Wakhan: any chance Alexander ever went there?
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:15 am
I recently saw the TV show "Alexander's Lost World" (http://www.alexanderslostworld.com/) - I see that there was previous discussion about it on Pothos (http://www.pothos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3940). The final few episodes are based in the Wakhan Corridor area of Afghanistan, and the show's narrator (David Adams) strongly suggests that Alexander and his army passed through the length of the Wakhan's main valley, and that from there they crossed one of the high passes into Pakistan.
I've seen some very fleeting suggestions online elsewhere - e.g. http://www.timeout.com/travel/features/ ... fghanistan and http://pamirhighwayadventure.com/travel ... -corridor/ - that Alexander and/or his legions went to the Wakhan. But nothing that makes a definite claim, or that provides any details to back up such a claim.
All sources I've seen that describe Alexander's actual routes through that part of the world, make no mention of the Wakhan. It looks like, according to the authoritative sources - e.g. http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/a ... hrono.html - the furthest upstream on the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya / Panj) that Alexander reached was Alexandria on the Oxus (Ai-Khanoum) or thereabouts. And it seems that he and/or his legions only crossed from Afghanistan (Bactria) into Pakistan (Gandhara) once, and it was via the Khyber Pass / Swat Valley.
So, I'm pretty sure at this point that neither Alexander nor his legions ever did set foot in the Wakhan, let alone cross its high passes. But I'd like to confirm this with people more knowledgeable on the topic than myself. Thoughts?
I've seen some very fleeting suggestions online elsewhere - e.g. http://www.timeout.com/travel/features/ ... fghanistan and http://pamirhighwayadventure.com/travel ... -corridor/ - that Alexander and/or his legions went to the Wakhan. But nothing that makes a definite claim, or that provides any details to back up such a claim.
All sources I've seen that describe Alexander's actual routes through that part of the world, make no mention of the Wakhan. It looks like, according to the authoritative sources - e.g. http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/a ... hrono.html - the furthest upstream on the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya / Panj) that Alexander reached was Alexandria on the Oxus (Ai-Khanoum) or thereabouts. And it seems that he and/or his legions only crossed from Afghanistan (Bactria) into Pakistan (Gandhara) once, and it was via the Khyber Pass / Swat Valley.
So, I'm pretty sure at this point that neither Alexander nor his legions ever did set foot in the Wakhan, let alone cross its high passes. But I'd like to confirm this with people more knowledgeable on the topic than myself. Thoughts?