Iskandar (Alexander) in the Land of Gloom

In Islam, Iskandar (Alexander the Great) is revered as both a great king and a prophet. This illustration is from a copy of the great Persian epic Shahnama (Book of Kings) of the poet Firdawsi (composed in the late 10th-early 11th century). It depicts Iskandar (wearing a plumed crown) passing by the Water of Life, at the edge of which sit his guides through the Land of Gloom, Khidr and Ilyas, their status as prophets indicated by their flaming halos.