Description of the attraction
The Library of Alexandria was built in 2002 next to the harbor in the ancient city center. The 11-storey building can accommodate more than 4 million copies of books; in the future, its area can be expanded to 8 million through the use of compact storage.
The structure is circular, inclined in shape, its diameter is 160 meters, and its height is about 32 meters in height, the lower tiers are submerged 12 meters into the ground. The building is surrounded by a pool, in front of it lies an open area, a pedestrian bridge connects the complex with the university located nearby. The granite exterior walls are decorated with carved letters, pictograms, hieroglyphs and symbols from 120 different human languages. The stunning main reading room under a sloping roof, with sophisticated specially designed windows that allow the room to flood with sunlight, but block the rays harmful to the collection, can accommodate 2,500 readers.
In addition to the library, the institution also performs other cultural and educational functions. The main reading room is supplemented by four specialized libraries (for children - from 6 to 11 years old; youth - from 11 to 17 years old; multimedia room, as well as a library for the blind). There are four permanent museums, a planetarium, a convention center, a number of permanent and temporary exhibitions, and a school of computer science.
Museums with collections of ancient texts, antique books and maps and a copy of the only surviving scroll from the ancient library of Alexandria deserve special attention.
The Museum of Antiquities has a superbly organized exhibition of artifacts from the Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras. The Sadat Museum is dedicated to the ex-President of Egypt, featuring recordings of the leader's speeches, photographs and documents. The Historical Museum under the Planetarium is aimed at schoolchildren and tells the story of the contribution to world science of three key historical eras - the pharaohs of Egypt, Hellenistic Alexandria and the Islamic era. The library's showrooms are used to house several permanent exhibitions, including showcasing works by contemporary Arab artists; vibrant collections of textiles, Arabic folk art and scientific equipment from the Middle Ages. It displays drawings and photographs, as well as a video showing the long history of the city and country.
Library tickets can be purchased at the main entrance, children under the age of six are not allowed in the complex. It will take at least half a day to see all the buildings in the complex, and a tour of the main reading room usually takes about an hour.
