautiful, but it must have required extraordinary precision in its design and execution.
22:25There's 3,500 steps in this.
22:28You immediately recognize the geometry in this, the thoughtful planning of these steps.
22:33These perfectly carved steps form a mesmerizing geometric pattern.
22:40Why did they choose this specific geometric design?
22:44Does it encode ancient knowledge or religious beliefs?
22:47The stepwell's precise construction and vast scale
22:52raise intriguing questions about the capabilities of its 9th century builders.
22:57How did these ancient architects achieve such precision without modern surveying tools?
23:03It almost seems to defy the limits of ancient engineering.
23:09The hands that carved this subterranean stone did so in worship of water.
23:16So much of ancient cultures focuses around water.
23:20For civilizations to thrive, they need continuous access to it.
23:25You have to have water.
23:27Nowadays we have great access to water.
23:29It's considered a basic necessity and it's always provided to us.
23:33But back then, in places like India, you had to collect the water so there was enough for the community.
23:39In particular in India, there are years where you have monsoons and you have immense amounts of water.
23:46And then you'll have periods where there isn't a monsoon and the water table will literally change by meters.
23:53If we're not changing our technology to address the changing water table, our civilization is going to collapse.
24:00So the most successful ancient civilizations had ways to ensure continuous access to water.
24:06And that's kind of where stepwells come in.
24:11The stepwells were a fascinating and ingenious structure designed to serve as water reservoirs.
24:19The rainwater falls from the sky and collects in the huge opening.
24:23The rain then trickles down the steps and collects in the bottom well.
24:26The water then seeps through porous rock, which replenishes the underground water table.
24:34Thirst and hunger are some of the strongest drives that motivate people.
24:39These are really basic drives and they're in some structures of the brain that are the oldest ones conserved across
24:47evolution.
24:47It's going to be a major driver of how that society is formed and how decisions are made.
24:53And in this arid land, it should be very easy to get a large community together to build a stepwell
24:59because it's something everybody can see that they, their families and their descendants are going to need.
25:05While ancient stepwells were vital water sources in the arid regions of India, their role transcended mere necessity.
25:14People gathered here not only to draw water, but to socialise, exchange news and even for religious purposes.
25:26The intricately carved walls, niches and pavilions served as a backdrop for storytelling and artistic performances,
25:34transforming the stepwells into vibrant hubs of daily life and cultural activity.
25:41But the complexity of Chand Bowery's construction, its sheer scale and intricate design, has led to persistent questions about how
25:49it was built.
25:50And in the absence of clear answers, local legends and folklore have flourished.
25:56When we think of a structure that is essential to the survival of people, that is also an extraordinary work
26:04of art in and of itself.
26:05It was so beautiful that stories developed around it being a supernatural creation.
26:13Legend has it that King Chanda is trying to save his kingdom from drought.
26:17This king is driven to desperation.
26:21He turns to the dark arts.
26:26In his darkest hour, the king calls upon the help of a djinn, a supernatural entity with malevolent powers.
26:34The djinn agrees to build a stepwell, but this offer of salvation will come at a terrible price.
26:40The surrender of the kingdom itself.
26:45Faced with an impossible choice, the king accepts the terms, prioritising his people's survival over his own rule.
26:53According to the tale, this supernatural being constructs the entire stepwell in a single night.
26:59Then King Chanda experienced a fortunate twist of fate.
27:04In recognising the king's selfless act, a saint intervenes and basically traps the djinn in the bowels of the stepwell,
27:12and the kingdom is restored.
27:14Imprisoned in the depths of this structure for eternity, the legend of the djinn lingers for centuries more.
27:20Chan Bowery's intricate design seems to defy the limitations of its time, leaving many to consider the haunting possibility that
27:29such an entity may indeed be responsible.
27:34However, modern archaeology has revealed hints about its true design.
27:40While detailed records of Chan Bowery's construction have been lost to history, careful examination of the structure, and others like
27:48it, can offer some insights.
27:50We often think about structures that are coming up from the ground, that we're creating space above ground.
27:55This is actually creating a space below grade, and that's really interesting.
27:59It's like inverting my whole world.
28:01It's really cool.
28:02Excavation likely began with digging the central well to reach water level.
28:06This would have required precise surveying to ensure the correct depth and width.
28:12As the foundation was secured, the greatest task still loomed overhead, carving 3,500 narrow steps up 13 floors to
28:23ground level.
28:24This is a big structure where people are taking not only a lot of time to carve those steps out,
28:30but a lot of time to make sure that they're exactly the size they need to be.
28:35The perfect symmetry of Chan Bowery implies a mastery of mathematics, and potentially a grasp of geometry that surpasses the
28:44known knowledge of this era.
28:47When you're trying to build essentially an inverted pyramid in the ground, you need to know exactly what your pyramid
28:54is going to look like before you start building it.
28:56If you start changing angles, you don't end up with a pyramid.
29:02You end up with something that's very skewed and would look aesthetically extremely unpleasing.
29:08The uniform size and precise angles of the steps suggest the use of standardized measurements and possibly templates.
29:16It takes a lot of precision in each step that you go down to make sure you're going to end
29:22up where you need to be.
29:23So you're literally measuring within a few millimeters in each layer.
29:29Everything is meticulous.
29:31The angles, the carving, the steps, the pathways through.
29:34There's just so much thought put into the circulation of this system and how one would move through it.
29:42Could this seemingly impossible perfection be a clue that the mysterious tale of the djinn is true?
29:50Beyond practical function, the design elements of Chan Bowery also play with its visitors' minds, stirring a sense of awe
29:59and perhaps a subtle unease.
30:01The Stepwell is really interesting in its design because of how it makes you feel when you look at it.
30:07And that's because in nature, yes, we have rough symmetry, right?
30:12We've got two arms, two legs, two eyes.
30:13But yet, things aren't perfect in the natural world.
30:19Here we see something that is balanced out and symmetric, but it's all sharp corners.
30:25It's steps.
30:27It's lines.
30:28The only place we normally see lines are off on the horizon.
30:30We don't see them as straight lines in most any other places.
30:34And because of it, it gives this sense of awe.
30:38It's not something that is natural, and therefore we add extra meaning to the space, to the place itself.
30:47Incorporated into the engineering design of Chan Bowery is an apparent secret of ancient wisdom,
30:53one that suggests a strategy for mitigating the desert's intense heat.
30:58As you descend the steps of Chan Bowery, you would feel the temperature dropping, defying the scorching heat above.
31:08The cooling properties of the Stepwell reveal themselves when examining the layers of its design.
31:14At first glance, the thick stone walls appear only to serve as structural support.
31:19But they are actually the first clue to the Stepwell's cooling mechanism.
31:23The builders chose materials with high thermal mass, creating a natural heatsink that absorbs daytime heat and releases it slowly
31:33at night.
31:35Further down, a noticeable chill permeates the air.
31:39The Stepwell maintains a temperature of 5 to 6 degrees cooler at its base than at its surface.
31:46Was this an intentional design feature?
31:49And if so, how did they calculate it?
31:53The ancient engineers seem to have tapped into Earth's natural cooling properties,
31:58using the subterranean design to access cooler underground layers.
32:03The collected water itself isn't just for drinking.
32:07It plays a crucial role in a natural air conditioning system.
32:12As the water evaporates, it cools the surrounding air, much like our own body's perspiration.
32:18This natural cooling system is amplified by the well's unique vertical structure,
32:23which creates a chimney effect, encouraging air circulation.
32:28By having that cooler water source slow down and having wind that would blow it on top,
32:33it creates an interesting thermal dynamic where it will stay cooler down there.
32:38Warm air rises, drawing cooler air from the water's surface upwards,
32:43resulting in a constant flow of breeze, a certain shiver from the depths.
32:50Ancient engineers were able to create a sophisticated climate control system,
32:55transforming a water source into a cool oasis in one of the world's hottest regions.
33:01In an arid, dry land, cold water is not something most people get to experience.
33:08Even the rains and the monsoons are warm.
33:11So it adds another level of awe or mysticism to the whole endeavor and the whole structure,
33:19that they're experiencing something special here that they cannot get anywhere else.
33:24While its design creates an oasis in the desert heat, its purpose extends beyond mere physical comfort,
33:31as evidenced by a nearby temple that hints at the site's deeper spiritual significance.
33:38Just 100 meters west of Chandbauri stands a temple dedicated to Harshat Mata,
33:45the goddess of joy and happiness.
33:47Built between the 7th and 8th centuries, it's believed that this temple formed a complex with Chandbauri.
33:54Pilgrims would typically purify themselves in the stepwell's waters before entering the sacred temple ground.
34:02Water is sacred across many traditions, and in Hindu it has a particularly special role,
34:09not only of ritual purification, but water was part of the cosmos.
34:14It was actually binding the earthly and the celestial realms together.
34:19So it was essential to their understanding, not only of their lived experience, their present life, but the afterlife.
34:29This connection also reveals the stepwell's deep spiritual significance,
34:34further emphasized by its intricate architectural details.
34:37Many of the carvings adorning Chandbauri depict Hindu deities and mythological scenes and narrate sacred stories.
34:46These carvings transform the stepwell into a three-dimensional religious text.
34:53Chandbauri was likely used in conjunction with a nearby temple for centuries,
34:57embodying the Hindu concept of finding divinity in the most essential elements of life,
35:03a tradition that has endured for over a millennium.
35:09While the specifics of its construction remain elusive and the legends of the djinn endure,
35:16Chandbauri's ancient ingenuity continues to stand the test of time.
35:21Today, India is turning back to its ancient wisdom in order to tackle the modern water crisis.
35:31I think it is a testimony to the ingenuity of the early designers of these stepwells that they're now finding
35:39purpose again today.
35:41In this period of climate change, when we have increasing drought conditions locally,
35:47stepwells are now being put back to work because they are one of the most efficient means of ensuring the
35:54survival of the local population.
35:57This revival of ancient wisdom is testament to the fact that these ancient stepwells
36:04are not only relics of the past, but potential answers for the future.
36:12As with Chandbauri, the line between the mystical and the physical blurs at a grand cathedral in Paris.
36:20Legends whisper of gargoyles that protect the cathedral from unseen threats,
36:25and tales of diabolical pacts that may have shaped its very doors.
36:31Standing majestically in the heart of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, completed in the mid-13th century,
36:39has captivated visitors for hundreds of years.
36:42It stands as one of the world's oldest and most renowned Gothic cathedrals.
36:48Notre Dame has witnessed pivotal moments in French history,
36:53from the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte to the beatification of Joan of Arc.
37:00The cathedral's impressive dimensions, with towers reaching 69 metres into the sky,
37:07speak to the ambition of its builders.
37:10This was a cathedral built through the financial and artisanal contributions of the local population.
37:17It was intended to be the largest, the most sophisticated cathedral of its time.
37:25So it was to be a mark of the greatness of Paris,
37:29as one of the largest and most economically successful cities in Europe at the time.
37:35But beneath its Gothic splendour lie deep mysteries of its construction.
37:40It's not only the scale that amazes,
37:43but the innovative techniques used to achieve such heights.
37:46And the structural mysteries are just the beginning.
37:50Legend has it that the gargoyles are the protectors of the church.
37:53But are they protecting the church against supernatural forces or against earthly threats?
38:01Beneath the soaring arches of Notre Dame lies a secret that stretches back to the very foundations of Paris.
38:08For generations, pilgrims and tourists have marvelled at the Christian masterpiece that is the Notre Dame today.
38:19But few realise that the ground that touches their feet holds clues to a much older, grander, mysterious past.
38:30They find stone structures underneath Notre Dame that would predate it by centuries.
38:35In the 1700s, they discovered that the church was built on the ruins of an old Gallo-Roman temple to
38:45Jupiter,
38:46the king of the Roman pantheon.
38:49What does that tell us?
38:51Well, first of all, that you have a temple to the most powerful of the Roman gods.
38:55Suggests that this place, the place where it's located, has long been a site of cultic worship,
39:00and in particular, a very sacred site.
39:03This is evidence of the site's long history as a place of worship.
39:07How did a pagan temple become one of Christianity's most revered cathedrals?
39:13The transformation from pagan temple to Christian cathedral was a centuries-long process.
39:20As Christianity spreads throughout Europe, the site undergoes a radical metamorphosis.
39:30Sacred sites tended to remain sacred sites even when there was a change in religion.
39:34And so the Christians didn't seem to have a problem rededicating pagan holy sites and making them Christian holy sites.
39:44So we go from the pagan temple to an early Christian church, and that gets replaced by another Christian church.
39:50But it stays in a line of descent that eventually brings us to Notre Dame.
39:55Emerging from the shadows of its pagan origins, Notre Dame Cathedral has defied centuries of challenges and natural disasters.
40:03What architectural secrets lie within its hallowed walls, enabling the Gothic structure to withstand the ravages of time and nature?
40:13For centuries, Notre Dame Cathedral has stood as a testament to Gothic architecture.
40:18But in 2019, a devastating fire engulfed the cathedral, destroying its roof and iconic spire.
40:26To see a structure like this be impacted by the fire, it's a little heartbreaking for a structural engineer.
40:34I remember we turned it on at our office and watched it.
40:39As the smoke clears, archaeologists and historians are given an unprecedented opportunity to study the inner workings of Notre Dame's
40:48structure.
40:50What hidden resilience did medieval builders embed within the very bones of Notre Dame Cathedral?
40:58One of the keys to the cathedral's longevity could be the 30 flying buttresses that form its stone exoskeleton.
41:06When we start building big structures like Notre Dame with large open indoor spaces, we end up with immense roof
41:13structures that are very heavy.
41:15And the resolved forces from those roof structures invariably want to cause our walls to buckle outward.
41:21So we need to design systems that support our walls.
41:26And with Notre Dame, that technology is the flying buttress.
41:31The walls are quite tall, so they're a little wobbly.
41:34You can imagine building a wall out of Lego.
41:36At some point, it's not very stable.
41:38You can't put another brick on top of there.
41:40And so you need to brace it horizontally.
41:42And that's where the flying buttresses come in.
41:45They are lateral supports at high up points that then take those lateral forces out and all the way down
41:51into the ground.
41:53Also, when you have an arched roof, that arch wants to thrust out at its haunches.
41:58And so the arch itself is imposing a horizontal force.
42:02That force goes into the flying buttresses.
42:04So all these things are tied together, and they are integral to that building.
42:10If you do not have the flying buttresses, that building will collapse.
42:14It's amazing to see this ancient engineering and how they knew this and used arches,
42:20which are another really strong shape in these flying buttresses, to make them lighter and functional.
42:26As restoration work on the Byrne Cathedral begins, a remarkable discovery is made within its stonework.
42:34Large iron staples are revealed, measuring up to 50 centimeters long.
42:39These staples found throughout the cathedral bind stones together, providing reinforcement that allows it to achieve its impressive 35 meter
42:48height while maintaining a light, slender appearance.
42:51But the true breakthrough comes when these iron reinforcements are dated.
42:58Radiocarbon dating reveals they originate from the 1160s, making Notre Dame the first known Gothic cathedral to use iron extensively
43:08throughout its structure,
43:09a feat not repeated for about four decades.
43:12But these iron reinforcements aren't the only metalwork hiding secrets in Notre Dame's walls.
43:20Adorning the massive western doors of the cathedral is intricate ironwork.
43:25And with it comes a legend of devilish intrigue.
43:28There's so many legends about the building of Notre Dame, but there's one from the 13th century about a young
43:35blacksmith named Biscourney.
43:37According to legend, he had been commissioned to complete the elaborate, ornate iron doors for the cathedral.
43:44But when the completed doors are unveiled, people are astounded.
43:49The level of craftsmanship was unprecedented.
43:53The intricate details and artistry are so advanced that it leaves people in disbelief.
43:58No one believes it could be the work of a 13th century blacksmith.
44:04This leads to wild speculation.
44:07Biscourney's work must have been the result of a deal made with the devil.
44:11Rumors begin to circulate that Biscourney had been found in his workshop unconscious,
44:17and that the iron doors had miraculously been completed overnight.
44:22When it came time to open up the doors, they were stuck.
44:26According to legend, it was only after the application of holy water that they were able to be opened.
44:32Adding to the mystery, Biscourney reportedly dies shortly after completing the project.
44:43For people at the time, the battle between good and evil was a real, live one.
44:51So actually, it wasn't a huge leap of the imagination to believe that these beautiful iron doors were inspired by
45:00the devil.
45:00The story comes out that it's supernatural powers that did it.
45:05And yet, the minds of the people around turn to it not being divine intervention, but instead to it being
45:14the devil.
45:16It's not surprising, in a way, that a church of this grandeur would attract demonic tales.
45:24It is constructed as a bastion of the Christian faith, which means, of course, demons will want to play with
45:32it.
45:32They will want to haunt it.
45:34They won't want to torment those who go there.
45:36So in that sense, the fact that it's spiritually significant means that it will be an obvious target of the
45:45demonic.
45:46To this day, the legend of the devil doors persists.
45:50And interestingly, modern blacksmiths can't actually explain how those doors were constructed.
45:59Whether crafted by human hands or through more sinister means, the devil doors continue to hold their secrets tight at
46:07ground level.
46:08But, perched up above, Notre Dame's silent sentinels stand watch.
46:14What ancient mysteries do these grotesque figures conceal?
46:18The gargoyles of Notre Dame are iconic.
46:21They are monstrous with bulging eyes and sharp teeth.
46:25As a visitor, you arrive and you look up and you see these enormous winged features perched looking down at
46:33you,
46:33each with its own individual personality and movement.
46:37What's striking about these gargoyles is the wide variety of design in which they were made.
46:45And yet what unifies them is their whimsical, fiendish, almost devilish nature.
46:53These aren't just decorations.
46:55These gargoyles have stood watch over the cathedral for centuries.
47:01There are a number of theories about what they might have been intended to do.
47:06Perhaps the most popular one is that they were protective.
47:08That they were looking over Notre Dame and its parishioners with an eye out to defeating any demons that might
47:17be circling.
47:18Others see them as representations of sin and vice lurking outside the sanctity of the church.
47:27If you look beautiful, people think you can do no wrong.
47:31That you are good, that you are special just by that looks.
47:35And therefore, the flip side is also there.
47:37If you look ugly, if you look grotesque, then you're a monster and you're evil.
47:41And that's why when we look at these gargoyles now, we see them as evil creatures.
47:46And there are so many folklore and stories associated with them.
47:52One story goes that the gargoyles come alive at night and patrol the streets of Paris, keeping us all safe
47:58from harm.
48:00Another tale suggests that these gargoyles aren't sculptures at all,
48:05but monsters turned to stone by the power of the church.
48:11The gargoyles adorning Notre Dame today are not medieval originals, but 19th century editions.
48:19Many of the original gargoyles fell victim to the French Revolution's destruction in the late 1700s.
48:26Over the decades following the revolution, the cathedral falls into disrepair.
48:31But it would receive a new lease on life thanks to French author Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, Notre Dame de
48:39Paris,
48:40whose 1833 English translation was known as the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
48:46Victor Hugo's novel really raised the cathedral in popular consciousness
48:52and led to a surge of interest in restoring the cathedral to its former glory.
48:59A renovation under the guidance of architect Eugène Violette-le-Duc began in the 1840s,
49:06and new gargoyles were crafted, cementing Notre Dame's status as a cultural icon
49:11and popularizing the notion of gargoyles as the cathedral's guardians.
49:16But the true purpose of these figures is actually crucial to the cathedral's structural integrity.
49:22In reality, their function is much more practical.
49:26They serve as water spouts, channeling rainwater away from the building's walls to prevent erosion.
49:34Following the tragic fire that swept through Notre Dame Cathedral in April 2019,
49:39the gargoyles and grotesques have come to embody the enduring spirit of this beloved landmark.
49:46When we think about Notre Dame now, and the fact that it's now rebuilt,
49:51it makes us realize that monuments are not static.
49:55They are constantly being remade and repurposed and reused by the cultures
50:01because they cherish them, because of their ties to their historic past,
50:05but also because they're living spaces, living histories that are still meaningful to them.
50:13The cathedral reopened in December of 2024 after a nearly five-year restoration
50:19that was not without its challenges.
50:22Structures that have caught on fire, some of them aren't salvageable.
50:25This one, though, being stone, is far more salvageable than a wood structure would have been.
50:30But in terms of the tools and the know-how and the knowledge
50:34and the ability to rebuild something like this, and not everybody can do that.
50:37There's less and less people who could build these structures in a similar way
50:41with the expertise and with the knowledge.
50:44While some have attributed the marvels of Notre Dame to supernatural evil forces,
50:50the reality is that Notre Dame represents the pinnacle of human ingenuity, skill, craftsmanship,
50:56and the determination of a people in their time.
51:00The real magic of Notre Dame is the medieval craftsman that made it.
51:07From the whispers of otherworldly forces at Saxe-Huaman,
51:11to the tales of jinns at Chan Bowery,
51:14and the ominous devil doors at Notre Dame,
51:17the stories of these architectural wonders blur the line between human achievement
51:22and the supernatural.
51:24While standing testament to remarkable engineering,
51:27they hint at forces beyond our understanding.
51:30What hidden truths might these ancient structures still hold,
51:35waiting to be uncovered by future generations?
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52:08Transcription by CastingWords
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