Egypt officially reopens the Library of Alexandria

Citation

(2003), "Egypt officially reopens the Library of Alexandria", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 31 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilds.2003.12231aab.046

Egypt officially reopens the Library of Alexandria

Egypt officially reopens the Library of Alexandria

The Romans have had a good press – hot water, baths, roads etc. Thus it is quite a shock to learn that the original library with its unique collection of manuscripts was burnt down by the Romans, albeit "accidentally", when they were attacking the harbour. An early pope then ordered the rebuilt collections burnt because they were pagan and the job was finished by the Muslims with fine casuistry. If a book agreed with the Koran it was thus irrelevant and should be burnt; if it disagreed with the Koran then it was blasphemous and should be burnt. A modern version of book burning is being demanded by, of all people, a Jewish religious representative. "The dignity of difference" by the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sachs has led to calls for its withdrawal and destruction because it may imply that Judaism does not have a monopoly on truth. The secularist Miscellany would like to offer a prayer to God to save us all from religious fanatics. All of which is by way of introduction to the Egyptian Government's announcement that the Official Inauguration Ceremony for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina took place on 16 October 2002 in Alexandria, Egypt.