Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Bibliotheca Alexandrina
source
Name	Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Native name	مكتبة الإسكندرية
Established	2002
Location	Alexandria, Egypt
Architect	Snøhetta
Type	National library, cultural center, research institution
Items collected	Manuscripts, books, maps, multimedia, archives
Director	Ismail Serageldin (founding director)

Contents

Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library and cultural center in Alexandria, Egypt, conceived as a modern revival of the ancient Library of Alexandria associated with Ptolemaic Kingdom, Alexander the Great, Euclid, Archimedes, Eratosthenes. The institution opened in 2002 amid international initiatives involving UNESCO, UNDP, Ford Foundation, European Union, World Bank, and hosting partnerships with Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Vatican Library. Its facilities serve as a hub connecting regional centers such as Cairo University, Al-Azhar University, American University in Cairo, Ain Shams University, and global networks including International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, League of Arab States, African Union.

History

The project originated from late 19th‑ and 20th‑century scholarly interest in the ancient Library of Alexandria and revival campaigns involving figures like T. E. Lawrence, E. M. Forster, James Henry Breasted, and later endorsements by Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, while international fundraising engaged entities such as UNESCO, World Bank, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Norwegian Government, and private patrons including the The Rockefeller Foundation. Groundbreaking and design selection occurred after competitions attracting firms linked to projects like Oslo Opera House and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, culminating in a winning design by Snøhetta with engineering by Arup Group and contributions from consultants associated with Smithsonian Institution and Getty Conservation Institute. Construction phases involved collaborations with Egyptian Museum, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Biblioteca Nacional de España, and milestones marked by inaugurations attended by dignitaries from United Nations, Arab League, European Commission, and heads of state including representatives of Egypt and international delegations.

The complex features a disk-shaped main reading hall sloping toward the Mediterranean Sea and aligns with urban axes linked to Alexandria Citadel of Qaitbay, Kom el-Dikka, Bibliotheca Alexandrina's Great Hall (note: not as a link to the subject), and a waterfront promenade near Montaza Palace. Exterior cladding incorporates engraved characters from scripts curated by scholars from Institute of Egyptology, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, British Museum, Pergamon Museum, and artisans with references to craftsmanship found at Alhambra, Hagia Sophia, Suleymaniye Mosque. Structural systems were engineered in consultation with firms experienced on projects like Pompidou Centre and Louvre Pyramid, integrating seismic design principles used in Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Millau Viaduct. Public spaces were programmed drawing on precedents from Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Library, with landscaping influenced by archaeobotanical studies from University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and Ain Shams University.

Collections include rare manuscripts assembled with support from Vatican Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Bodleian Library, Library of Congress, John Rylands Library, and donations from collectors associated with Alessandro Valignano and estates related to Gamal Abdel Nasser; holdings cover papyri, codices, maps, and incunabula alongside modern acquisitions from Penguin Random House, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press. Onsite museums encompass the Ancient Mediterranean Heritage Museum, the Museum of Manuscripts, the Alexandria Antiquities Museum, and temporary exhibitions curated in collaboration with Egyptian Museum, Museo Egizio, Louvre Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo. Digitization partnerships with Google Books, Internet Archive, World Digital Library, Europeana and conservation programs with Getty Conservation Institute and ICCROM support preservation of materials related to figures like Hypatia, Cleopatra VII Philopator, Ptolemy, Sappho.

Research centers and institutes collaborate with universities and research bodies including Cairo University, Alexandria University, Ain Shams University, American University in Cairo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Max Planck Society, and CNRS to support scholarship in areas linked to Hellenistic Egypt, Coptic Studies, Islamic Studies, Mediterranean Archaeology, Manuscript Studies, and Digital Humanities. Programs host fellowships and symposia drawing participants from UNESCO, European Research Council, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and professional societies such as Association of College and Research Libraries and International Council on Archives. Graduate training modules and distance-learning initiatives leverage platforms associated with Coursera, edX, and partnerships with librarianship programs at SILS University of North Carolina and Information School, University of Washington.

Public amenities include auditoria for performances linked to ensembles like Cairo Opera House, lecture series featuring scholars from Princeton University, Columbia University, Yale University, film festivals in collaboration with Cairo International Film Festival, art exhibitions with curators from Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and educational outreach with schools such as Alexandria National School and cultural NGOs like Bibliotheca Alexandrina Friends of the Library (local associations). The center stages conferences associated with Arab League, African Union, and multilateral dialogues involving United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, International Monetary Fund on heritage, while hosting community programs inspired by models from British Council, Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française, and major festivals like Biennale di Venezia.

Governance is overseen by a governing board drawing appointees from ministries including Ministry of Culture (Egypt), representatives from international partners such as UNESCO, European Union, and academic institutions including Cairo University and Alexandria University. Funding sources combine national allocations from Government of Egypt, endowments solicited from foundations including Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, international development loans from World Bank and grants from cultural agencies like British Council and French Ministry of Culture. Operational partnerships and donations have involved corporate patrons linked to Orascom Group, EgyptOil, and philanthropic networks connected to Carnegie Corporation of New York and Wellcome Trust.

Category:Libraries in Egypt