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There have been people in world history whose lives have become so intertwined withmyths that the real history and the myths have become inseparable. Alexander the Great (bc.356-323) is one of these figures, who became famous in the East under the names Zulkarnaynand Iskandar. He was a renowned military leader and statesman. Shortly after his death, writerslike Callisthenes, Cleitarchus, and Onesicritus wrote about his life and military campaigns.These works, along with historical and biographical accounts by Greek writers like Plutarch,led to the proliferation of myths and legends about Alexander. Works in this category canbe divided into two types: First, historical works dedicated to Alexander’s campaigns andhis governance. Second, literary works that glorify his positive qualities while sometimescondemning his negative aspects. The image of Alexander in Turkish and Persian literature isnot always that of a positive hero; he can also be portrayed as an invader and a tyrannical king.It’s important to note that Alexander’s image did not remain static in either historical or literaryworks. His persona was enriched by the viewpoints of the people and nations whose languageswere used to write about him, regardless of the historical period, cultural environment, orreligious doctrine. From the 10th century onwards, this image was perfected as a traditionalsymbol of epic poetry. The Persian poet Abulqasim Firdausi, in his epic poem Shahnameh,was the first in Eastern literature to elevate the figure of Alexander to the level of a maincharacter. In creating the epic, Firdausi relied mainly on materials from Khudaynamah, variouslegends and tales, as well as, albeit partially, the novel Pseudo-Callisthenes. The epic focuseson Alexander’s heroic and fantastic adventures, narrating his battle with Darius, his marches toIndia, China, and Mesopotamia, his journey into darkness, his construction of a fortress to blockthe path of Gog and Magog, and his battles with various mythical creatures. The first person towrite about Alexander as an independent work of art was Nizami Ganjavi. The poet masterfullyportrays Alexander, raising him to the level of a just king and a prophet. This young ruler isdepicted as not seeking wealth, fame, or territory for himself, but rather waging wars only toprotect peoples suffering from oppression. Later, Amir Khusrow Dehlavi, Abdurrahman Jami,and Alisher Navoi all created special epics about Alexander, solidifying his image in fictionalliterature. In literary criticism, the question of which of the Iskandarnamas by Alisher Navoiand Abdurrahman Jami was written first is a point of contention. Some literary scholars notethat the epic poem Khiradnamayi Iskandari was completed first, with Saddi Iskandari beingcreated as a prelude to it. Other literary scholars, however, state that the poem Saddi Iskandari was written and completed before the Khiradnamayi Iskandari. This is primarily becauseNavoi, in his work Muhakamat al-Lughatain, states that the foundations of Saddi Iskandariwere laid by Hazreti Mahdum (Abdurrahman Jami), whom he refers to as the “engineer ofmemory,” and therefore he sought his guidance and support. Although Navoi completed hisepic before his teacher, he stated that he wrote it with Jami’s support out of respect and humility.This article explores the similarities and differences between the epics of these two great poets,their attitudes toward tradition, and their creative originality