Alexandria Library Welcomes 1.5 Million Visitors Annually to its Vast Collection and Research Centers

The Library of Alexandria is a unique cultural and intellectual landmark that serves as a global beacon of knowledge, housing millions of books, scholarly materials, specialized libraries, museums, and research centers. Functioning as a hub for dialogue and communication between civilizations, the modern library—opened in October 2002 to revive the ancient legacy of the library founded by Ptolemy II—welcomes around 1.5 million visitors annually.

 The vast collection includes approximately 2.6 million scholarly items, along with electronic resources and manuscripts. Notably, the rare books department holds over 15,000 rare books (the oldest dating to 1496) and 66,000 donated books from special collections. Furthermore, the main reading room displays the Bulaq Press, the first Egyptian printing press, established in 1820.

 The facility complex, with an architectural design symbolizing the rising sun, encompasses six specialized libraries, four museums, a planetarium, and 12 academic research centers. Its striking gray granite mural, featuring 4,200 symbols across 120 languages, clearly reflects the library's mission to emphasize language as the foundation of culture and a means of global dialogue.