Iskandar (name)

Iskandar, Iskander, Skandar, Skander, Askandar, Askander, Eskandar, Eskender, Eskinder, Iskinder, Sikandar, Sikander, Skandier, Scandar, Scander or İskender (Arabic: إسكندر; Amharic: እስክንድር eskinder; Persian: اسکندر Eskandar or سکندر Skandar), is a variant of the given name Alexander in cultures such as Iran (Persia), Arabia and others throughout the Middle East, North East Africa, South Asia, Caucasus, Volga region and Central Asia. In Egypt, its bearers are mostly of Christian (Coptic) descent. Originally referring to Alexander the Great, it was transmitted through works such as the Iskandarnameh and the Sirr al-Asrar, and became a popular name for rulers in the medieval period. The Arabic version may also add the definite-article prefix al-, giving al-ʾiskandar (Arabic: الاسكندر,الإِسْكَنْدَر). al-Iskandarīyah ("of Alexander") is the Arabic name of the Egyptian city of Alexandria.