Alexandria's Landmark

The Egypt’s windows on the world – is one of the four objectives or a theme described for the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandrian Library). It is a wonderful reincarnation of the famed ancient library of Alexandria, which was said to be accidentally burned by Caesar during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC. However, this version is not confirmed in contemporary accounts of the visit. It has been reasonably established that the library or parts of the collection were destroyed on several occasions, but to this day, the details of these destruction events remain a lively source of controversy based on inconclusive evidence.

The Library of Alexandria is of religious significance because of its original role as a temple, its historical association with such Christian theologians as Origen of Alexandria, and its collection of many religious manuscripts (including rare copies of the Qur'an). This article covers both the ancient and modern Alexandrian libraries together, as they share a common heritage and objectives.
The modern Biblioteca Alexandrina is intended to recapture the spirit of the original Library of Alexandria as a center for learning, dialogue, and rationality.
Plans began to resurrect the ancient library and its scholarly ideals in 1974. Initiated by Alexandria University, the idea was enthusiastically supported by the international community. In 1988, UNESCO sponsored an architectural competition for designing the new library, which was won by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta. At a conference in Aswan in 1990, funding was pledged from all over the world, especially from a number of Arab states. Construction commenced in 1994 and was completed in 2002 with a price tag of over $220 million.
The architecture of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is modern and striking, with a 160m-diameter glass-paneled roof tilted out toward the sea like a sundial. The outer wall, made of grey Aswan granite, are carved with symbols from 120 different scripts.
Today, the library receives around 800,000 visitors each year. It opens 7 days a week, from 11:00 hrs until 19:00 hrs, except on Friday where it allows all people from walks of life, local and foreigners alike, entering it starting from 15:00 hrs until 19:00 hrs. As usual, nothing is free in this world: Entrance fees varies from EGP 1 to EGP 10. Well, it is indeed worth the money.
The Biblioteca Alexandrina also contains a manuscript restoration laboratory, a planetarium (the large dome on the roof) and a grand conference center.
Other exhibitions within the library include “Impressions of Alexandria,” a collection of original engravings, lithographs, early photographs and maps of Alexandria by artists and travelers from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and a permanent exhibition dedicated to the literary, cinematic works and paintings of the celebrated Egyptian director, production designer and film-maker, Shadi Abdel Salam.