Harran: Ruin and Rebirth in the Fertile Crescent 

i love the archeologists just grazing in the fields 🐄 and you are so right about the american archeology of finding a needle and not being able to go within 40 feet of it and then going to the fertile crescent and having history all around you

Milo’s production value is nuts these days. His channel is so young and blew up so fast. I love it

Wow so cool that they built a whole city based on the Dying Light franchise!

Wow. Just wow. Imagining centuries upon centuries of people living within the same place for thousands of years, walking the same footpaths, laughing, loving, working. It gives me legitimate goosebumps. The idea that there were potentially thousands of people thinking that exact thing before me gives my goosebumps goosebumps. What an incredible place!

I’m ethnically Turkish and it makes me so happy to be taught some of the beautiful history of the country I’m from, by you. Thank you Milo for giving all your viewers this opportunity, and sharing your incredible adventures with us ❤️

Interesting, the beehive houses make me think of the Chronicles of Narnia: A Horse and Her Boy. The main character had to hide in an area with similar houses and even C.S. Lewis was like "These structures were built a long time ago and nobody knows their purpose." You'd think that Lewis had visited the area before, he describes them and the area pretty well.

It's kind of disheartening to see this series getting so much less views than the psuedoarchaeology ones because I'm absolutely loving these docs, and hope Milo makes a lot more!

Milo is the next Carl Sagan. His style, voice and absolute passion for the subject is mesmerizing.

The round houses remind me of trullo in Italy, though those are dry stacked stone, instead of mud and brick. Some ancient structures in the British Isles too, I believe. It's a great way to build a roof without wood! Great video Milo, thank you!

What you said about American versus Turkish archaeological sites is very similar to what I've seen in the UK. Digging in Bronze Age sites in the UK is like 'we must carefully record the exact location of this slag, and collect every piece of worked flint' and then digging in Italy you literally throw away bricks and roof tiles because they have so goddamn many of them.

its HIGH time netflix (or another streaming service) contacts you for like a full length series where you just get to talk about cool stuff, bc i need waaayyy more. your way of explaining all these amazing historical stuff is really accessable and FUN

My kid just watched Indiana Jones and has discovered a new fascination with archaeology. In between digging up the neighborhood in search of artifacts, he's been bingeing your videos. Thank you for being a positive role model to my very adventurous 8 year old.

The part of Türkiye you visited is such a beautiful area. I remember seeing the Sogmatar premier and being in awe of the landscape with the layers of grasses and stone.

Oh I know this one. So what happened was the eyes of the world was glued to the city of Harran (under the Ayyubid Sultanate) for approximately 2 months when there was an outbreak of a previously unknown pathogen (The Mongol invasion). It wasn't really clear what caused that gruesome affliction (It was Hulagu Khan) but what is known is that the local government's ministry of defence (The Ayyubid governor of Harran) erected a quarantine rule shortly after the outbreak (A peace agreement for a peaceful surrender of Harran). And the Global Relief effort's steady stream of supply drops (the random traders on their way to Constantinople) sustained the few survivors that remained in the city (After the Mongols struggled for control of Harran with the Mamluk and Rūm sultanates they deported most population to the nearby cities of Mosul and Mardin). The ministry of defence believed that more radical action was required to stem the tide of the virus (Which was why the Harran castle resisted the Mongols after the peace agreement until one of the towers were breached). The question was there still uninfected survivors in the city as the GRE maintains (idk what to put for this one), and if so would the ministry still go ahead with the stated plan to annihilate the city in an attempt to wipe out the Harran virus once and for all. Wether by way of the virus or the ministry's proposed plan, one thing was certain. Harran's days... Were numbered. (When the Mongols retreated from the city a few things might have happed; There was a battle with the turks that destroyed most the city, so they abandoned it, so this would of been 'by way of the virus'. Or It was impossible to sustain the population size of Harran with its water storage systems in disrepair and its wells no longer producing enough water, so they abandoned it. Or it was difficult to retain and defend Harran and the little strategic value offered by the city in return, so they abandoned it and these two would of been the 'ministry's proposed plan'. Either way they probably pillaged the city for building materials before burning down the remnants when ever they abandoned the city.) I spent longer on this than i would like to admit.

Yay more real life Milo Thatch! I needed my weekly hit of good archeology. Always excited when Milo posts a new video!

Amazing - quite a storied history this place has! One could write a book - or whole series of books - on the history at this one plot of land. Thank you so much, Milo, for bringing us along on this wonderful tour through time. I truly love it! 💙💙

"It's hard to convey the feeling of being here-" Perhaps it's the same feeling as looking up into space, and realising in an instant that you're not looking up into the sky, but down into an endless abyss, looking deep into time and consequence so far beyond yourself as a single tiny mortal creature. To stand on a hill in Harran is to stand where thousands have trodden before, all come and gone, and thousands more will walk there in the future, and it'll still be there.

As someone living in his mother's basement binge watching Ancient Aliens with cheeto dust under his fingertips even as he types this message...I just want to say thankyou. At this point You are my only anchor to reality.

12:40 never expected to hear We Were Here music in the background of a non-gaming video. On second thought, it makes more sense on an archaeology video.

The difference between this place and where I live (NZ)is so stark. The ground beneath my feet is so empty of human history. NZ has only known humans for approximately 800 years. That city was ancient before human eyes ever saw where I live. Today, I’m about to go on a hike through a bit of forest where it is likely no human has ever built a house. The contrast feels strange. Something to ponder while walking.

Something beautiful about seeing kids play and cows graze amongst the ruins. The buildings fell apart but the life there never did. Thank you Milo

it's so beautiful how you see the humanity in everything, I feel like a lot of people who have been in the field for a long time forget that yes there were people here but those were PEOPLE. that was us. I love it

I’m so glad you’re getting the attention you deserve Milo! Also just had a conversation with my husband and we have decided you’re like the Anthony Bourdain of archeology . Just younger.

It's crazy to see you making a Docu series now, when I started watching you debunk dumb conspiracy theories on TikTok. It's been a crazy and amazing journey man, keep up the great work.

Just to throw it in there for those who'd like to know: at Carrhae, that general was Crassus. (of First Triumvirate fame) I'm loving your videos. I unintentionally blew way too much time on these the other night. Before you knew it, a few hours had passed. I couldn't keep from watching, and I'm hooked. Can't wait to watch many more.

Excellent video very different from a lot of other so called walking tours of other well known sites and cities. This more has the feel of walking around a place with a friend that is really enthusiastic about the location and its significance. So far this entire series has been very good and probably will continue to be good. Though I do have a question/comment regarding terminology I have heard the term fertile crescent refer to not only the land between the Tigris and Euphrates but the whole arc running from the Sinai up northwards through Canaan into Southern Turkey and back down south into Mesopotamia and I always wonder which is more generally accepted.

You know what's heartbreaking? The viewcount gap between the debunk videos and this much more valuable documentary report video is *wide*. Milo said it right. People want champions, not the truth.

There are two types of American archaeological sites: the “found a needle and nobody can go within 40 miles of it,” as you mentioned, and the “gee too bad some losers demolished the place to put cows there, good thing they forgot about this part”

This series on Türkiye has been absolutely riveting. I'm more than a little jealous of Milo for being given this amazing opportunity to travel the country and experience its history. I also admire him for his fundraising efforts to help the country in the present day. I've always been interested in history and archaeology, and Türkiye is definitely my dream travel destination. While other people dream of sitting on beaches or by pools drinking cocktails, I dream of visiting the historical sites of Türkiye. Right now, I'm just living vicariously through Milo.😂

It was so beautiful to see and hear children playing behind you. It really illustrated how its a place in which life has continued onwards and it has continued to be a home for so much time... I just imagine all the other children who have played and laughed there over time contiguously... I don't know how to word it but it was beautiful.

I love the way you teach us about Archaeology, you bring not only humor but also admiration to these sites and also share that while we might today think of ourselves as the end of our timeline, we aren't. I also really enjoy your view of ancient civilizations, that no matter how far we look back in human history, we are still all humans, and while we know more about the Universe and science now, ancient civilizations weren't primitive places.

Really love these episodes, Milo! Fascinating history and a no doubt fascinating future!

Harran is the most incredible place I’ve ever visited in my life

One of the things that interested me while I was doing a Wikipedia binge on Mesopotamian history(as one does) is how long the native Mesopotamian pantheon managed to survive in the city, to the point where there were likely still a community in the city at the second time it was the capital of a Caliphate.

Milo has come a very long way in a short time, from shorts and the white wall all the way to showing and educating people on the ruins of some of the earliest known landmarks of human civilization. What an absolute inspiration, and what an absolute lad.

Fascinating! Milo, you are such an engaging teacher and poetic speaker. Mad props to you, my friend! And thank you for sharing this beautiful place with us.

Thank you for this series milo, you have fast become one of my absolute favourite educators ❤

I am a senior in high school who has been doing some relatively in depth research on a site last known as the "Fernald Developmental Center". It is a history rich site physically dating back to around 1889, and completely dating back to 1848. Watching your archaeology videos really makes me feel at home.

About 10 years ago i had the opportunity to visit the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, and instantly fell in love with the place. I think it's unfortunate more westerners don't visit that corner of the globe, and it's often due to misconceptions, misplaced fears and apprehensions, succumbing to politically-motivated scaremongering, or other related causes. And it truly is unfortunate, because I genuinely feel most people would absolutely adore the place. A quick note on the state of archeologically-relevant sites and their artifacts. While visiting the coastal destination city of Antalya, I walked around the Old Town section of the city to get a feel for the architecture, urban layout, and daily rhythms and patterns of life for the inhabitants of 2,000+ year-old city, where the different ruling enpires and regional powers left their own distinct cultural markers and identifying physical residue comprising the distinct horizontal layers of ground, made visible through the efforts and techniques of modern archeological excavations, some of which were actually ongoing at the time of my visit. But what i was truly struck by was what was visible without digging at all, sitting on the ground and strewn all over the grounds of multiple historic sites. In the courtyard of an old mosque was a grass lawn, and strewn all about this lawn were dozens of sections of carved stone columns, clearly centuries-old, and possibly once making up the columnar exterior of a local building which had at some point either fallen apart in disrepair or were razed for one reason or another. Among the column sections were other carved stone features, such as figures of human heads, forms resembling animals, and other various figures from nature and beyond. That those figures would have been taken down during Ottoman times is not surprising, given the Islamic prohibition of sculptures and carvings depicting living creatures, particularly those of humans. Anyway, it was really hot, and in an effort to find somewhere to sit down and cool off, some folks had decided to use the column sections and other carvings as makeshift stools. In America, this would be ground for ejection from the site and possibly even worse. But apparently the Turkish groundskeepers, at least at this site, didn't seem to mind. The whole thing felt super unfamiliar and odd, but strangely cool at the same time -- like, maybe this was a reasonable way to handle things, at least for certain sites, on a case-by-case basis. I was also able to place my hand on a column making up Hadrian's Gate, the entranceway to the Old Town that had been erected in honor of emporer Hadrian's visit to the location nearly 2,000 years ago.. And was admittedly quite surprised that i was able to place my hand next to a carved cross pattée on the column, physically making contact with a symbol someone had chiseled with their own hands some twenty centuries prior. Again, an experience quite unfamiliar to an American... Both because our "history" tends to be far younger on this continent, but also because we like to sequester our archeological sites and place them out-of-reach or behind velvet ropes. At any rate... Thanks again for another solid video... Keep 'em comin', Milo!

every time i watch something on this channel i just want to watch more. milo has a way of taking history and making my imagination run wild. the people that lived in these places thousands of years ago each had full individual lives. milo makes them real in a way a history book never could.

I love archaeology. Your right when you say there aren't any words that can explain it, it's just absolute goose bumps when you think about the significance of a place like this, especially when it's still inhabited with decedents of people who lived there possibly thousands of years ago. Amazing coverage Milo, I love learning about this stuff

God, it’s so damn healing to watch someone be so passionate about something they work on. It’s so easily visible with you that it’s seriously healing my soul in every sense. Thank you, and keep following what you love and what keeps your full interest

Dying light refrence

I can't tell you how awesome it is fir you to go to places like this and share their stories with us.

I wish I could favorite these videos 100 times. This is the kind of history I like to see on RU-vid

Hey Milo, I know you've probably got a lot of interesting projects coming for us but I think I found one that would do as good your Ancient Apocalypse series... It's called secrets of the ancient dead. I don't know too much about the stories that come by but it seems to me that these would be stories you'd be likely to hear in some old bar in a foreign place rather than what you'd hear from an archeologist. Anyways you're doing great and I love watching your videos, keep up this amazing work.

12:30- As he talks about the current time just being a moment in the saga of Harran, a four-tired candidate for a modern archeological contribution comes into view… 🙂

Ive visited harran twice in 2009 & 2012, incredible site.

Ur like the bill nye of archaeology and i mean that in the best way possible. You make learning about this stuff interesting to ppl who would never otherwise watch this kind of content. I love it

You deserve all the success that has come your way :)

Your videos make me feel interested in the world again after years of soul crushing depression. Please never stop.

honestly some of the best content on the platform. keep it up!

Wow! I wish i were there to see these sites in person. And, so cool that the Tower Card is based (allegedly) on that minaret (Mosque tower)! That's a connection that took me by surprise. Stay safe, Milo... and keep the videos coming. This is as close as most of us will ever get to exploring these wonders. 😁

There is just something wholesome about kids running around playing in ancient ruins.

Just as I was giving up hope on RU-vid I stumble on this gem of a creator

I’m so happy I found your channel! I was going to Oregon State University for an archaeology degree, but money became an issue and I had to stop going. It depresses me that I haven’t been able to finish, but I am 22 so I could go back someday. I am so passionate about archaeology and watching your videos fascinated me and gives me great comfort. You inspire me to get myself back into school! Thank you, Milo!

As someone who had history as his least favorite subject, you have made one of the most boring parts of my childhood come alive and i am now completely facinated with it. I hope one day you become a professor too because the good you can do teaching bored kids like me would be absolutely immeasurable.

The drone shots turned out fabulous!

There are few content creators to which I feel indebted to for sharing knowledge, you are one. Your earnest passion shines through. It’s refreshing.

coming from a city founded in the 1890's the life and humanity of a handmade blanket that ends up in an antique mall waiting for a new owner is facinating let alone a place that has 5 thousands years of humanity under its soil

Man I love your content so much. In every video you post, the little archeology child in me comes up

You are my idol I've always loved archaeology but you made me want to make it my job also you're content is amazing

Harran is a rural town and district of Urfa in southeastern Turkey. It is approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Urfa and 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale.

I love that your production takes cues from old history channel/ actual documentary cues. The music and transitions specifically. Very nice and sets the tone and quality of your content. 😊😊😊

Nearly one million subs. Keep going Milo. Your way of brimming with enthusiasm and excitement,makes your channel something more than just a good RU-vid educational series. Communication skills are a gift you have in abundance; you could talk the leg off a chair, and you obviously love exchanging knowledge. We could be watching the beginnings of a great career in education and science presentation and production.👍👍

Bring a UV light for safety.

You are very well spoken, eloquent, well informed, engaging and have a good voice. You could become a professor. I will watch more. Greetings from Seoul, South Korea.

Thank you for taking this raspberry(ripple:=cripple), to places I'll never be able to go any more. You are a delightful young man, and remind me of David Attenborough. You communicate this stuff so well. Be safe and always stay free kid!

I studied astronomy for some time in university, and the scale of cosmic events never ceased to amaze me. I can only imagine what it’s like to see the same from a temporal perspective as compared to a spatial one.

Thank you for doing these videos and taking us along. I'm learning a lot and seeing things I'd never seen before and I appreciate that. I love how awed/enthused you are in your work and explanations of the sites which adds to the joy of learning about them. Thank you Milo!

Thank you for your videos.I find them informative and joyful.You are a great presenter,showing no great bias(I love the honesty of:’Here are some theories,but the truth is we don’t know’)and presenting fact as fact whilest showing things that as yet are unknowable. I wish you incredible good fortune in all that you do.I think you and your team have found a winning formula,that I am hoping will be well funded and allows you time to continue your studies. In the UK we have David Attenborough who has done a great deal of good for awareness of nature over many years.I wish you the same,a long life of sharing experiences and knowledge. I like to think you are great now and you are only just finding your feet,which bodes well for the future. Anyway bugger off you clever bastard,and thanks.

Amazing video as always. Just a note as I am an architect from Iran, the beehive and dome like structures made out of mud and straw are also found in parts of central Persia. Though here they were most commonly used in larger and communal structures such as bazaars or mosques rather than homesteads.

I really like the short intro and just jumping right into the main content of the video

Your description of the beehive homes reminds me of the tunnels you discussed in your ancient apocalypse series- if you need more room, you make more rooms.

That’s humanity’s FIRST university right there!

I've been adoring this series so much! I really hope you'll be able to travel to other ancient locations around the world. Your enthusiasm and respect is infectious, and it's got me reading history for the first time in a long while

I hope you make a successful career out of this bro, you are one of the finest educators on youtube, I didnt give a shit about ancient history in school and here I am absolutely frothing your content. Much love

there are no words to how much i enjoy videos like this on yt

I think the word you are looking for is .... Humbling in the purest sense of the word.

Milo, this has been amazing. Thank You, and your team, for all your hard work.

Great video, Milo! Learning so much from these and can't wait for the next one.

Wow, so cool! It must be fascinating to live and work in a city that goes back thousands of years! Thanks Milo, for bringing us along with you as you visit these places! So interesting!! 😊

This is very enlightening. To see history moving on in a place that has existed for centuries. Really amazing. Can't wait for more. Thank you.

if Milo and his team don't get to air a documentary series on TV or some huge streaming service some day i will eat Indiana Jones' hat

For anyone interested in the Biblical connection to Jacob's Ladder, you should note that the Semitic root used to represent this Hapax Legomenon in Genesis was SLM, and in Harran at the time the Semitic SLM root for objects in the Heavens referred to a "comet." Ladders and stairways to Heaven in Semitic Akkadian were referred to using SML, not SLM. The "ladder" was a comet.

I applaud the editing. The microfiche effect at 6:32 was a brilliant choice: it kept the tone while shifting to discuss the university in a really cool way.

The clear awe and respect you have for the history of this site, paired with your knowledge and skilled narration made this video a particularly enriching experience. Thank you so, so much for making this your calling!

Milo is always so genuinely excited, it's kinda contagious.

Another great episode. I cherish these

I can say that you conveyed the feeling of being there beautifully. Goosebumps man

Hoping you've gotten yourself a proper, adventure-loving wind protector for that mic! You deserve gear capable of capturing what you wanna share with the world. Unprotected audio or not tho, I'll always look forward to these.

Crazy to hear the little kids just running around, really showing how important this town is to the point where people have stayed there for thousands of years

Milo I've been watching you pretty much since day 1 (on RU-vid). I don't do the TikToks because I am an old man. Well, over 40. As a rationalist who worshipped Carl Sagan and all skepticism since the 90s, and seeing all the misinformation in the world today - and not least, having an 8 year old child with content to choose from on platforms like this! - *it gives me great hope to see you, on behalf of your generation, carrying a torch of skepticism, rationality, and quite simply, awe at the natural world.*

I absolutely love this series! Hopefully you'll visit more archeological sites in the future and be able to bring us along! I also have to give props to the editor! Without them these videos wouldn't be the same ❤️‍🔥

Wow! That was amazing and you are always just such a great teacher!

There's something poetic about the young boys running around and playing in the fields that would've used to have been the streets of a town where similar little boys would've run and played thousands of years ago.

With that opening drum beat, I was half expecting you to have just three days to do it. :-P

This is amazing and I love that you’re actually going to these places and teaching people about them. I do wish for some more awful archeology but I know everything takes time so I’m not demanding it. I can’t wait to see your next video

7:15 totally thrilled at how legible the Arabic writing still is, when compared to Latin writing. Can make out nearly every word.

This is a very amazing place. We were amazed at how cool the temperature was inside those beehive houses, it felt as if it had air conditioning! Well worth visiting. Something you'll never forget!