One of the most significant construction projects in Egypt in the past few decades has been a venture to recapture some of the glory of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Since its opening in 2004, the Bibliotheca Alexandria has attracted both tourists and residents to read in its study areas, admire the architecture, or explore the many unique areas of a complex of buildings which recall the characteristics that made Alexandria famous in the past.
The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, although very different in design, recalls the building that once housed one of the best library collections in the known world. According to UNESCO, which helped fund the library, the new Library of Alexandria is designed to give Egypt and the surrounding countries a focus for cultural, scientific, and educational advances, in keeping with its precursor. The cost of building the new library building was about USD $169 million, while the library materials and machines cost another US $50 million, making it one of the most ambitious projects in Egypt in years.
History of the Ancient Library of Alexandria
The ancient Library of Alexandria first opened its doors to learning in the fourth century B.C., soon after Alexander the Great founded the city bearing his name. Functioning as a university for such famous people as Euclid, Eratosthenes, and Archimedes, as well as a storehouse for some of the most books important books of the age, the ancient library was one of the most important places of learning in the ancient world. By the third century B.C, the library already had 700,000 manuscripts on its list of acquisitions, and the librarians were entitled to make a copy of any book that came into the city. Until the library burned down in about A.D. 400, it had the greatest collection of manuscripts ever gathered together.
Books, Displays, and Special Features in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Although the ancient library is long gone, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina recalls some of the grandeur its precursor must have had, but in a very different style. Rather than trying to reconstruct the library exactly as it was centuries ago, the architects who chose to design the outside of the building like a giant disc with panels to capture the sun’s rays, as the founders state, hoped to recapture the spirit of openness and learning of the original library, and with more that 800,000 visitors each year since its opening, the library is fulfilling its purpose. The library complex includes the library itself, a planetarium, an exploratorium with science exhibits for children, a cultural panorama, three museums, and more. Nine permanent exhibitions on topics ranging from Arabic calligraphy to medieval astronomy and science are part of the complex, as well as four art galleries and a conference centre. The eleven-floor library itself currently has about 650,000 books, maps, and other materials in its collection, and it has room for eight million. With books in Arabic, English, and other languages, the library has something for everyone.
