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The Tomb and Body of Alexander the Great: New Clues from an Egyptologist
Few historical figures have captured the imagination as much as Alexander the Great, the conqueror of Persia who never lost a battle and whose empire stretched from Greece to India. Yet, despite his legacy, the location of his tomb and body remains one great unsolved mystery. In a fascinating interview with Dr. Christian de Vartavan*, an Egyptologist and author of “Locating the Tomb and Body of Alexander the Great”, we explore new theories about Alexander’s tomb and body.
*Dr. Christian de Vartavan (FLS FRSA CMLJ) was educated at University College London’s Institute of Archaeology, where he earned his BA, MSc, and PhD degrees. While still a student, Dr de Vartavan gained world fame in Egyptology by discovering part of the forgotten plant material from King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew in 1988. Dr de Vartavan’s Egyptology research has earned him the rare honor of being part of the UK’s National Archive in his lifetime and is kept by the University of Oxford’s Griffith Institute (Sackler Library). His family lived in Alexandria between 1903 and 1992, where he spent part of his youth.
Watch the full interview here:
From Babylon to Alexandria: The Journey of Alexander’s Body
Alexander the Great’s funeral carriage, by M. Sainte-Croix, 1810. Source: British Library
Dr. de Vartavan’s interest in Alexander stretches back to his early years, back when his family lived in Alexandria’s Greek quarters in Ibrahimiyya. As he says:
“At the time, the topic of the tomb of Alexander the Great was a topic that every Alexandrian family which had an education would discuss at one moment or another. My family’s interest in Alexander probably started with my grandfather before the First World War. My father, as I became an Egyptologist, drew my attention to the problem, that is that Alexander’s tomb had not been yet found and still hasn’t been found officially.”
Alexander III (mostly known as “the Great”) died in Babylon in 323 BCE, likely from fever, though the exact cause remains debated. His body was embalmed—possibly using a combination of techniques—and placed in a sarcophagus inside an elaborate funerary carriage.
Originally, his generals intended to transport him to the royal necropolis in Macedonia. However, Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s successors, diverted the procession to Egypt, where Alexander was first buried in Memphis before being moved to Alexandria, the city he had founded.
Ancient City of Alexandria, 1885. Source: Rice University, Houston
As Dr. de Vartavan explains, Ptolemy sought to legitimize his rule by keeping Alexander’s body close. In ancient Greek tradition, the founder of a city was buried at its central crossroads, and evidence suggests Alexander’s tomb was located at the intersection of Alexandria’s main avenues, possibly at the site where the so-called Alabaster Tomb in Alexandria stands today. This structure, Dr. de Vartavan argues, may have originally been the inside part of a Macedonian-style tumulus.
Over time, the city expanded, and the tomb was relocated to the east. Dr. de Vartavan, like others before him, thinks that the new location matches the one where the Mosque of Nabi Daniel stands today. However, Dr. de Vartavan has also presented some original insights as to why a Mosque dedicated to the prophet Daniel could be connected to Alexander the Great but before we discuss that, we first need to understand Alexander’s place within the Islamic tradition.
Alexander as a Prophet
Coin portrait of Alexander the Great, 305-281 BCE. Source: British Museum
In Islamic tradition, Alexander is revered as Dhu al-Qarnayn or Zul-Qarnain (“The Two-Horned One”), a wise prophet mentioned in a surah of the Quran itself. The name of the Two-Horned went back to the story of Alexander visiting the oracle of Ammon at Siwa and being recognized as the son of the god. As son of Ammon, Alexander was depicted with the horns of the god in Ptolemaic coinage.
Now returning to the Mosque of Nabi Daniel, it is there that lie the tombs that Islamic tradition attributes to the prophets Daniel and Luqman, both revered Islamic figures. It is in this same mosque that the Alexandrians say that Alexander was buried. If that’s true, and Alexander was truly buried in Nabi Daniel, then the Alexandrians never really forgot where the tomb of their city’s founder was. However, as Dr. de Vartavan asks: “Why would Daniel and Lokman be buried where Alexander was supposedly interred?”
His research led him to the 9th-century Arabic manuscript Kitab al-Tidjan (Book of the Crown), which has yet to be translated but was published in 1928 in India. The manuscript links all three (Daniel, Luqman, and Alexander) as wise prophets, suggesting the mosque’s location is no coincidence. Interestingly, the ancient cistern below the mosque was never properly excavated, leaving all possibilities open. Could the answer to the mystery lie there? Unfortunately, as Dr. de Vartavan stated, excavating there would be almost impossible due to the difficulty of obtaining permission from the local authorities.
Did a Desert Father Discover Alexander’s Skeleton?
Saint Sisoes the Great at the tomb of Alexander the Great, 16th c. Source: Varlaam Monastery, Meteora / Wikimedia Commons
One of the most interesting hypotheses of the book comes from Byzantine tradition. In monasteries across Greece, frescoes depict Sisoes the Great, a 4th-century desert monk, discovering Alexander the Great’s body in the desert. Of the conqueror, only his skeleton remains, a stark reminder of the vanity of power and fame in front of the passage of time and the inevitable coming of death.
According to Dr. de Vartavan, this story may be more than a legend. During the Christian destruction of pagan monuments in Alexandria, Alexander’s body could have been moved to a monastery, most likely that of St. Anthony in Egypt’s Eastern Desert where Sisoes spent the better part of his life. The only way to find out if this is true is to go as far back to the origins of Sisoes’ story as possible. This means that further research is needed to locate the original Coptic text where Sisoes’ biography was first recorded. One can only hope that such a text could offer more clues as to the location of Alexander’s body. Dr. de Vartavan believes that the Greek government has a role to play in this:
“If I were the Greek government,” he says, “I would ask the Coptic Church if they have any tradition of Alexander’s body being brought there [St Anthony’s Monastery].”
Locating Alexander’s body is a difficult, if not impossible, task but the search is far from over. If Alexander’s skeleton is ever found, it could easily be identified by its distinct battle wounds and DNA matching with his father, Philip II of Macedon.
“The chance of finding him is one in a thousand. But isn’t it worth trying?”, says de Vartavan.
Dr. Christian de Vartavan’s “Locating the Tomb and Body of Alexander the Great” is available by Projectis Publishing.
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