Maktabat al-Iskandariya and its sunken circle of light
Published on 08/26/2026 at 06:23 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Maktabat al-Iskandariya in Alexandria is a vast modern library and cultural centre that reimagines the ancient Library of Alexandria as an enormous circular hall cut into the ground beside the Mediterranean Sea. Designed by the Norwegian practice Snøhetta and officially opened in 2002, it combines a monumental reading room with museums, exhibition spaces and research facilities in one coherent complex.
A tilted circle beside the Mediterranean
Maktabat al-Iskandariya occupies a coastal site on the edge of the Eastern Harbour of Alexandria, facing the Mediterranean to the north and the campus of the University of Alexandria to the south.The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located on a magnificent site in the Eastern Harbor The complex stands in the historic heart of the city, close to where the Hellenistic library once stood, so that the new library forms a visible link between contemporary Alexandria and its ancient shoreline.
The building itself takes the form of a great tilted disc or cylinder, roughly 160 metres in diameter, which rises above a broad plaza on the seaward side and descends deep below ground on the landward side.Characterized by its circular, tilting form, the building spans 160 meters in diameter Much of its internal volume is sunk into the earth, so visitors approaching from the city encounter a low, sweeping profile framed by a reflecting pool, rather than a conventional tower or block.
Snøhetta’s design and the great reading room
The architecture of Maktabat al-Iskandariya is the result of an international competition launched in the late 1980s and won by Snøhetta, an Oslo-based practice whose founding partners include Kjetil Trædal Thorsen and Craig Dykers.The competition-winning design was submitted by Norwegian firm Snøhetta The project was developed with local architect Hamza Associates and brought to completion in the early years of the twenty-first century, culminating in its inauguration in October 2002.The complex was officially opened on 16 October 2002
Inside, the library’s signature space is a multi-level reading room that steps down in broad terraces, forming a single continuous hall that extends across much of the disc’s diameter.The reading room covers around 20,000 square metres in a terraced hall Above this hall, a disc-like roof of glass and aluminium spans the structure, bringing daylight into the interior through carefully oriented openings while keeping the direct sun off the collections and workspaces.
A modern research institution with ancient echoes
Maktabat al-Iskandariya functions as far more than a public library, operating as a research institution with collections and facilities that reflect its role as a successor to the ancient Library of Alexandria.Bibliotheca Alexandrina is described as a research institution in Alexandria, Egypt The building houses reading rooms, archives and specialised collections alongside a planetarium, several museums and exhibition halls, a school of information science and conservation laboratories.In addition to the library facilities, it contains other cultural and educational functions including a planetarium and several museums
The new library can accommodate millions of volumes and provides facilities for scholars and visitors from Egypt and abroad, standing as a major cultural centre on the Mediterranean coast.The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria Its circular plan and sunken form give it a distinctive presence in the urban fabric of Alexandria, linking the city’s shoreline with its campuses and museums in a single composition.
Visiting Maktabat al-Iskandariya: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands in the El Shatby district of Alexandria on the Eastern Harbour, between the Mediterranean waterfront and the University of Alexandria campus; the area is accessible by road and local transport within the city.
- The main public spaces are reached from an open plaza that slopes towards the sunken entrance, and movement inside the library involves broad internal ramps and stairways between terraced levels.
- Alexandria lies on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast in a low-lying coastal zone, and weather conditions on the seafront can bring strong sunlight and occasional sea breezes around the exposed plaza.
- 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?
Maktabat al-Iskandariya stands in Alexandria on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, on the Eastern Harbour between the seafront and the University of Alexandria district.
What can visitors expect inside Maktabat al-Iskandariya?
Visitors encounter a large multi-level reading room, extensive book collections, exhibition areas, museums and a planetarium arranged within the tilted circular structure.
What makes Maktabat al-Iskandariya distinctive among libraries?
Its sunken circular form, terraced reading hall and role as a major research institution that echoes the ancient Library of Alexandria make it an especially distinctive cultural landmark.
