# Canonical recap data for Opening of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (2002)
# Source: https://recap.at/2002/alexandria-library-opening
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: alexandria-library-opening
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2002/alexandria-library-opening"
title: Opening of the Ancient Library of Alexandria
aliases:
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- New Library of Alexandria
- Alexandria Library inauguration
subtitle: The Bibliotheca Alexandrina reopened one of history's greatest repositories of knowledge, symbolizing Egypt's cultural renaissance.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2002-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2002
decade: 2000
country:
name: Egypt
slug: egypt
summaryShort: Opening of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (2002) - Egypt.
summaryLong: Opening of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (2002) - Egypt.
lede: In 2002, Egypt inaugurated the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern library built on the Mediterranean coast in Alexandria to honor and reclaim the legacy of the ancient Library of Alexandria, one of the classical world's greatest repositories of knowledge that was destroyed centuries earlier. The new institution opened as a symbol of cultural revival and intellectual ambition in the Arab world, housing millions of books and digital resources.
heroImageUrl: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1671203984228-178b1efb6bb4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w5NjI1OTZ8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxPcGVuaW5nJTIwb2YlMjB0aGUlMjBBbmNpZW50JTIwTGlicmFyeSUyMG9mJTIwQWxleGFuZHJpYXxlbnwwfDB8fHwxNzgwMzA5MzAyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080"
heroImageCredit: Malova Yuliya on Unsplash
importance: 55
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Location
  value: Alexandria, Mediterranean coast, Egypt
- label: Opening date
  value: October 16, 2002
- label: Project initiation
  value: "1986"
- label: Architectural firm
  value: Snøhetta (Norwegian architects)
- label: Initial book capacity
  value: 8 million volumes
- label: Construction cost
  value: Approximately $220 million USD
- label: Main reading room seats
  value: 2,000
- label: UNESCO designation
  value: Memory of the World (2001, before opening)
timeline:
- date: 1986-01-01
  title: Project conception
  description: UNESCO and Egyptian government jointly propose restoring Alexandria's scholarly prominence through a modern library
- date: 1989-01-01
  title: International design competition
  description: Snøhetta of Oslo selected among international architectural firms to design the new facility
- date: 1995-06-21
  title: Cornerstone ceremony
  description: Formal groundbreaking and symbolic founding of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina at its Mediterranean waterfront site
- date: 2001-01-01
  title: UNESCO Memory of the World designation
  description: The library receives UNESCO recognition for its role in preserving human memory and heritage
- date: 2002-10-16
  title: Official opening
  description: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak inaugurates the Bibliotheca Alexandrina with international dignitaries and cultural figures in attendance
- date: 2002-12-01
  title: Public access begins
  description: Library opens to general public following official inauguration ceremonies and staff training
sources: []
related: []
impactStatement: The opening reasserted Alexandria's historical identity as a center of learning and marked a significant investment in Arab cultural infrastructure during a period of limited regional flagship institutions. It signaled Egypt's commitment to knowledge preservation and positioned the country as steward of its own intellectual heritage rather than passive custodian of archaeological sites.
categories:
- festival
metaDescription: Egypt opened the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2002, reviving the legacy of antiquity's greatest library on the Mediterranean coast.
wikidataQid: Q696032
taxonomy:
domain: cultural
eventTypes:
- convention_expo
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- celebration
impactRadius: national
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: renewal
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5e/Alexandria%27s_Bibliotheca.jpg/330px-Alexandria%27s_Bibliotheca.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5e/Alexandria%27s_Bibliotheca.jpg/330px-Alexandria%27s_Bibliotheca.jpg"
  caption: Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  credit: Wikipedia · "Bibliotheca Alexandrina"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/History_of_ancient_coinage%2C_700-300_B.C._-_Percy_Gardner%2C_Litt._D.%2C_F.B.A._%281918%29.pdf/page1-500px-History_of_ancient_coinage%2C_700-300_B.C._-_Percy_Gardner%2C_Litt._D.%2C_F.B.A._%281918%29.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/History_of_ancient_coinage%2C_700-300_B.C._-_Percy_Gardner%2C_Litt._D.%2C_F.B.A._%281918%29.pdf/page1-500px-History_of_ancient_coinage%2C_700-300_B.C._-_Percy_Gardner%2C_Litt._D.%2C_F.B.A._%281918%29.pdf.jpg"
  caption: History of ancient coinage, 700-300 B.C. - Percy Gardner, Litt. D., F.B.A. (1918)
  credit: Percy Gardner, Litt. D., F.B.A.
  width: 650
  height: 1137
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Introductory_address_delivered_by_Professor_J.C._Hughes_before_the_class_of_medical_students_at_the_opening_of_the_session_of_1852-3_%28IA_2165033R.nlm.nih.gov%29.pdf/page1-500px-thumbnail.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Introductory_address_delivered_by_Professor_J.C._Hughes_before_the_class_of_medical_students_at_the_opening_of_the_session_of_1852-3_%28IA_2165033R.nlm.nih.gov%29.pdf/page1-500px-thumbnail.pdf.jpg"
  caption: Introductory address delivered by Professor J.C. Hughes before the class of medical students at the opening of the session of 1852-3 (IA 2165033R.nlm.nih.gov)
  credit: |-
    Hughes, J. C. (Joseph Clokey), 1821-1881
    College of Physicians and Surgeons (Keokuk, Iowa)
  width: 722
  height: 1218
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_claims_of_medicine_to_be_regarded_a_science_an_introductory_lecture_delivered_at_the_opening_of_the_third_session_in_the_Medical_Department_of_the_University_of_Nashville_%28IA_101472827.nlm.nih.gov%29.pdf/page1-500px-thumbnail.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_claims_of_medicine_to_be_regarded_a_science_an_introductory_lecture_delivered_at_the_opening_of_the_third_session_in_the_Medical_Department_of_the_University_of_Nashville_%28IA_101472827.nlm.nih.gov%29.pdf/page1-500px-thumbnail.pdf.jpg"
  caption: The claims of medicine to be regarded a science an introductory lecture delivered at the opening of the third session in the Medical Department of the University of Nashville (IA 101472827.nlm.nih.gov)
  credit: |-
    Eve, Paul F. (Paul Fitzsimmons), 1806-1877
    University of Nashville. Medical Dept
  width: 739
  height: 1158
