Bibliotheca Alexandrina

What is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?

It is a working research library and cultural complex, built by Egypt with UNESCO support as a modern successor to the great Library of antiquity, and opened in October 2002. It is not a reconstruction: no one knows exactly where the ancient Library stood, and the new building makes no attempt to copy it. Instead the Norwegian practice Snøhetta designed a giant disc, around 160 metres across, that tilts towards the sea like a sun rising out of the water.

The curved outer wall facing the city is clad in grey Aswan granite carved with letters and symbols from scripts all over the world, from hieroglyphs and cuneiform to Latin, Arabic and Chinese. Walk around it before you go in; it is one of the best photographs in Alexandria. The library is designed to hold millions of books and also runs digital archives, conferences and Egypt's largest annual cultural programme outside Cairo.

What do we actually know about the ancient Library of Alexandria?

The ancient Library was founded by the early Ptolemies in the 3rd century BC as part of the Mouseion, a royal research institute, and for centuries it was the greatest collection of written knowledge in the Mediterranean world. Its scholars included Callimachus, who compiled a catalogue of Greek literature, and Eratosthenes, who estimated the circumference of the Earth with remarkable accuracy. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible known as the Septuagint was made in Alexandria in the same period.

How it ended is still debated. It was not destroyed in one famous fire. Julius Caesar's fighting in 48 BC burned warehouses near the harbour and perhaps books; the palace quarter was devastated in civil wars of the 270s AD; and the "daughter library" at the Serapeum was destroyed in AD 391, which you can read about at Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum. The story that the Arab conquerors burned the books in the 640s is regarded by most historians as a later legend. The truth is a slow decline over several centuries. Our guides to Ptolemaic Egypt and Alexander the Great in Egypt tell the story of the city's founding.

What can you see inside?

Most visitors take a short guided tour of the main reading room, then choose one or two of the museums.

The main reading room

A single enormous space stepping down in terraces beneath the sloping glass-panelled roof, which filters daylight onto the desks. It is the moment most people remember. Visitors view it from the upper level while students work below, so keep your voice down.

The Antiquities Museum

A compact, well-lit collection of pharaonic, Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic objects, including pieces found during the library's own excavations and from the harbour seabed. It is a good primer if you are short of time in the city.

The Manuscripts Museum and exhibitions

Rare manuscripts, early printed books and maps, plus permanent exhibitions on Alexandria's history, Egyptian folk art, the history of science and the life of President Anwar Sadat. The line-up changes, so ask at the entrance what is open.

The Planetarium Science Center

The dark sphere on the plaza holds a planetarium with scheduled shows and a small science museum, good for children. Show times and languages vary.

How long do you need, and how does a visit work?

Allow one and a half to two hours to see the reading room and one or two museums. Expect a security check at the entrance and a cloakroom for larger bags. Separate tickets are usually needed for the library, the museums and the planetarium; check current prices and opening hours on the library's own counters on arrival. Guided tours of the main library run in English and other languages through the day.

The building is modern, air-conditioned and has lifts, which makes it one of the more accessible sights in Egypt and a good place to escape the midday heat. Photography is generally allowed in public areas but not always inside exhibitions. Opening days have changed over the years; at the time of writing it has typically closed on Fridays, so check before you plan around it.

Getting there and combining it with other sights

The library is on the Corniche at Shatby, about 2 km east of Raml Station, 5–10 minutes by car from downtown. It fits naturally into a morning with the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa and an afternoon at the Citadel of Qaitbay, which sits at the other end of the same harbour. Across the road is the Alexandria Faculty of Medicine campus and, behind it, the tram line along the coast.

Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina worth visiting?

Yes, especially for architecture lovers, readers and anyone interested in how Alexandria sees itself; it is less essential if you only want ancient sites. It is the city's statement that it is still a place of learning, and many Alexandrians are proud of it. If you have just one day in the city, a 45-minute visit to the reading room and the Antiquities Museum is a sensible compromise. If you are a keen history traveller, our guide to Egypt for history lovers suggests how to give the Mediterranean coast proper time.