A Norwegian-designed library opened in 2002 on the site believed to hold the ancient Library of Alexandria — the largest repository of knowledge in the ancient world.
About Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The original Library of Alexandria, founded around 295 BCE under Ptolemy I, held up to seven hundred thousand scrolls before its gradual destruction. The modern library resulted from a 1988 international design competition and opened after seven years of construction.
Overview The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened in 2002 on the waterfront of Alexandria, on a site believed to be adjacent to — or possibly overlapping — the location of the ancient Library of Alexandria, which was the largest repository of knowledge in the ancient world before its destruction. The new library is a UNESCO and Norwegian-designed building of genuine architectural ambition: a tilted disc form clad in gray Aswan granite inscribed with scripts from around the world, designed to evoke a sun rising from the Mediterranean.
The Story Behind It The original Library of Alexandria was founded around 295 BCE under Ptolemy I and grew, under subsequent Ptolemaic pharaohs, to hold an estimated four hundred thousand to seven hundred thousand scrolls — the collected intellectual output of the ancient Mediterranean world. Its destruction, which occurred gradually rather than in a single catastrophic event, represented one of the most significant losses of ancient knowledge in history. The idea of rebuilding a great library in Alexandria was proposed in the 1970s by Alexandria University; the international design competition produced the Norwegian firm Snøhetta's winning entry in 1988, and construction began in 1995.
What You'll Experience The main reading room is the architectural centerpiece — a cascading series of terraced desks descending under a glass roof, with natural light filtered through the tilted disc. Seven specialized libraries within the complex cover subjects from rare books to multimedia. Four museums occupy sections of the building: Antiquities, Manuscripts, Sadat's history, and a science museum. A permanent exhibition documents the history of the original ancient library. The building's exterior, with its inscribed granite panels in eighty scripts, is best viewed from across the harbor corniche.
Getting There The library is on the Alexandria corniche, adjacent to the eastern harbor, near the Shatby neighborhood. Alexandria is two hours from Cairo by express train. From Alexandria's Misr Station, a taxi to the library takes about fifteen minutes.
The Experience
Walk the cascading main reading room under its filtered-light glass roof, visit the four specialized museums including the Antiquities collection, and view the granite exterior with its eighty-script inscription from the harbor corniche.
Why It Matters
A symbolic reinstatement of Alexandria's ancient role as a center of knowledge, and one of the most architecturally distinguished public buildings in contemporary Egypt.
Why Visit
The main reading room is one of the finest interior spaces in any building in Egypt. The intellectual ambition of the project, and its relationship to the ancient library it evokes, gives the visit a weight beyond the architecture alone.
Best Season
🌤 Year-round. The building is fully climate-controlled. Alexandria's Mediterranean climate is milder than Cairo's, and the corniche is pleasant in any season.
Quick Facts
Location
Egypt
Type
attraction
Coordinates
31.2089°, 29.9092°
Learn More
Wikipedia article available
Insider Tips
- 1
The library requires a visitor ticket even if you're only using the reading room — purchase at the entrance desk.
- 2
The Antiquities Museum in the basement contains genuine finds from excavations beneath the site, including Roman-era objects.
- 3
The exterior view from across the harbor is the strongest architectural perspective — walk the corniche south to get it.
- 4
Plan for two to three hours if visiting all four museums; the reading room alone takes thirty minutes to appreciate properly.
