Searching for Alexander the Great’s
Tomb in Pieria
For more than two thousand years,
the question of where Alexander the Great was finally laid to rest has remained
one of history’s greatest mysteries. Most historians place his tomb in Egypt,
while others suggest Babylon or even more distant locations. But during the
research for my historical novel “Adilos Tafos”, “Tracing the
Tomb of Alexander the Great”(Kindle Edition, Amazon), I developed a different theory: that his
final resting place may be in Macedonia itself, in Pieria, at the foothills of
Mount Olympus.
This idea did not come from an
official excavation but from a personal search that combined history, folklore,
and local traditions. And during that search, I made a discovery in the village
of Petra that gave my theory new life.
An Ancient Sanctuary
According to local stories and
traditions, an ancient road once led from Petra toward what locals call the
“Queen’s Rock.” Along this route, there are accounts of a sanctuary dedicated
to Dionysus, the “dying god.” Such a temple could have been built in the 6th or
5th century BC, when the first Macedonians settled in the region.
In my view, this sanctuary could
later have taken on a hidden role. During the Roman era, worshippers who
honored Alexander as a god might have used the site to pay tribute in secret.
If Alexander’s tomb was indeed hidden nearby, this would have been the perfect
place to conceal it.
One detail especially captured my
attention: the possibility that a sacred olive tree once grew in the
sanctuary’s courtyard. Based on scientific estimates, if such a tree had
survived until today, it would measure around 14 to 17 meters in circumference.
The survival of such a tree seemed unlikely until I visited Petra myself.
The Olive Tree of Petra
During my visit, I found an enormous
olive tree in a local grove, with a trunk measuring about 14.2 meters around.
Although old and partly hollow, the tree was still alive, standing as a
striking monument to time itself.
This discovery matched perfectly
with the idea I had been building for my novel. Even more surprising, local
residents, along with the head of the community, recalled stories passed down
from earlier generations about ruins of an ancient temple in the same area.
Oral history and physical evidence seemed to point in the same direction.
A Living Witness
The olive tree in Petra is no
ordinary tree. With its massive size, it ranks among the largest olive trees in
Greece and perhaps even in the world. Whether or not it can be directly linked
to the sanctuary or to Alexander himself, its presence strengthens the case for
Pieria as a place worth investigating further.
The Mystery Continues
Of course, this remains a personal
theory, not proven archaeology. But the survival of such an ancient tree combined
with the stories of a forgotten sanctuary offers new reasons to consider Pieria
in the long-running mystery of Alexander’s tomb.
Perhaps the answer does not lie in
faraway lands after all, but closer to his birthplace, in the shadow of Mount
Olympus. And maybe, in the village of Petra, an ancient olive tree still stands
as a silent witness to one of history’s greatest secrets.
