Bibliotheca Alexandrina
مكتبة الإسكندرية
Rebuilt in 2002 near the site of the ancient library, this tilted disc-shaped library has a granite exterior carved with more than a hundred scripts and houses several museums.
The New Library of Alexandria, designed by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta, has a circular roof 160 m in diameter that tilts toward the sea. Its granite exterior bears writing and symbols from around the world. The main reading room can hold 8 million volumes, and its tiered, stepped layout is striking. The complex also houses the Antiquities Museum, the Manuscripts Museum, the Sadat Presidential Museum and a planetarium. Admission to the main library costs about EGP 200. Visitors must either follow a guided tour or walk freely around the outer reading areas, and bags must be stored in lockers. The library is on the eastern harbour section of the Corniche, about a 15-minute walk from Saad Zaghloul Square. Prices for foreign visitors have been raised several times in recent years, so check the website of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities or confirm on site.
Opening hours
Sun–Thu 10:00–19:00; Sat 12:00–16:00; closed Fridays (check the official website)
Nearby sights
- Shallalat Gardens
- Alexandria National Museum
- Graeco-Roman Museum
- Alexandria Corniche
- Saad Zaghloul Square & Historic Cafés
- Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue
- Cavafy Museum
- Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Mark