The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, officially opened on 16 October 2002, is one of Egypt’s most important modern cultural landmarks and a symbolic revival of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Located on Alexandria’s Mediterranean coast near the ancient harbor, it was designed by Snøhetta with a circular tilted form, natural lighting, a vast reading room, a granite wall carved with thousands of characters from global writing systems, and capacity for up to 8 million books. More than a library, it includes specialized libraries, museums, galleries, exhibitions, a planetarium, conference center, manuscript restoration facilities, digital archives, and cultural programs. Serving students, researchers, children, visually impaired readers, artists, historians, and the public, it connects Alexandria’s ancient intellectual legacy with Egypt’s modern cultural future.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a very significant cultural milestone and one of the most symbolic libraries in the world. It was created mainly as a contemporary revival of the legendary ancient Library of Alexandria. It stands as a major center for learning, research, culture, dialogue, technology, art, and public education. The original Library of Alexandria from ancient times is the primal inspiration for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which was once one of the greatest knowledge institutions of the ancient world before it was lost in a tragic fire, and the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was created to revive that spirit in a new architectural and intellectual form.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002, is far more than a national library; it is a major cultural and academic complex with a large reading room, specialized libraries, museums, art galleries, permanent exhibitions, a planetarium, conference center, manuscript restoration facilities, digital archives, and cultural programs. At the time of construction, its main reading room was the largest in the world, and the institution was designed to serve students, researchers, children, visually impaired readers, artists, historians, and the public.Â
It also symbolizes Alexandria’s identity as a Mediterranean city of knowledge, linking Egypt’s ancient intellectual heritage with modern scholarship, digital preservation, public culture, and international cooperation. It hosts many exhibitions, conferences, concerts, lectures, classes, and cultural events, attracting around one million visitors annually and supporting Egypt’s cultural and academic life.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast in Alexandria, near the city’s ancient harbor and close to the historical area where the ancient Library of Alexandria is believed to have once stood. Its position is highly symbolic: the modern library rises beside the sea in the historic center of Alexandria, linking the city’s ancient role as a global center of learning with its modern cultural future.
The site is also connected to the University of Alexandria, which originally helped select and donate land for the project. The building is surrounded by an open plaza and a reflecting pool, while a footbridge links the library area with the nearby university zone. This setting makes the library feel like both a public cultural monument and an academic gateway between the city, the sea, and the university community.
The idea of reviving the ancient Library of Alexandria began in 1974, when a committee established by Alexandria University selected a plot of land between the university campus and the seafront. The vision was to create a modern institution that would honor the memory of the ancient library while serving contemporary research, culture, and public education. The project gained support from the Egyptian state, especially former President Hosni Mubarak, and from UNESCO, which played a central role in giving the project international visibility and structure.
In 1988, UNESCO organized an international architectural design competition to select the library’s design. The competition received 524 entries, and the winning design was created by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. More than 1,300 architects from 77 countries registered for the competition, reflecting the global importance of the project. The first stone was laid on 26 June 1988, and in October 1990, Egypt and UNESCO signed a project agreement that established the international framework for the library.
Funding pledges began at a conference in Aswan in 1990, where around US$65 million was pledged, mostly from Middle East and North African states. Construction work began in the 1990s, though archaeological excavations uncovered remains of Roman villas and mosaics, delaying the building process. After around US$220 million had been spent, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002.
The library also grew through major international donations. The Internet Archive donated about US$5 million in digital resources and infrastructure, including billions of web pages, television broadcasts, archival films, large-scale data storage, and a book-scanning facility. The Bibliothèque nationale de France later donated 500,000 books, making the Bibliotheca Alexandrina one of the largest Francophone libraries in the world.
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The design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is one of its most powerful and striking features. The building was created as a bold modern symbol of knowledge, continuity, and cultural rebirth. Its circular, tilted form was designed to reflect the cyclical nature of knowledge, connecting the past, present, and future. The glistening roof tilts toward the Mediterranean like a sundial or a rising sun, while its form also evokes Alexandria’s ancient harbor and the memory of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.
The building is 160 meters in diameter, rises to about 32 meters in height, and descends roughly 12 meters underground. It has 11 stories and can hold up to 4 million volumes, expandable to 8 million volumes through compact storage. Its main reading room covers around 20,000 square meters and is arranged across cascading terraces, allowing readers to be close to book stacks while enjoying natural light and views across the vast interior space.
The reading room was once the largest open reading room in the world and was designed like a large intellectual amphitheater. It is lit by vertical, north-facing skylights that bring in natural light without exposing books and manuscripts to damaging direct sunlight. This design improves comfort for readers while protecting the collections.
The exterior of the Library of Alexandria is incredibly remarkable. The granite wall is made of nearly 6,000 square meters of hand-carved stone and is one of the largest contemporary art projects in the world. It includes about 4,000 unique characters from writing systems across human history, including alphabets, symbols, musical notation, mathematical signs, Braille, barcodes, and other forms of inscription spanning around 10,000 years of human communication. The gray granite came from Aswan, and the project helped revive traditional stoneworking skills by training young Egyptian stonemasons.
The library was also designed with environmental considerations. More than 80% of the materials were locally produced, the interior relies heavily on natural light and fresh air, the building uses thermal massing to maintain a comfortable temperature, and the surrounding reflecting pool helps reduce air pollution around the site.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina offers a wide range of public, academic, cultural, and research services. Its main library can hold up to 8 million books and includes collections in Egyptian, classical Arabic, English, and French. It also offers specialized libraries for maps, multimedia, children, young people, and blind or visually impaired readers. The Taha Hussein Library serves blind and visually impaired visitors through special software that allows access to books and journals, and it is named after the Egyptian writer and scholar Taha Hussein, who lost his sight at the age of three.
The library also provides access to digital collections through the Digital Assets Repository, which preserves and makes available digitized materials through online search and browsing. It contains digital projects, archived materials, and cultural heritage resources. Other services include exhibitions, conferences, lectures, concerts, classes, public events, manuscript restoration, conservation facilities, book-scanning services, and access to special collections such as the Nobel Section, which contains works of Nobel Prize winners in literature from 1901 onward.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina's current public opening hours are generally Monday to Thursday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and Friday is closed; the Children’s, Young People’s, and Taha Hussein Libraries follow similar hours, though the Taha Hussein Library is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The Main Library is open Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, so visitors should verify the exact schedule for the day on the official website before going.
It is worth knowing that the main Library tickets include guided tours, Culturama shows, Sadat Museum, and access to permanent and temporary exhibitions. Ticket prices listed by the official site are EGP 10 for Egyptian adults, EGP 5 for Egyptian students and senior citizens, EGP 150 for non-Egyptian adults and senior citizens, and EGP 20 for non-Egyptian students; admission is free for visitors with special needs and for the Taha Hussein Library. Guided tours are available in Arabic, English, and French, with multiple scheduled times during opening days.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina contains several important museums that transform it from a library into a complete cultural complex. These museums help visitors understand Egypt’s ancient, modern, artistic, political, and manuscript heritage.
The Antiquities Museum in the Alexandria library was established in 2001, and it is an archaeological museum located inside the library. It contains around 1,316 artifacts, including underwater antiquities recovered from the Mediterranean seabed near the Eastern Harbour and the Bay of Abukir. The museum presents artifact descriptions in Arabic, English, and French, making it accessible to both Egyptian and international visitors.
The Manuscript Museum, also established in 2001, gives visitors and researchers access to rare manuscripts and books. It contains one of the world’s largest collections of digital manuscripts and works alongside the Manuscript Center, supporting preservation, research, and public access to handwritten heritage.
The Sadat Museum is dedicated to former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Its collection includes personal belongings such as military robes, his Nobel Prize medal, his copy of the Qur’an, handwritten letters, family photographs, newspaper articles, a recording of him reciting part of the Qur’an, and the blood-stained military robe he wore on the day of his assassination. In 2023, the museum also retrieved Sadat’s passport from an online auction in the United States.
In addition to the museums, the complex includes several major exhibitions. Our Digital World presents the library’s digital projects, including archives of former presidents, the Science Supercourse, and the Encyclopedia of Life. The World of Shadi Abdel Salam displays works by the Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter, donated by his family.
Impressions of Alexandria explores Alexandria through the eyes of artists, travelers, and photographers, including the city’s cosmopolitan memory. The library also includes Culturama, a 180-degree panoramic interactive screen system developed by the Egyptian Center for Documentation of Cultural and National Heritage, and a Planetarium, making the Bibliotheca Alexandrina a center for science, culture, memory, and public education.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the closest thing we have to the original ancient library of Alexandria, which will deliver a true magical glimpse of the times that was. This explains why the library is by far one of the amazing Alexandria tourist attractions. Our wide variety of Egypt tour packages mixed with a Nile river cruise between Luxor and Aswan, will deliver the ultimate travel adventure of your lifetime, so make your dream a reality right now.
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The entire country of Egypt deserve to be explored with its every heavenly detail but there are places that must be seen before any other such as the breathtaking Hurghada's red sea, The wonders of Cairo the pyramids of Giza, the great sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili Bazaar, the wonders of Luxor like Valley of the Kings, Karnak & Hatshepsut temple and the wonders of Aswan such as Abu Simbel temples, Philea temple, Unfinished obelisk and The Wonders of Alexandria like Qaitbat Citadel, Pompey's Pillar and Alexandria Library. Read more about the best places to visit in Egypt.
If you want to apply for a Visa On Arrival that lasts for 30 days then you should be one of the eligible countries, have a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining and pay 25$ USD in cash, as for the E-Visa for 30 day you should have a valid passport for at least 8 months, complete the online application, pay the e-visa fee then print the e-visa to later be presented to the airport border guard. You could also be one of the lucky ones who can obtain a free visa for 90 days. Read more about Egypt travel visa.
Egypt has a variety of delicious cuisines but we recommend “Ful & Ta’meya (Fava Beans and Falafel)”, Mulukhiya, “Koshary”, a traditional Egyptian pasta dish, and Kebab & Kofta, the Egyptian traditional meat dish.
The best time to travel to Egypt is during the winter from September to April as the climate becomes a little tropical accompanied by a magical atmosphere of warm weather with a winter breeze. You will be notified in the week of your trip if the Climate is unsafe and if any changes have been made.
You should pack everything you could ever need in a small bag so you could move easily between your destinations.
We have been creating the finest vacations for more than 20 years around the most majestic destinations in Egypt. Our staff consists of the best operators, guides and drivers who dedicate all of their time & effort to make you have the perfect vacation. All of our tours are customized by Travel, Financial & Time consultants to fit your every possible need during your vacation. It doesn't go without saying that your safety and comfort are our main priority and all of our resources will be directed to provide the finest atmosphere until you return home.
You will feel safe in Egypt as the current atmosphere of the country is quite peaceful after the government took powerful measures like restructuring the entire tourist police to include all the important and tourist attractions in Egypt. Read more about is it safe to travel to Egypt.
Wear whatever feels right and comfortable. It is advised to wear something light and comfortable footwear like a closed-toe shoe to sustain the terrain of Egypt. Put on sun block during your time in Egypt in the summer to protect yourself from the sun.
The best activity is by far boarding a Nile Cruise between Luxor and Aswan or Vise Versa. Witness the beauty of Egypt from a hot balloon or a plane and try all the delicious Egyptian cuisines and drinks plus shopping in old Cairo. Explore the allure and wonders of the red sea in the magical city resorts of Egypt like Hurghada and many more by diving and snorkeling in the marine life or Hurghada. Behold the mesmerizing western desert by a safari trip under the heavenly Egyptian skies.
There are a lot of public holidays in Egypt too many to count either religious or nation, the most important festivals are the holy month of Ramadan which ends with Eid Al Fitr, Christmas and new years eve. Read more about festivals & publich holidays in Egypt.
Egypt is considered to be one of the most liberal Islamic countries but it has become a little bit conservative in the last couple of decades so it is advised to avoid showing your chest, shoulders or legs below the knees.
Arabic is the official language and Most Egyptians, who live in the cities, speak or understand English or at least some English words or phrases. Fewer Egyptians can speak French, Italian, Spanish, and German. Professional tour guides, who work in the tourism sector, are equipped to handle visitors who cannot speak Arabic and they will speak enough English and other languages to fulfill the needs of all our clients.
The fastest way is a car, of course, a taxi. If you are in Cairo ride a white taxi to move faster or you could board the fastest way of transportation in Egypt metro if the roads are in rush hour.
The temperature in Egypt ranges from 37c to 14 c. Summer in Egypt is somehow hot but sometimes it becomes cold at night and winter is cool and mild. The average of low temperatures vary from 9.5 °C in the wintertime to 23 °C in the summertime and the average high temperatures vary from 17 °C in the wintertime to 32 °C in the summertime. The temperature is moderate all along the coasts.
It is the home of everything a traveler might be looking for from amazing historical sites dating to more than 4000 years to enchanting city resorts & beaches. You will live the vacation you deserve as Egypt has everything you could possibly imagine.
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