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Adel Murad
The Library of Alexandria:
Echoes of A Great Past
Professor Mohsen Zahran, manager of the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina, or the Library of Alexandria, has no doubt about
the symbolism of the structure. "The library symbolizes the
rising sun; it expresses universality. It also has the appearance
of a microchip". The building indeed looks futuristic and
timeless.
It is some 2,300 years ago since the Pharaoh Ptolemy built the
world's first great library in Alexandria. It soon became the
center of knowledge in the old world, before it burnt down in 48
BC. Many mathematical theories were conceived in the old library
and, at one time it was considered the intellectual memory of the
ancient world. Although, no physical trace of the old library
remains, the power of its knowledge survived through the
generations.
 The new library is hoped to be a landmark as much as the old
one was. The project was conceived more than 10 years ago, with a
declaration from an international group that included renowned
personalities such as President Mitterrand of France, Queen Sofia
of Spain, Melina Mercouri of Greece and Mrs. Susan Mubarak of
Egypt. UNESCO and some Arab states helped in funding the project,
at a cost of $ 200 million.
 Five of the eleven floors are below sea level, with novel
solutions to guard against flooding. The competition to design the
building attracted 523 entries from 77 countries. The winner was a
Norwegian company called Snohetta. The theme of the winning
design is said by the company to take the viewer into the past and
the future. Balfour Beaty, a British construction company, built
the library in a joint venture with Arab Contractors of Egypt.
The design presented many challenges to the construction team,
including mounting 20-ton beams on slender columns, and
positioning skylight panels so as to exclude direct sunlight. The
concrete cylinder rises at an angle of 16 degrees on the
Mediterranean shore. The outer wall is clad in 4,600 light grey
Aswan granite panels engraved with letters from the world
alphabets. Inside, the polished parquet floor is made from
American white oak, the desks and tables are made from Norwegian
wood. Seventy-five miles of computer cables have been installed
and more than a million books have been placed on the shelves.
The library includes a planetarium, science, calligraphy, and
archaeological museums, conference and exhibition halls, and
conservation and restoration labs. The complete project will
create a world-class research library specializing in the
civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean. The stock of books
will ultimately total eight million, with space for 50,000
audio-visual items. There are some 3,500 seats inside and the
library will be capable of accommodating 10,000 visitors per day.
The project is not without its critics in Egypt. Some argue
that the concept of a library of books is becoming obsolete in the
age of the internet. Others point out that the money spent on the
library could have provided for 15 hospitals. However, the project
Bibliotheca Alexandrina remains a source of pride to most
Egyptians, maybe as much as the old library was to the people of
ancient Alexandria.
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Diving Adventures to Cleopatra's City
The sunken archaeological site in the harbour of Alexandria,
named Cleopatra's City, is opening up for non-scientific divers
for the first time since its discovery in 1992. There are more
than 4,000 artifacts on the underwater site scattered beneath
shoals of reef fish. Ancient statues, headless sphinxes and
massive blocks engraved with hieroglyphics, surround parts of the
lighthouse of Pharos, which was one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world.
Divers will be accompanied by a marine archaeologist who will
point out objects, helping to make sense of the undersea treasure.
A good briefing before diving will also help divers draw a mental
map of what to expect. The first trips to the site will be offered
in the summer of next year (2002) by a UK based company called Regaldive
(www.regal-diving.co.uk) and will combine the experience with
highlights of Cairo and Alexandria.
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Egyptian Customs:
Instead of waiting for the tooth fairy, Egyptian toddlers throw
their milk teeth in the direction of the sun, and sing a song
asking the sun to take away the ugly tooth and replace it with a
beautiful one. Some say the habit goes back to ancient times.
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