Bibliotheca Alexandrina
A modern library and cultural centre on the Mediterranean shore, built in memory of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Its tilted disc of a roof rises from a granite wall carved with letters from scripts around the world.
- Where
- Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 31.2089, 29.9092
Get the Bibliotheca Alexandrina stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Alexandria volume with your photos and a note.
Near Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Alexandria National Museum 0.9 km
A museum in a restored Italian style palace on Tariq Al-Horreya Street, opened in 2003. It traces the city's history from the pharaohs through Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic times, including finds raised from the harbour floor.
Citadel of Qaitbay 2.3 km
A 15th century sea fortress built between 1477 and 1479 by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay, at the tip of the old Pharos island at the mouth of the harbour. It stands on the site of the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders.
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa 2.5 km
Roman era tombs cut deep into the rock and reached by a spiral stair, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Their carvings mix Egyptian gods with Greek and Roman dress and style in a way seen almost nowhere else.
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque 2.6 km
A mosque, mausoleum and Sufi shrine in the Anfoushi quarter, honouring the 13th century mystic Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi, who is buried here. Its tall minaret and domes in cream stone stand out near the seafront of the Eastern Harbour.
Pompey's Pillar 3.2 km
A giant Roman column of red granite, raised between 298 and 302 AD in honour of the emperor Diocletian, not Pompey. It once carried a porphyry statue of the emperor in armour, and stands over the ruins of the Serapeum.
Montaza Palace 13 km
A royal palace on a low plateau at the eastern end of Alexandria, with towers in a mix of Turkish and Florentine styles. Its large gardens of palms and pines run down to sheltered beaches on the Mediterranean.
Abu Mena 47 km
The remains of a town, monastery and pilgrimage centre of late antiquity, about 50 kilometres south-west of Alexandria, built around the tomb of Saint Menas. Few walls still stand, but the foundations of the great basilica are easy to trace.
Wadi El Natrun 97 km
A desert depression about 23 metres below sea level, with salt lakes and marshes rich in natron, the salt used in mummification. It is also home to old Coptic monasteries that have been lived in since early Christian times.
More famous places to visit in Alexandria
Questions
Where is Bibliotheca Alexandrina?
Bibliotheca Alexandrina is in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Alexandria National Museum (0.9 km), Citadel of Qaitbay (2.3 km), Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (2.5 km).
How do I get the Bibliotheca Alexandrina stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Alexandria volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Bibliotheca Alexandrina before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Alexandria volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.