English: This is a cropped and conservatively edited version of Alexander the Great Visits the Ka‘bah, Folio from a Khalili Collections Copy of Firdawsi’s Shahnamah, ca. mid-16th Century CE, Shiraz, Iran. Khalili Collections (user:Carl) uploaded the original media file at 21:11, on 13 November 2021.

From the Khalili Collections Description: https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/khalili-collection-hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage-alexander-visits-the-kabah-folio-from-a-copy-of-firdawsis-shahnamah-mss771/

"There was a sharp divergence in the Iranian tradition in the way Alexander the Great was presented. To the Zoroastrian magi he was the destroyer of their fire temples and the fabled palace of the Achaemenids at Persepolis. Under the influence of translations into Arabic of the highly-fictionalised Greek Alexander romance, he was identified with the Qur’anic prophet Dhu’l-Qarnayn (‘he of the two horns’), with a universal mission to impose the monotheistic religion of Abraham. His journey to the Ka‘bah was the first of his world journeys, when he declared himself master of Arabia and destroyed those who had distorted its religious tradition.

"Alexander is shown kneeling in prayer in front of the Ka‘bah, having removed his crown. Pilgrims in white ihram garments stand beside him. The Ka‘bah is draped in its black kiswah, with a gold-embroidered curtain and belt, its hem lifted to reveal the white lining – just as it is today during the Hajj."

This version of the image has been cropped to include only the image of Alexander's visit, and certain quality elements have been enhanced, including white balance, saturation, and sharpness. The image has also been extended with a colored mat to facilitate printing and framing.