Exhibition in Germany: Alexander the Great and the Opening of the World
17 Οκτωβρίου 2009
Few figures in history have been as fascinating as Alexander the Great. In 323 B.C. he died at the early age of 32. His short life and his personality, his legendary march through the vast Persian empire, and the immeasurable impact and later effects have called forth countless stories and legends for more than two thousands years.
The exhibition ?Alexander the Great and the Opening of the World. Asia?s Cultures in Transformation? follows the course of the Macedonian king Alexander to Central Asia and thereby demonstrates the resulting cultural, economical and social upheavals to the visitors.
Gold medallion with a bust of Alexander as ruler of the world, Abu Qir, Egypt. First half of the 3rd century B.C. Berlin, Münzkabinett SMB PK © Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Obj.-Nr. 18200016
The comprehensive special exhibition, which will open on October 2, 2009, is presented by the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums in Mannheim together with the Eurasia Department of the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin and in cooperation with renowned international partner institutions. It is also supported by the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg.
By means of unique and astonishing examples of art from Central Asia, such as eminent exhibits from the National Museum of Antiquities in Tajikistan and the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, the exhibition illustrates how Alexander opened the known world(s) at that time.
Together with exhibits on loan from some of the great museums in Europe, among others the Louvre, the British Museum, the Hermitage and the of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz) in Berlin, the exhibition enables an exceptional view not only of the eastern part of the Alexander empire, but also in the cultures before and after his conquest.
Many of the objects gathered for this exhibition are on view for the first time in Europe.
Interesting details about the gold medallion are provided on the pages of the interactive catalogue of the Numismatic Collection of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin (Münzkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin).
Source : http://www.alexander-der-grosse-2009.de/index.php?id=169&L=1
