tural masterpiece, forms a globe floating in a upturned pyramid beneath which sits the entrance to the science . Bibliotheca Stepping inside the building one can look up at the vast pillars capped with the lotus flower symbol as used by the Alexandrina ancient , which support the ceiling of the terraced reading room. The reading area itself stretches across all seven levels of the library, provides 200 computer terminals and seats 2 000 readers. It is believed to be the largest reading area of any library in the world. The library has space for eight mil- lion books. Other collections include maps, manuscripts, rare books and documents and multi-media. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is intended to South be an international arena for seminars, lec- tures, exhibitions, educational activities and much more. The new library enjoys high becomes a Friend level support with Mrs Mubarak as its official patron and chair of the Board of Trustees SUE FOX and Dr , a former director AES South African Friends of the February 1990 attended by many interna- of the World Bank, as the library director. tional dignitaries who pledged their support Bibliotheca Alexandrina for the new library project. This led to the Formation of AES South African he new library in , , signing of the Declaration and the Friends’ Group the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), is establishment of an International Commis- T intended to replace the great library sion for the Revival of the Ancient Library In April 2002 the Egyptian Society in Cape of antiquity - a vast seat of culture and learn- of Alexandria, chaired by the Egyptian presi- Town arranged the event Alexandria in Cape ing in the Ptolemaic era. The ancient library dent’s wife, Suzanne Mubarak. Town to mark the intended opening of the is believed to have burned down when The Bibliotheca Alexandrina stands new great . The Cape Cleopatra’s ships caught fire in the harbour adjacent to the on the Town Society had invited as its main guest during a battle with the Romans. shores of the Mediterranean, almost on the speaker, Dr Mostafa El Abbadi, a professor The new library is the culmination of a site where the ancient library was believed at the University of Alexandria who had vision and dream formulated some 30 years to have stood. The entire complex, including been responsible for the concept of a new ago by Professor El Abbadi within the walls , research institutes, several exhibi- library some 30 years previously. My own of the University of Alexandria. But it was tion galleries, conference centre and a plane- attendance at this event sparked the idea of not until the late 1980s that the dream came tarium, comprises the largest concrete circuit starting an international Friends group of the to fruition and became a vast project backed in existence. The library building tilts at an Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in South Africa. by United Nations Educational, Scientific and angle placing four of its ten floors below The committee of the Ancient Egyptian Cultural Organisations (Unesco) and the ground level. The building is partially sur- Society (AES) in Johannesburg shared my international community. A competition for rounded by a curved wall of Aswan enthusiasm and, not being able to resist the the design of the library building attracting decorated with letters from the alphabets of challenge, I offered to get the group off the over 700 entries worldwide was won by many nations. Its sloping circular glass roof is ground. Our approach to the Bibliotheca Snohetta, a very young, very inexperienced representative of the sun disk and symbolic Alexandrina was well received and we were firm of Norwegian architects. of sun god Ra - another link back to ancient accepted as an informal Friends group under A conference was held in Aswan in times. The planetarium, itself an architec- the auspices of the Ancient Egyptian Society in Johannesburg. The AES South African Friends’ of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was

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formed in July 2002 and operates as a sub- between 6 000 - 10 000 visitors a day with a bunch of committed Egyptophiles! group of The Ancient Egyptian Society, with passed through its doors. I’m relieved to say its own committee. The group is currently that as an official visitor at the time of the Seventh International Friends’ the only group of this nature in South Africa inauguration I was amongst those fortunate meeting and the only group in the region apart from enough to be treated to a pre-opening tour, . Our South African Friends’ Group which enabled us to see the library without What a wonderful experience it was for fel- is listed on the web site of the Bibliotheca the pressure of crowds. low librarian and committee member, Anita, Alexandrina along with some 30 other It was a wonderful, once in a lifetime and I to attend the seventh meeting (9-12 Friends’ groups from around the world. The experience and one came away with the October 2004) of the International Friends AES South African Friends aim to support feeling that friendships made there would of the BA held at the Alexandria Library last and assist the Bibliotheca Alexandrina by last a lifetime. Needless to say, it was all over October. Thanks to Egypt Air’s schedule, creating public awareness: through donations far too soon but not without the promise of we arrived before the meeting but already and by promoting cooperation between pri- meeting again at the next Friends’ meeting Alexandria was abuzz with preparations and vate and public sector organisations and the - same time, same place! I was delighted to come upon several groups Alexandria Library. The AES South African of by now familiar friends from around the Friends of the BA have a number of projects Sixth International Friends’ world who had also jetted in prior to the in hand, both short term and long term. meeting start of the proceedings. Arriving two days early allowed us to The inauguration Who could resist the opportunity for spend an entire day at the Bibliotheca As a result of our participation as an inter- another visit to Egypt, to Alexandria, and Alexandrina. Special tours of the library, the national Friend of the new library, I was very to renew the acquaintance of the other museums and the planetarium show had privileged to represent the South African International Friends and our charming, hos- been arranged for us. Much of which I had AES Friends’ Group at the 5th International pitable Egyptian Friends whom we met the not seen on previous visits due to time con- Friends Meeting at the library in Alexandria previous year. The meeting (11-13 October straints. One of the highlights for me was to in October 2002, which was part of a four- 2003) was attended by about 60 delegates see the much publicised mosaic dog dating day event surrounding the inauguration (14 including, of course, representatives from the to Greco Roman times discovered during to 17 October 2002) of the new library. several new groups which had been formed excavations for the new library. Attention Thanks to generous donations by friends and during the year. Our theme for that year, the has frequently been drawn to the uncanny colleagues in the corporate library world collection of material directed towards the resemblance of the dog sitting next to an as well as organisations and individuals, we history and cultures of the peoples of South upturned vessel in this mosaic and, for those were able to present to the new library at Africa had been enthusiastically received by who are familiar with it, the advertisement the time of its inauguration a small collection the Egyptian Friends of the BA. With mate- for the old 78 gramophone records under of materials of historical, cultural and artistic rial again donated by various sources in the the label, His Masters Voice. value, unique to South Africa. form of print, videos and posters, our stand at the exhibition in the foyer of the confer- The city of Alexandria came alive during ence building was truly representative of the celebrations, welcoming not only kings, South Africa. My attendance at the meeting queens, heads of state and other dignitaries also presented an opportunity to offer a from around the world but also representa- tour from South Africa to coincide with the tives from many of the international Friends’ meeting, aimed at librarians and anyone in- groups. The library was officially opened to terested in visiting the new library to join in the public on Saturday 19 October 2002 the celebrations. I left with a small group of and immediately following the opening interested travellers to Egypt and returned

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The planetarium show was an open one right up to adults. What a disappointment it the International Friends to a social day out. attended by adults and children from the must have been that Mrs Mubarak could not This time to the four active monasteries at local population. But the staff had been well be there to appreciate the performances Wadi al-Natrun. Unfortunately, the Pope, briefed on our visit and we were ushered which had been so carefully practiced in her His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope of into our seats and handed headphones honour. Alexandria and Patriach of the Orthodox so that we could listen to the dialogue in The day’s official luncheon for the Coptic Church was away and we were not English. One of Anita’s special interests was International Friends in the Hilton Coffee able to present the letter written for us the children’s library which the librarians Bar, one of the library’s several restaurants, by Bishop Marcos of the Coptic Church in reluctantly gave us permission to visit. No was again hosted by Dr Serageldin. The Johannesburg. However, the monks were adults, even mothers, are allowed into the speech which Mrs Mubarak had prepared there to show us around and enlighten us children’s library, leaving the children free to was read in its entirety by Dr Serageldin, this on the history of each of the monasteries. select and read as their fancy takes them. highlighted Egypt’s role as peacemaker and Baramus Monastery is believed to be the Much of the material was in English and was particularly relevant in the wake of the oldest and is said to occupy the place where in answer to my question to a little girl of devastating Taba bombings which had taken Macarius the Great settled in around 340. about seven as to whether her English was place three days previously. An extract of The Monastery of St Macarius houses the good, she replied rather shyly that it was. this speech published in the Egyptian English relics of the hermit monk, St Magar and in The seventh International Friends meet- language newspaper, The Egyptian gazette the church of St Marius is a coffin contain- ing commenced with an informal evening on Monday 11 October, stressed the BA’s ing the relics of sixteen patriachs of the get-together and drinks at the Cecil Hotel, role as an international player in spreading Coptic Church. The Monastery of Anba complete with birthday cake to celebrate peace and resolving conflict. Bishoy, founded by St Bishoy, a disciple of St the second birthday of the Bibliotheca After the official luncheon I was granted a Marcarius, contains beautiful murals of the Alexandrina. short meeting with Dr Hussein El Shaboury, disciples and a beautifully-carved door dating My name was down to attend Mrs director of the arts programme at the to the 12th century. Mubarak’s programme on the Sunday, library, to discuss the SA Friends’ proposed All too soon it was time to bid au revoir which included official presentations to projects. The meeting was beneficial in that to Alexandria as, unfortunately, our flight Mrs Mubarak by some of the International we now have a clearer idea as to the BA’s schedule did not allow us to stay for the Friends’ groups. Our contribution was a preferences. Our challenge is to obtain the remainder of the business meetings. But ac- small collection of books and DVDs on necessary funding to carry out our project. cording to the feedback I’ve received, some topics of South African social history from Anita attended the alternative day pro- of the resolutions included: the 19th century to current, some children’s gramme - a visit to the Centre for Docu-  the importance of working with the In- books and three issues of the Western Cape mentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage ternational Friends on joint programmes Provincial Library’s magazine, Cape Librar- (Cultnat) located at Smart Village, Egypt’s  encouraging partnerships and exchange ian. Although concerned at the suitability new hi-tech hub at Cairo’s green office park. through internships and promoting schol- of our very small collection as a gift for Mrs Smart Village accommodates local and inter- ars’ work with Egyptian counterparts on Mubarak, I was instructed to take it along. national partners such as Microsoft Hewlett specified research for the library. In the end, Mrs Mubarak, who was opening Packard and Vodacom. An affiliate of the BA, the book fair in Germany, had her schedule Cultnat’s objective is to ‘document the many So what do they want from us? changed and was not able to attend her pro- different aspects of Egyptian cultural and gramme. The library had risen to the occa- natural heritage and to preserve and make  Works on the Ancient Library of sion and put together small exhibition tables available through digitisation’. Important Alexandria written by South African for each country represented on which their amongst these objectives is the documen- scholars and researchers material was displayed against the backdrop tation of scientific Islamic manuscripts in  Books on the ethics of science and tech- of that country’s flag. I certainly feel justified collections throughout Egypt and the web nology - a South African perspective in blowing South Africa’s trumpet when I site Eternal Egypt, which showcases Egypt’s  Poetry by South African poets say that our table was one of the best and treasures and cultural heritage, including  Journal subscriptions within the scope of attracted quite a bit of attention. Indeed, artifacts from the . This in their collections policy - possibly on an it was very encouraging to note the words conjunction with its international partners, exchange basis. of Professor Sohair Westawy, the new chief IBM and Unesco. Another project is Cultural Now there’s a challenge for us all! librarian, who said ‘where else in the world Panorama (Culturama) an interactive mul- would we get material on these topics’ timedia programme covering, initially, three Web sites (unique to the history of South Africa). aspects: the Pharoanic timeline, the Rhind Bibliotheca Alexandrina The opening of two anniversary exhibi- Mathematical Papyrus and Modern Egypt. http://www.bibalex.org tions was conducted by Dr Serageldin, the One of the evening events included Cultnat library director, in Mrs Mubarak’s absence, poetry readings from the various countries, http://www.cultnat.org which was followed by the Arts Centre the poetry books then being donated to the Smart Village musical programme. I think all our hearts library’s poetry collection. Anita’s choice for http://www.smart-villages.com were touched by the opening number which South Africa was My beautiful land by Anjie Eternal Egypt consisted of a short rendition of Three blind Krog from A new century of South African http://www.eternalegypt.org mice played on tiny violins by a group of poetry which she read most beautifully and 2 0 0 5 very small children. Items that followed, in- for which she received a number of compli- strumental and vocal, featured musicians and ments. singers ranging from slightly bigger children True to form, our Egyptian Friends hosted

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