| 22 MAY 12 / 15:03:25 Giant Statue of Philip of Macedon Erected in Skopje A giant 29-metre tall bronze statue of the ancient warrior king, Philip of Macedon, was erected on Tuesday in the heart of the Macedonian capital Skopje amidst a cheering crowd of spectators. Sinisa Jakov Marusic BIRN Skopje The statue is located in the middle of what will be a lavish complex of four fountains, currently under construction, and faces a similarly sized statue of Alexander the Great on the other side of Skopje's landmark Stone Bridge. Philip is depicted in a standing position, unlike his son, Alexander, who is on a horse. The new statue is formally entitled "Warrior with accompanying elements", a rather vague description apparently designed to avoid further upsetting opinion in neighbouring Greece, which claims Philip and Alexander as Greek heroes. The statue of Alexander is formally entitled "an equestrian warrior". The statues, albeit with inoffensive titles, are unlikely to help Macedonia's efforts to settle the name dispute with Greece. Last year, Athens sent a protest note after the Alexander statue was unveiled, characterising the government-funded sculpture as a provocation. "Philip's 13-metre statue was placed on top of a 16-metre pedestal," Skopje's Centar Municipality said in a press release. The pedestal will be covered in marble and bronze reliefs, closely copying the composition of the Alexander statue. Although the cost of the statue and fountain pedestal beneath it has ... |
