Constantinople and Istanbul, two names for one city. One city straddling Europe and Asia: Byzantine imperial capital for 1000 years then capital city of the Ottoman Turks.

Minarets and domes of Turkish mosques dominate the skyline, the waters of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus lap its shores, and a stroll through the streets reveals the city's diverse and magnificent heritage.

Byzantine churches with colourful mosaics, Ottoman mosques with beautiful tilework, the luxurious palaces of the sultans, elegant fountains, bathhouses and bustling covered markets make Istanbul one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

There will be two lectures From Constantine to Conquest: The Byzantine City and The Ottoman City with a break for morning tea.

Babylon: the very name is evocative. Once one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, a vanished metropolis which lay deserted for over 2000 years, its history is bound up with myth and legend but it has never been forgotten. Biblical accounts of the Tower of Babel, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Belshazzar’s Feast, the Fall of Babylon, the Whore of Babylon, and classical references to the great walls and Hanging Gardens have inspired artists throughout the centuries. This lecture also looks at the real Babylon, beside the River Euphrates, as explored and excavated since the 19th Century.