Museum Building · Alexandria, Egypt
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. Built 2002.
Photo: Hassan Hamdy wahidy via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Alexandria, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Type | Museum Building |
| Built | 2002 |
| Architect | Snøhetta |
| Coordinates | 31.2089° N, 29.9092° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Bibliotheca Alexandrina is known for
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt.
About Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity. The complex was officially inaugurated in 2002.
History
The idea of reviving the Library of Alexandria dates back to 1974, when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library between the campus and the seafront, close to where the ancient library once stood. One leading supporter of the project was former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, along with a partnership with UNESCO. UNESCO organized an architectural design competition in 1988 to choose the design.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Bibliotheca Alexandrina website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Alexandria |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | El Nouzha Airport (ALY) |
| Distance from the airport | 2.8 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Alexandria International Airport (HBE) · Alexandria, Egypt · 22.9 miles away
- El Alamein International Airport (DBB) · El Alamein, Egypt · 87.9 miles away
- Sphinx International Airport (SPX) · Al Jiza, Egypt · 96.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Egypt
More museum buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Bibliotheca Alexandrina?
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt.
Where is Bibliotheca Alexandrina located?
Bibliotheca Alexandrina is in Alexandria, Egypt. Its coordinates are 31.2089° N, 29.9092° E.
How do I get to Bibliotheca Alexandrina?
The nearest town is Alexandria, and the nearest airport is El Nouzha Airport (ALY), about 2.8 miles away (straight line).
When was Bibliotheca Alexandrina built?
Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built 2002.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliotheca_Alexandrina — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q501851 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.bibalex.org/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.