Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Monday, September 1, 2014

Revealing images from Kasta Hill near Amphipolis

Our patience has been rewarded with new updated pictures released over the weekend and kindly shared with me by my readers.

First of all I came across this interesting view of the tomb’s entrance which shows its location against the general mound of the excavation.


Among the new pictures is this one showing the very entrance again, framed by the sphinxes we so well know by now but which also includes the inclined ramp down to the floor of the tomb. 


This floor is covered with small bits of white marble on a red background – a red carpet avant la lettre. It seems that traces of blue paint have been found on the adjacent walls but these look very faint. 

Another great picture however is that of the vaulted area.



New is the suggestion that sand from the nearby riverbed was meant to be used as filling material to be shoveled inside through the gaping hole about which so much discussion is going on. Another wait and see.

Meanwhile, archaeologists have built a sheltering roof to protect the monument from rain and other weather elements. They also have worked on supporting the inside construction with steal beams now that the underlying soil has been removed. All this work is time-consuming but very necessary.

One thing is certain: the ancient builders went through a great deal of efforts to protect whoever is buried here. Inevitably this all leads to the resting place of a very important person. We and the rest of the world are holding our breath …