Maktabat al-Iskandariya: a sun?disc of knowledge on Alexandria’s harbour

Maktabat al-Iskandariya is a vast modern library and cultural complex on the Mediterranean waterfront of Alexandria, conceived as a contemporary successor to the ancient Library of Alexandria and opened in 2002.opened in 2002 Designed by the Norwegian practice Snøhetta with Egyptian engineers Hamza Associates, it takes the form of a circular disc that tilts towards the sea while sinking deep into the ground.circular, tilting form

A tilting disc beside Alexandria’s ancient harbour

Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands on the eastern edge of Alexandria’s harbour, close to the presumed site of the Ptolemaic royal quarter and the ancient library that once made the city a centre of scholarship in the Hellenistic world.presumed site of the ancient library The complex sits between the Corniche seafront road and the campus of Alexandria University, looking across the bay towards the fifteenth?century Qaitbay fortress.

The main library building is an 11?storey disc about 160 m (525 ft) across that rises above the plaza while also descending several levels below ground.160 metres in diameter From the Corniche, the structure reads as a sun?like form inclining towards the sea, its roof a broad plane of aluminium and glass panels set in a dense geometric pattern.

Stone, light and a vast stepped reading room

The outer retaining wall of Maktabat al-Iskandariya is clad in thousands of granite panels engraved with characters from many writing systems, turning the facade into a monumental frieze of scripts from across the world.granite panels bearing characters The disc is partially surrounded by a shallow reflecting pool and an open plaza planted with trees, so that stone, water and planting frame the approach to the entrance.

Inside, the main reading room seats about 2,000 readers and stretches across several cascading levels that step down from the entrance side towards the far edge of the disc.reading room with seating for 2,000 Slender columns rise through the space, their capitals recalling lotus forms from Egyptian architecture, and the roof brings in daylight through bands of glazing set between the structural ribs.lotus?topped pillars

A cultural campus built around the new library

Maktabat al-Iskandariya is not only a research library; it anchors a wider cultural campus that brings together several institutions around a central esplanade. The complex includes specialist libraries, museums, research centres, permanent and temporary exhibition galleries and conservation facilities.specialist libraries and museums

A planetarium in a separate spherical volume and a conference centre linked by underground passages form two of the distinct buildings within the ensemble.planetarium and conference centre Together with the main library, they occupy a site on Alexandria’s eastern harbour that has become a prominent landmark of Ägypten’s second city.Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004

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

• Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands on Alexandria’s Corniche near the eastern harbour, adjacent to the main campus of Alexandria University and within sight of the Qaitbay fortress.
• The approach to the main entrance crosses an open plaza and passes shallow water features, with broad external steps and internal staircases linking the different levels of the disc?shaped building.
• The official language 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 is on the Corniche seafront road beside Alexandria’s eastern harbour, near the main campus of Alexandria University and facing the bay.

What should visitors expect inside the library complex?

Visitors encounter a large multi?level reading room, engraved granite walls, exhibition areas, museums and a planetarium arranged around a central plaza.

What makes Maktabat al-Iskandariya distinctive among modern libraries?

Its tilting sun?disc form, harbourfront setting, engraved stone facade and role as a combined research library and cultural campus make it distinctive among contemporary library projects.