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Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

The tilted glass roof of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the planetarium sphere behind palms on the Corniche
Photo: Hassan Hamdy wahidy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Ticket office
Port Said Street, on the city side
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Hours
Sun–Thu 10:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–14:00; museums, tours and planetarium Sun–Thu 9:30–17:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h 30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Library ticket (non-Egyptians)
150 EGP; students 20 EGP
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Inclusive ticket (library + Antiquities and Manuscripts museums)
300 EGP; students 120 EGP
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Included with the library ticket
Guided tour, Culturama show, Sadat Museum, exhibitions
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Planetarium
Separate ticket — ask at the ticket office
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Children
Under 4 not admitted; 4–6 free; under 16 not allowed in the main reading area
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Closed
Fridays
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Payment
Bring Egyptian pounds in cash; card payment at the ticket office is not confirmed
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Photos
Allowed almost everywhere, except some exhibitions
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Food and drink
Not allowed inside, not even in the lockers
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
31.20889, 29.90917YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

16 October 2002official inauguration of the new library
3 sourcesBibliotheca AlexandrinaSnøhettaWikipedia
160 mdiameter of the tilted roof disc over the reading room
2 sourcesSnøhettaEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
2,000 seatsin the main reading room, one of the world's largest open-plan reading rooms
2 sourcesSnøhettaArchEyes
8 million booksstorage capacity of the building
2 sourcesSnøhettaEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Snøhettathe Norwegian practice that won the UNESCO-backed design competition
2 sourcesSnøhettaEnglish Wikipedia
Aswan graniteclads the outer wall carved with letters and signs from the world's scripts
2 sourcesSnøhettaRussian Wikipedia
120 scriptsare represented on the granite wall
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaArchEyes
1,000+ objectsin the Antiquities Museum, from pharaonic to Islamic times
2 sourcesBibliotheca AlexandrinaEnglish Wikipedia
From the seabedsome finds were raised from the Eastern Harbour and Abu Qir Bay
2 sourcesBibliotheca AlexandrinaFranck Goddio Society
3rd century BCthe ancient library was founded under the Ptolemies; its exact site has never been found
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaWorld History Encyclopedia
2004Aga Khan Award for Architecture
SourceSnøhetta

Bibliotheca Alexandrina tickets and prices

Non-Egyptian adults pay 150 EGP for the main library and students 20 EGP. That ticket already covers the guided tour of the building, the Culturama panoramic show, the Sadat Museum and the permanent exhibitions. The 300 EGP inclusive ticket (students 120 EGP) adds the Antiquities Museum and the Manuscripts Museum. The planetarium needs its own ticket, and its price is not published online.

Tickets are sold only at the ticket office on Port Said Street — there is no online sale for general admission. Payment methods are not listed officially, so carry Egyptian pounds in cash; some visitors' foreign cards work in Egypt, but don't count on it at this window.

Opening hours

The main library is open Sunday to Thursday, 10:00–19:00, and on Saturday 10:00–14:00; it is closed on Friday. Guided tours, the museums and the planetarium keep shorter hours — Sunday to Thursday, 9:30–17:00 — so if the museums are the point of your visit, come in the morning on a weekday.

A sensible slot is mid-morning: you get the reading room, a museum and the guided tour done by lunch and still have the afternoon for the Corniche and the citadel.

Which ticket should you buy?

Libraryyou are here150 EGP20 EGPYesNoYes≈ 1 h
Inclusive300 EGP120 EGPYesYesYes1.5–2 h
PlanetariumSeparate — ask at the desk—NoNoNo+ show

Into archaeology? Get the inclusive ticket — the Antiquities Museum is the strongest part of the visit. Just here for the architecture? The library ticket is enough.

How to get to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

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On foot

More tips

  1. Start at Saad Zaghloul Square by Raml Station, the heart of the seafront.
  2. Walk east along the Corniche (El-Geish Road) with the sea on your left — about 1.5 km, 20–25 minutes.
  3. The blue Raml tram that used to run to Shatby is closed for reconstruction, so don't wait for it. Minibuses run along the Corniche, but walking or a ride-hail car is simpler.
  4. Uber and Careem operate in Alexandria: about 5–10 minutes from Raml Station, roughly 10 minutes from Misr Station, where trains from Cairo arrive.
  5. Cross to the plaza with the planetarium sphere; buy tickets on the Port Said Street side and enter from the plaza under the footbridge.

Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina worth visiting?

Yes, for architecture and for Alexandria's archaeology. The building is the city's defining modern landmark, and the Antiquities Museum is compact, with labels in Arabic, English and French. Ninety minutes covers the reading room, one museum and the granite wall.

If you are hoping to see ruins of the ancient library, there are none — here or anywhere. For ancient Alexandria, head to the Roman theatre at Kom el-Dikka and to Pompey's Pillar. Short on time? Admire the building from outside on your way along the seafront to the Qaitbay Citadel.

What to see inside

  • The main reading room — terraces stepping down beneath the tilted roof, lit from above through north-facing skylights rather than glare from the sea.
  • The Antiquities Museum — over a thousand objects from pharaonic to Islamic times, including finds raised from the Eastern Harbour and Abu Qir Bay and pieces excavated on this very site during construction.
  • The Manuscripts Museum — rare manuscripts and early printed books.
  • The Sadat Museum — personal belongings of President Anwar Sadat, included in the library ticket.
  • Culturama — a panoramic show on Egyptian heritage across nine projected screens.
  • The granite wall outside — letters and signs from scripts across the world. Try to spot your own alphabet.
  • The planetarium — the sphere on the plaza; shows need a separate ticket.

What happened to the ancient Library of Alexandria?

The ancient library was founded under the Ptolemies in the 3rd century BC, most likely by Ptolemy II, as part of the Mouseion, a community of scholars attached to the royal palace. No building and no books survive, and archaeologists have never located its exact site in the old royal quarter.

It did not vanish in one great fire. Caesar's fire of 48 BC burned warehouses near the port, but the library carried on. It faded over centuries: royal patronage dried up, the royal quarter was wrecked under Aurelian in the 270s, and in 391 the Serapeum, which held a daughter collection, was destroyed — its site is now around Pompey's Pillar. The story that Caliph Omar ordered the books burned appeared centuries later and historians treat it as legend.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is not a reconstruction. It is a working research library and cultural centre built in tribute: the revival idea dates from the 1970s, the design came from a UNESCO-backed competition, and the doors opened in 2002.

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Alexandria's history, compared

Historic places in Alexandria rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Bibliotheca Alexandrinayou are here451 h 30 min150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums—
Citadel of Qaitbay451 h200 EGP, students 100 EGP40 min walk
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque4320 minFree45 min walk
Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa421 h200 EGP, students 100 EGP43 min walk
Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)3845 min200 EGP, students 100 EGP29 min walk
Pompey's Pillar3745 min200 EGP, students 100 EGP3.2 km
Alexandria National Museum361 h 15 min220 EGP, students 110 EGP16 min walk
Royal Jewelry Museum291 h 15 min220 EGP, students 1106.2 km
Montaza Palace and Gardens221 h 30 min≈ 50 EGP, gardens13.5 km

Ancient and modern Alexandria in a day

The Roman theatre, the national museum, the library, then a seafront walk to the citadel for sunset. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP
  2. 20 min walk from the previous stopAlexandria National Museum1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 EGP
  3. 16 min walk from the previous stopBibliotheca Alexandrinayou are here1 h 30 min · 150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums
  4. 18 min walk from the previous stopAlexandria Corniche1 h · Free
  5. 31 min walk from the previous stopCitadel of Qaitbay1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP

5 places · about 6 h 55 min with walks · 85 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Alexandria National Museum

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 EGP · 16 min walk

Alexandria Corniche

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h · Free · 18 min walk

Citadel of Qaitbay

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP · 40 min walk

How to do it right

  • Come on a Sunday-to-Thursday morning so you have time for both the reading room and the museums before 17:00.
  • The guided tour of the building is included in the library ticket — ask at the entrance when the next group starts and in which language.
  • Students pay 20 EGP instead of 150, so bring a student card if you have one.
  • Afterwards, walk west along the Corniche and you'll reach Qaitbay in time for sunset.
  • The reading room is quiet: switch your phone to silent — ringing phones can earn a small fine.

Questions

How much is the ticket to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?

150 EGP for non-Egyptian adults, 20 EGP for students. The inclusive ticket with the Antiquities and Manuscripts museums is 300 EGP. The planetarium is extra.

What are the Bibliotheca Alexandrina opening hours?

Sunday–Thursday 10:00–19:00 and Saturday 10:00–14:00; closed on Friday. Museums, tours and the planetarium run Sunday–Thursday 9:30–17:00.

Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina open on Friday?

No. Friday is the weekly closing day for the library, museums and planetarium.

How do I get to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?

Walk about 1.5 km east along the Corniche from Raml Station (20–25 minutes), or take an Uber or Careem. The Raml tram is closed for reconstruction.

Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina worth visiting?

Yes, for the architecture and the Antiquities Museum. It is not the ancient library and there are no ancient ruins to see — come for the modern building and the collections.

How long do you need at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?

About 90 minutes for the reading room, one museum and the outside wall; up to two hours with both museums.

Is this the original Library of Alexandria?

No. The ancient library disappeared gradually in antiquity and its exact site is unknown. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern successor opened in 2002.

Can you take photos inside?

Yes, almost everywhere, including the reading room. A few exhibitions are signed as no-photo.

Can children visit?

Children under 4 are not admitted; ages 4–6 enter free. Under-16s can visit but not the main reading area.

Do I need to book in advance?

No. General admission is sold only at the ticket office on Port Said Street.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Bibliotheca Alexandrina (bibalex.org): opening hours, admission fees, visitor guidelines, Antiquities Museum, Planetarium Science Center — 03.11.2026
  • Snøhetta: Bibliotheca Alexandrina project page
  • English and Russian Wikipedia: Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Library of Alexandria; Wikidata Q501851
  • World History Encyclopedia: Library of Alexandria
  • ArchEyes: Bibliotheca Alexandrina by Snøhetta
  • Franck Goddio Society: Antiquities Museum of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  • Reuters and Global Mass Transit, 2026 — closure of the Raml tramway for reconstruction
  • Uber: Alexandria city page
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 03.11.2026 ·
How we checkedFares, hours, the Friday closure and visitor rules come from the official library website. Its hours page looks like a draft, but it matches the library's official flyer: Sunday–Thursday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–14:00. The planetarium price is not published officially and third-party guides disagree, so we leave it out. Payment methods at the ticket office are not stated officially. The Antiquities Museum object count differs (the library says 1,133, Wikipedia 1,316), so we say over a thousand. The reading-room area and the number of competition entries differ between sources, so we don't quote them.

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