The Bibliotheca Alexandrina or library of Alexandria

Certainly! Let’s delve into more details about the Bibliotheca Alexandrina:

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It serves as a commemoration of the ancient Library of Alexandria, which was once one of the largest libraries worldwide but was lost in antiquity.

Here are some key points about the Bibliotheca Alexandrina:

Inspiration and Revival:
The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974 when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library.
The recreation of the renowned ancient library garnered support from various Egyptian politicians, including former President Hosni Mubarak.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) also embraced the concept of endowing the Mediterranean region with a center of cultural and scientific excellence.
Architectural Marvel:
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was designed by the Norwegian architecture company Snøhetta.
The building features a distinctive architectural style:
A massive cylindrical form emerging from the ground at a shallow angle, situated only about 130 feet (40 meters) from the Mediterranean Sea.
The disk-shaped roof symbolizes the sun rising over the Mediterranean.
The roof consists of aluminum and glass panels arranged like a microchip.
One outer wall comprises 6,400 granite panels bearing characters from all known alphabets.
Functional Spaces:
The library has shelf space for eight million books distributed across seven cascading levels.
The main reading room covers an impressive 20,000 square meters (220,000 square feet).
In addition to the library, the complex houses:
A conference center
Specialized libraries for maps, multimedia, the blind and visually impaired, young people, and children
Four museums
Four art galleries
Temporary exhibitions
Permanent exhibitions
A planetarium
A manuscript restoration laboratory
International Collaboration:
In 2009, the library received a donation of 500,000 books from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), making it the sixth-largest Francophone library in the world.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina stands as a beacon of knowledge, culture, and dialogue, bridging the past and the present in the vibrant city of Alexandria123. 📚🌟