So, in the third century BC a great collection of the writings of the time was conceived and the library opened by either Ptolemy or his son, no one really knows. Suffice to say it was the greatest collection of its time and was added to by Mark Anthony as a wedding gift to Cleopatra.
I'd have given her a toaster, but they didn't have electric then I suppose.
Over the next couple of centuries Alexandria became a centre of learning until Caesar in 48BC decided it was a good tactic to set fire to his own ships in the harbour. The resultant firestorm destroyed the library.
Or did it?
Apparently there were a couple of other libraries around the city and there are confusing accounts of when and how it disappeared.
Some believe that the most likely scenario was the destruction that accompanied the wars between Zenobia of Palmyra and the Roman Emperor Aurelian, in the second half of the third century.
But anyway -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria
In 1974 a plot of land was secured to re-build it and after much discussion and comings and goings a new one was finally opened in 2002.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliotheca_Alexandrina
Library website -
http://www.bibalex.org/English/index.aspx
It was designed to mimic the rising sun and the front wall made of granite from Aswan is carved with characters from 120 different human scripts.
I'd have given her a toaster, but they didn't have electric then I suppose.
Over the next couple of centuries Alexandria became a centre of learning until Caesar in 48BC decided it was a good tactic to set fire to his own ships in the harbour. The resultant firestorm destroyed the library.
Or did it?
Apparently there were a couple of other libraries around the city and there are confusing accounts of when and how it disappeared.
Some believe that the most likely scenario was the destruction that accompanied the wars between Zenobia of Palmyra and the Roman Emperor Aurelian, in the second half of the third century.
But anyway -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria
In 1974 a plot of land was secured to re-build it and after much discussion and comings and goings a new one was finally opened in 2002.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliotheca_Alexandrina
Library website -
http://www.bibalex.org/English/index.aspx
It was designed to mimic the rising sun and the front wall made of granite from Aswan is carved with characters from 120 different human scripts.