ANCIENT EGYPT SERIES

The Tomb of Alexander the Great?

We find ourselves in Siwa, amidst the vast expanse of the Egyptian Western Desert. Rusty barbed wire trips us up. After dealing with it, we stand in the sunset at the site where Greek archaeologist Liana Souvaltzi once claimed to have discovered the tomb of Alexander the Great.

Souvaltzi’s 1995 announcement caused quite a commotion. Reported to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, she quickly faced opposition. In short, her excavation permit was revoked, and the site is now firmly under Egyptian authority control.

As we wander around, the site is eerily empty, but we have permission to explore. The area spans 12,000 square meters, with about 5,000 square meters already excavated. The central structures measure approximately 51 meters in length and 10.25 meters in width. Decorative elements such as the eight-pointed star, snakes on a disk, and lions hint at Alexander’s Macedonian dynasty. Greek inscriptions near the propylon, dated between 290 and 284 BC, invoke Alexander Amon-Ra. Another inscription, honoring the Macedonian, appears to be from the Roman emperor Trajan.

Souvaltzi emphasized the grand Doric-style structure with its propylon, long carved Greek triglyphs, anthemia, and classical reliefs.

All this is fascinating until you realize that it is Roman, not Greek!

Nevertheless, I scramble down a partially blocked tunnel. Even if Alexander isn’t here, the site echoes the grandeur of his era.