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Author Insight
the tomb of Alexander the Great
The location of Alexander the Great’s tomb is one of the mysteries of the ancient world. Shortly before his death, he said he wanted to be buried in the Siwa Oasis, about 348 miles southwest of Cairo. The oasis was the home of the Oracle of Ammon and Alexander traveled there to worship the deity. When he died in Babylon, he was at first buried in Memphis, south of Cairo. Then he was reburied in Alexandria where Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Augustus visited his tomb. It is believed that tomb had been destroyed by the 4th century. In the past century the Egyptian Supreme Council for Antiquities official recognized over 140 search attempts for his tomb focusing on Alexandria. He is mentioned in the novel because the trip Veilkov and Medak take is in the general direction of the oasis and Alexander's trip..
Book Excerpt
The Last Request
“El Ben has agreed to let you visit Geigner.”
He didn’t wait for a response. Veilkov would show no emotion, though he made it known he had wanted to make this trip since the excavation began.
“You agreed?”
“Yes, but take Medak with you; safety in numbers. I think you should go through southern Egypt. Avoiding the cities in North Africa will be safer, less questions.”
Veilkov also preferred the southern route into the desert. That area was where local folklore believed Alexander the Great was buried. Many Egyptologists had spent their lives in that part of the Sahara searching for his grave.
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