Maktabat al-Iskandariya and its sun?disk library in Alexandria

Maktabat al-Iskandariya in Alexandria is a modern library and cultural complex where a vast reading room unfolds inside a tilted circular building beside the Mediterranean Sea, echoing the memory of the ancient Library of Alexandria through architecture and collection alike. The present library emerged in the late twentieth century as Egypt’s effort to revive Alexandria’s classical role as a centre of scholarship, and it opened its doors in 2002 with a striking sun?like form and a programme dedicated to books, learning and public culture.

A circular sun?disk beside the Mediterranean

The most immediate impression of Maktabat al-Iskandariya is the main library building itself, a circular volume set at an angle and partly sunk into the ground near Alexandria’s historic harbour. The form rises to around 32 m (105 ft) at its tallest point and spans about 160 m (525 ft) across, giving the structure a broad, low profile against the seafront that recalls a massive disk touching the earth. This geometry was developed by the Norwegian practice Snøhetta after an international design competition held in 1989, and the scheme took shape on a site chosen close to the historic centre of Alexandria’s waterfront.Characterized by its circular, tilting form The building extends several levels below ground as well as above, so that visitors entering from the plaza descend into a deep interior carved out beneath the sun?disk roof.

From the outside, one defining feature is the broad wall of grey granite panels that wraps much of the structure and forms a monumental façade facing the city. The panels are carved with scripts from many writing systems, creating a continuous band of letters and symbols that reflects the multilingual heritage of Alexandria and the global reach of the library’s collection.One outer wall of the structure is made up of granite panels bearing characters An open plaza and reflecting pool sit around the circular building, and a pedestrian bridge links the complex towards the campus of the University of Alexandria, underlining the library’s position within a wider academic district.An open plaza and reflecting pool surrounds the building

Inside the cascading reading room

Beyond the entrance, Maktabat al-Iskandariya opens into an expansive reading room arranged on cascading levels beneath the sloping roof. The space was designed to accommodate thousands of readers and millions of volumes, with the shelving and desks stepping down in terraces so that each level benefits from daylight entering through the array of aluminium and glass roof panels above.The library was designed to house eight million volumes on seven cascading levels The pattern of the roof panels has been compared to a microchip, suggesting both technological modernity and the complexity of information stored within the building.

The interior plan combines the main reading room with a network of specialised facilities and cultural spaces. Alongside the core stacks, the complex incorporates a planetarium, museum areas, a school of information science and laboratories dedicated to conserving rare manuscripts and books.In addition, the library houses a planetarium, a school of library and information science The entire development covers tens of thousands of square metres of floor space and rises through multiple storeys above and below ground, making Maktabat al-Iskandariya one of Egypt’s most substantial modern cultural buildings in terms of built volume and programme.The library contains more than 2,000 reading spaces

Reviving Alexandria’s ancient tradition of learning

The contemporary Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands deliberately within the historical continuity of Alexandria’s classical library, which flourished under the Ptolemaic dynasty and became a symbol of ancient scholarship. The idea of creating a new library in the city was articulated in the 1970s by Mostafa El?Abbadi of Alexandria University, and the project gained national backing in the 1980s before the design competition was organised.The idea of reviving the ancient library was first proposed in 1972 Construction of the present building took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the complex opened in October 2002 as a major public institution on Alexandria’s shoreline.The building opened in October 2002

The new library’s relationship to antiquity is expressed not only in name but also in its siting and built character. The complex occupies a site near Alexandria’s ancient harbour that has been described as close to the reputed location of the original Mouseion and library, so that the circular sun?disk seems to rise from ground that has long been connected with written knowledge.A revival of the legendary ancient library built in classical Greek times Maktabat al-Iskandariya has received international recognition, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004, underscoring its significance as a piece of contemporary design that engages directly with Alexandria’s deep scholarly past.Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004

Visiting Maktabat al-Iskandariya: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands on the Mediterranean seafront in Alexandria’s Shatby district, alongside the University of Alexandria Faculty of Arts and close to the city’s historic harbour; it is reached by road within the urban fabric of Alexandria.
• The main library building is arranged over several levels above and below ground, with broad interior terraces and long flights of steps inside the cascading reading room.
• The official language in Alexandria is Arabic and the currency is the Egyptian pound.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Maktabat al-Iskandariya

Where is Maktabat al-Iskandariya located in Alexandria?

Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands in the Shatby district of Alexandria, adjacent to the University of Alexandria Faculty of Arts and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea along part of its northern edge.

What can visitors expect when entering the library complex?

Visitors encounter an open plaza and water features leading to the circular library building, then descend into a multi?level reading room that combines book stacks, study areas and cultural facilities such as a planetarium and museum spaces.

What makes Maktabat al-Iskandariya distinctive among modern libraries?

The complex combines a large?scale contemporary library collection with a sun?disk building form inscribed with scripts from many writing systems, explicitly linking Alexandria’s twenty?first?century knowledge hub with the legacy of its ancient Library of Alexandria.