Alexander the Great, one of the most remarkable personalities in all history, wanted to create a ‘world state’ in which peoples of East and West lived together in peace.

If asked which is the best known work in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, most people without doubt would answer the Alexander Sarcophagus. This sarcophagus, which was brought to the light of day in the royal burial ground of ancient Sidon (Lebanon) by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1887, is one of the world’s most important archaeological findings ever. The owner of this matchless work of art, which captivates viewers even 2300 years after it was made, is Abdalonymus, king of Sidon (Phoenicia), long since laid to his final rest. But what makes the sarcophagus famous is the portrait of Alexander the Great on it. Scenes depicting the life and personality of this most striking and influential historical figure render the sarcophagus unique in the world. Represented on one of its facades is the historic moment when the gateway to Asia was opened to Alexander, leader of Macedonia, a small kingdom in Greece.