Row clouds ancient library project
Wednesday, October 16, 2002 Posted: 7:54 AM EDT (1154 GMT)
The new library aims to live up to the tradition of its predecessor true;}
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt -- One of the world's first and most celebrated centres of learning, the library of Alexandria, is being reopened in Egypt amid controversy. About 3,000 dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend Wednesday's opening of the "Bibliotheca Alexandrina," whose ancient roots go back more than 2,000 years, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, France's President Jacques Chirac and President Carlo Ciampi of Italy. But critics say valuable antiquities from the original Greek city of Alexandria were destroyed in the construction and the project amounts to an expensive gimmick which does little to improve education in a developing country of 68 million. However, Alexandrians think the library -- the result of a $200 million, 20-year old project backed by the U.N. cultural body UNESCO and many countries -- could do a lot to revive the fortunes of the city that houses one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Pharos lighthouse. Egyptian journalist Hanan Samaha explained: "People are very excited about it and everyone feels it is an asset. "The library is encouraging cultural activities and encouraging children to come. This is something that has been missed in Alexandria," he told Reuters.
Egyptians watch fireworks over the ancient citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria
The new library is an 11-storey high edifice shaped as a giant disc that is tilted 20 degrees north toward the Mediterranean and has been built on the spot where scholars believe the ancient building once stood. The ancient beacon of learning is thought to have been burned to the ground about 1,600 years ago. The new building's southern-facing, windowless wall of granite carries engraved letters of most of the world's alphabets, a silent pledge to promote diversity, culture and unfettered learning. The library is relying on developments in information technology to build up a collection from scratch to rival the world's major libraries. Library director Ismail Serageldin said an initial target of eight million books has been shelved for a new project to create a cyber-library. "How many books you have is not that relevant. The issue of being at the forefront of building an electronic library becomes more relevant, and that's one of the reasons why we want to jump forward in the electronic realm," he told Reuters.
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