Description

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974, when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library. Construction work began in 1995 and, after some US$220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002. In 2010, the library received a donation of 500,000 books from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). The gift makes the Bibliotheca Alexandrina the sixth-largest Francophone library in the world.

Obverse

Depicts an outer scene of the library, in front of it a sea and two arches above it with the inscriptions in Arabic and English.

BIBLIOTHECA ALEXANDRINA . 16 OCTOBER 2002
مكتبة الاسكندرية
١٦ اكتوبر ٢٠٠٢

Reverse

Denomination in mirrored stylized flowers, dates (Hegira and Gregorian) below, calligraphic art country name "Arab Republic of Egypt" in the center, the inscription "Opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina" above.

إفتتاح مكتبة الاسكندرية
جنيه واحد
جمهورية
مصر العربية
١٤٢٣ - ٢٠٠٢

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Gold
Fineness 0.875
Weight 8 g
Diameter 24 mm
Thickness 1.5 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Cairo Mint

Related coins

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Gold, 8 g, ⌀ 24 mm
Erection

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Silver, 15 g, ⌀ 35 mm

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Silver, 17.5 g, ⌀ 37.2 mm