The Anglican Episcopal Diocese of Egypt has announced a landmark partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library) to advance co-operation in the art, science, culture, peace-building, dialogue and the combating of extremism. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern organisation designed to \u201crecapture the spirit\u201d\u009d of the ancient library of Alexandria \u201d\u201c one of the world\u2019s earliest such institution.<\/p>\n
The original library was founded by Ptolemy I in 288 BC; and suffered numerous attacks before disappearing in the seventh century. Julius Caesar is said to have set fire to it during a civil war in 48 BC; it was attacked by Aurelian between AD 270 and 275; the Coptic Pope Theophilus outlawed it as a pagan temple in 391; and there are claims that it was destroyed during the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 642.<\/p>\n
The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was opened in October 2002 and has shelf-space for eight million books. It was created \u201cto recapture the spirit of the original Library of Alexandria as a centre for learning, dialogue, and rationality,\u201d\u009d Archbishop Mouneer said. Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast was chosen by Alexander the Great to be the capital of his empire in 320 BC. \u201cIt soon became the most powerful and influential city in the region,\u201d\u009d Archbishop Mouneer said, adding that the original library \u201cfunctioned as an academy, research centre, and library,\u201d\u009d he said that \u201cthe great thinkers of the age flocked to Alexandria to study and exchange ideas.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n