Bibliotheca Alexandrinaمكتبة الإسكندرية

The original Library of Alexandria, founded in the 3rd century BC under the Ptolemies, was the greatest centre of learning in the ancient world. Scholars came from across the Mediterranean to study its scrolls, and it sought, famously, to collect all the knowledge of its age. Over centuries it was lost, becoming one of history's most haunting symbols of vanished wisdom. The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built to honour and revive that spirit — a deliberate, hopeful echo of antiquity's most celebrated library, rising again on the same fabled shore.

The building itself is a masterpiece of modern design. Shaped like a vast tilted disc rising from the ground beside the sea — like a second sun — its sloping roof of glass and aluminium lets daylight flood the interior. Its great curving granite wall is carved with letters and scripts from writing systems around the world, a tribute to human language. Inside, the breathtaking main reading room cascades down many terraced levels and is among the largest in the world, with space for thousands of readers beneath the soaring roof.

The Bibliotheca is far more than bookshelves. Alongside its millions of books and rare manuscripts, the complex houses several museums — of antiquities, manuscripts, and more — as well as art galleries, a planetarium, and a major conference centre. It hosts exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and research institutes, making it one of the most important cultural and intellectual hubs in the Arab world. There is something here for scholars and casual visitors alike, all wrapped in unforgettable architecture.

The library stands on the Corniche in Alexandria, overlooking the Mediterranean, and is one of the city's must-see sights. Visitors can tour the magnificent reading room and the museums and galleries, often with a guided tour to explain the building and its collections. It combines beautifully with Alexandria's other attractions for a full day in Egypt's great Mediterranean city. Check current opening hours and any exhibitions before you go, as the programme changes regularly.

• What it is: a modern library and cultural centre reviving the ancient Library of Alexandria.
• Arabic name: مكتبة الإسكندرية (Bibliotheca Alexandrina).
• Opened: 2002, on Alexandria's Mediterranean shore.
• Architecture: a giant tilted disc with a script-carved granite wall and a vast reading room.
• Also holds: museums, art galleries, a planetarium, and a conference centre.
• Where: on the Corniche in Alexandria.

Sources include the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Egyptian travel guides.