Alexander Sarcophagus

It is one of the highlights of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, located in the main building's Alexander Hall. It was brought to the museum after its 1887 discovery in the Sidon necropolis in modern Lebanon. The museum catalogs it as the most famous piece in its collection.

No, it was named for the vivid battle scenes on its sides depicting Alexander fighting Persians at the Battle of Issus. It is thought to have held Abdalonymus, a gardener Alexander appointed king of Sidon after Issus in 333 BC. Scholars note the style and color of the marble suggests a workshop in Ionia or Rhodes.

One long side shows Alexander on horseback fighting Persians at the Battle of Issus, while the other depicts a lion hunt with Macedonian cavalry. The short sides show a battle between Greeks and Persians and a panther hunt. Traces of the original polychrome paint, including on the Abdalonymus figure, survive.

Ottoman archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey uncovered it in 1887 in the royal necropolis of Sidon, in present-day Lebanon. The discovery included several sarcophagi in a vaulted chamber. It was transported to Istanbul and placed in the newly opened Archaeological Museum, which had been built partly to house it.