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Alexander the Great Fountain picture gallery

The equestrian bronze statue of the Macedonian king riding his horse Bucephalus is 14.5 m (47.6 ft) tall and weighs 48 tons.  Alexander is depicted as brandishing his sward high in his right hand as if he had just given the command for an attack. His left hand is restraining his rearing horse Bucephanus.  Symbolically he is facing east toward Asia, in direction of Persia.  The massive bronze rests on top of a 10 m (32.8 ft) tall cylindrical column pedestal which is a centerpiece of a large circular fountain. The complete structure rises 24.5 meters (80 feet) into the skyline and dominates the Skopje downtown square "Macedonia".   The column pedestal under the Alexander the Great bronze statue consists of three large marble sculpture reliefs depicting the victorious battles of the Macedonians against the Greeks and Persians.  Alexander the Great is shown on all three sculpture reliefs while his father Philip appears in the one showing the Battle of Chaeronea where the Macedonians defeated unified Greece.  Each of the three marble sculpture reliefs is separated by bronze ring with ancient Macedonian motifs.   At the base of the column are total of 8 bronze statues.  Seven of these bronze statues are of ancient Macedonian soldiers in resting and battle formation and one depicts Alexander’s father Philip of Macedon.  Philip is brandishing his sward in the air and facing south in the direction of Greece, in reference to his conquest of Greece.  Each of the 8 bronze statues is 3 m (9.8 ft) tall.  The column pedestal stands in large circular elevated fountain with four steps leading to the walking ring.  There are also 8 bronze lions, each 2.5 m (8.3 ft) tall, around the edges of the fountain pool, four of which act as part of the fountain, releasing water from their mouths. The fountain is illuminated with series of light beams from the top, sides, and bottom.  At the base of the fountain is a very large mosaic depicting a typical ancient Macedonian scroll mosaics which are found not only in ancient Macedonia, but also in all parts of the Macedonian Empire including Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor.  The fountain also plays music.

The Alexander the Great fountain was officially unveiled on 8 September 2011, on the 20-year anniversary of the Republic of Macedonia's independence, in the center of the capital Skopje. 

The fountain has been a instant tourist attraction since very moment it arrived to square "Macedonia" in downtown Skopje. Not only Macedonians, but also tourists from all of Macedonia's neighbors (including Greeks) have flocked to see the impressive monument.  And the number of tourists visiting Skopje continue to break records every month.  Organized large groups of tourists from European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, etc roam the downtown of the Macedonian capital and take pictures, not only Alexander the Great, but also of all other monumental classical buildings, bronze and marble sculptures that were erected as part of the government project "Skopje 2014". 

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