Around the World in 80 Treasures is a 10-episode art and travel documentary series by the BBC, presented by Dan Cruickshank, and originally aired in February, March, and April 2005. The title is a reference to Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days.
In the series, Cruickshank takes a five-month world tour visiting his choices of the eighty greatest man-made treasures, including buildings and artifacts. His tour takes him through 34 countries and six of the seven continents (he does not visit Antarctica). He does not visit Iraq due to the dangerous state of the country at the time.
In addition to seeing some of the world's treasures, Cruickshank tries many different kinds of food including testicle, brain, and insects. His means of transportation included aeroplanes, trains, camel, donkey, foot, hot air balloon, bicycle, scooter, Volkswagen Beetle, hang glider, and boats.
A tie-in book of the same title was also published, written as a journal during the trip and containing much behind-the-scenes detail on the making of the programme in addition to Cruikshank's reflections on the treasures themselves.
The official BBC DVD of the series was released on 19 May 2008. Licenses for DVD releases have been sold to many countries around the world.
The UKTV channel Eden frequently repeats the series. However episodes are edited down to 46 minutes, to allow for adverts to be shown in the one-hour time slot.
Episode 1: Peru to Brazil # Location Treasure Image Brief description 1 Andes, Peru Machu Picchu Widely recognized mountain city of the Inca Empire discovered in 1911. 2 Maras, Peru Incan salt pans The Incans used giant pools on the side of the Andes to evaporate water from brine to leave salt. 3 Nazca, Peru Nazca Lines Over 300 immense dirt drawings and lines preserved since the 6th to 3rd century BC by the extreme arid environment. 4 Lambayeque, Peru Spider necklace of Sipán A necklace made up of 10 gold objects of the Spider God. 5 Trujillo, Peru Chan Chan The world's largest mud city estimated to be home of 30,000 people and covers 20 square kilometres. 6 Easter Island, Chile Moai statues Moai, large monolithic statues with oversized heads created by the Rapanui people between 1200 and 1700 CE. The picture shows a group of Moai buried to their shoulders on the outer slopes of Rano Raraku. 7 Cuiabá, BrazilUmahara Headdress of the Rikbaktsa people Very colourful headdresses made of human hair and parrot feathers (red, yellow, blue). 8 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Christ the Redeemer
Episode 2: Mexico to Central North America # Location Treasure Image Brief description 9 Southern Mexico Palenque Mayan city showcasing some of their finest architecture, sculpture, and stucco reliefs. 10 Tollan Tula, Mexico The Giants of Tula 10th century stone sculptures/columns of Toltec warriors dressed in feathers and gods. 11 Mexico City, Mexico Man, Controller of the Universe Painting by Diego Rivera commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller embodying the struggle between capitalism and communism. A recreation of the destroyed original Man at the Crossroads. 12 Cortez, Colorado, United States 1851 Navy Colt revolver Mass-produced six-shot handgun used in the American Civil War and subsequently used in fulfilling the Manifest Destiny. 13 Colorado, United States Mesa Verde National Park A small community built under a rock shelf by the ancestors of the pueblo heirs. 14 Charlottesville, Virginia, United States Monticello Home designed and built in the late 18th century by Thomas Jefferson. 15 New York City, United States Statue of Liberty A 151-foot tall statue given by France to the United States to commemorate the centennial since the American Declaration of Independence. 16 New York City, United States Seagram Building A skyscraper that represents the quintessence of the skyscraper commercial design.
Episode 3: Australia to Cambodia # Location Treasure Image Brief description 17 Sydney St James' Church Masterpiece of convict architect Francis Greenway, and one of Australia's oldest church buildings. 18 Kakadu, Australia Kakadu rock art Aboriginal rock art from Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. 19 Torajaland, Sulawesi, Indonesia Spirit houses These houses with a boat shaped roof symbolize the people's afterlife. 20 Torajaland, Sulawesi, Indonesia Tau Tau Wooden statues representing the ancestor, the members of the tribe that have died. 21 Java, Indonesia Borobudur Stupa One of the greatest Buddhist stupas (giant, pyramidal Buddhist temple) in the world. It was built in the 8th century and has nine levels. 22 Ayutthaya, Thailand Gold Elephant Gold elephant kneeling with a howdah found in the crypt of Wat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya. A beautifully finished masterpiece of the goldsmith's art. Studded and encrusted with gems. Made in about 1420, the same time as the tower in which it was found. National Museum, Ayutthaya, Thailand. 23 Siem Reap, Cambodia Angkor Wat The temple at Angkor Wat. It's man's vision of heaven, a Hindu image of the celestial city. Angkor Wat is a legacy of the mighty king Suryavarman the Second and dates back to the mid-12th century. 24 Angkor Thom, Cambodia Stone Faces of Bayon The walls adorned with huge and powerfully carved faces in the city of Angkor Thom built by Jayavarman VII a mile away from Angkor Wat.
Episode 4: Japan to China # Location Treasure Image Brief description 25 Tokyo, Japan Katana/Samurai sword The katana, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". 26 Himeji, Japan Himeji Castle Flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings. It is occasionally known as ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior. It was rebuilt more than 400 years ago. 27 Kyoto, Japan Ryōan-ji Zen Buddhist Garden A Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. Belonging to the Myoshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism, the temple is one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 28 Beijing, China Forbidden City The Forbidden City is the largest palace in the world. It was built by the mighty Ming dynasty 600 years ago. 29 Beijing, China The Summer Palace Park The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water. 30 China Great Wall of China A series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during various successive dynasties. 31 Xi'an, China Terracotta Army The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the second Ming Emperor. 32 Shanghai, China Ming dynasty porcelain Shanghai Museum boasts one of the finest Ming porcelain collections in the world.
Episode 5: India to Sri Lanka # Location Treasure Image Brief description 33 Kolkata, India Durga In Hinduism, the Goddess Durga is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having ten arms, riding a lion or a tiger, carrying weapons (including a lotus flower), maintaining a meditative smile, and practicing mudras, or symbolic hand gestures. 34 Sri Lanka Sigiriya The city of Sigiriya was created by King Kasiyapa in the years around 470, 480 A.D. with a colossal rock on which was perched, the fortress and palace. 35 Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka Giant Buddha This giant Buddha was created in the 1180s and he measures about forty metres, carved in very hard granite out of the cliff face behind. With his robes wrapped round his body, his head reclining on a pillow. 36 Kandy, Sri Lanka Buddha's Tooth According to Sri Lankan legends, when the Buddha died, his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kusinara in India and his left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by Arahat Khema. Khema then gave it to King Brahmadatte for veneration. It became a royal possession in Brahmadatte's country and was kept in the city of Dantapuri (present day Puri in Orissa). 37 Kochi, India Spices of Cochin Cochin was at the centre of the crossroads of the international spice trade, making it one of the most important places on Earth. 38 Madurai, India Meenakshi temple Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple Tamil: is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi). 39 Jaipur, India Jantar Mantar observatory The Observatory was started in 1728. 40 Agra, India Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Episode 6: Uzbekistan to Syria # Location Treasure Image Brief description 41 Samarkand, Uzbekistan Tiles of Samarkand Samarkand is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. The use of tiles unifies Samarkand's great buildings, gives them distinct and powerful architectural character. 42 Bukhara, Uzbekistan The trading domes The trading domes were constructed between 1570 and 1590. 43 Baku, Azerbaijan Fire Temple and Monastery at Surkhany The Baku Ateshgah or "Fire Temple" is a castle-like religious structure in Surakhani, a suburb of greater Baku, Azerbaijan. The pentagonal complex, which has a courtyard surrounded by cells for monks and a tetrapillar-altar in the middle, was built during the 17th and 18th centuries. 44 Isfahan, Iran Imam mosque in Naghsh-i Jahan Square The Imam Mosque or Shah Mosque is a mosque in Isfahan (Esfahān), Iran. Built during the Safavids period, it is an excellent example of Islamic architecture of Iran, and regarded as the masterpiece of Persian Architecture. 45 Shiraz, Iran Persian rug The Persian carpet is an essential part of Persian art and culture. Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient Persia. The Persian carpet was highly sought after in Europe from at least the Middle Ages. 46 Kermanshah province, Iran Behistun Inscription The "Rosetta Stone" of cuneiform, with inscriptions in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian, deciphered in the 19th century. 47 Fars province, Iran Persepolis The ruins of the ancient Persian capital 48 Damascus, Syria Al-Hamidiyah Souk A market place in the ancient quarter
Episode 7: Jordan to Ethiopia