Great stone face.

• Author: Freund, Charles Paul
• Position: Artifact - Mountain carving of Alexander the Great - Brief Article

QUICK NOW, WHICH is more deplorable: the destruction of mountain-size carvings that are very old, or the creation of giant new sculpture? Just as the Taliban were detonating Afghanistan's ancient Buddhas, spreading worldwide dismay, plans were hatched to carve a 250-foot face of Alexander the Great on a granite outcropping in Greece, spreading considerable alarm.

The Alexander project would create the world's biggest stone face. The brainchild of Greek sculptor Anastasios Papadopoulos, the work is being underwritten by Greek Americans. According to the sculptor's Alexandros Foundation, "the project will respect and conform to the archaeological, historical, and cultural dimensions of Alexander's philosophy," whatever that means. Still, the prospect of such a work--set to...