The library building
Its reading area steps down over seven levels and seats 2,000 readers; the Bibliotheca calls its Main Library the largest reading room in the world. Visitors under 16 may see the public areas but not the main reading area.
Home / Attractions / Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel
Alexandria · Eastern Harbor and the Corniche
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Citadel of Qaitbay
Alexandria's modern library, opened in 2002 in memory of the ancient Library of Alexandria, and the fort a Mamluk sultan built in 1477 to 1479 AD over the ruins of the city's Lighthouse.
About Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a library and research center on Alexandria's Mediterranean shore, built to recall the Library of Alexandria of classical times. Construction of the $200 million building was completed in 2001, and the complex opened on October 16, 2002. Besides the Main Library, which can hold millions of books, it has six specialized libraries, four museums, a planetarium science center and art galleries, and it receives about 1.5 million visitors a year.
The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay built it from 1477 to 1479 AD over the lighthouse's ruins, to defend the city against attacks from the sea. With the Montaza gardens and Stanley Bridge, they are the seaside stops of our Alexandria day tour. Egypt put the city's ancient remains and the new library on its UNESCO Tentative List in 2003.
A short history
- The ancient libraryFounded around 295 BCE, under King Ptolemy I Soter, as part of the Mouseion, a research institute, and meant as a universal library. The main library may have burned in 48 BCE, in Julius Caesar's civil war in Egypt.
- The LighthouseThe Pharos of Alexandria, more than 350 feet (110 meters) high, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stood until the 12th century; in 1994 divers found many of its stones and statues in the sea off Pharos Island.
- Qaitbay's fortBuilt from 1477 to 1479 AD by Sultan Qaitbay over the lighthouse's ruins: limestone walls around about 17,550 square meters, with a square main tower of three floors. It was enlarged and restored in 2003.
- The new libraryBuilding work finished in 2001, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened on October 16, 2002, as a library, research center and group of museums.
What you'll see
Museums and exhibitions
Four museums share the complex: the Antiquities Museum, the Manuscripts Museum, the Sadat Museum and the History of Science Museum, with permanent exhibitions and galleries. One inclusive ticket covers the Main Library and the Antiquities and Manuscripts museums; the Planetarium has its own ticket.
The Citadel of Qaitbay
A square main tower of three floors in the northwest of the courtyard, with half-round towers at its four corners, inside an outer wall lined with defense towers. Rooms along the inner wall served as barracks and stores.
Montaza gardens and Stanley Bridge
Montaza is a royal park on the Mediterranean, a large garden where the city's 16 km Corniche ends; the palace is seen from the outside. Stanley Bridge is a short walk with views of the coastline.
Opening hours and tickets
Opening hours
| Qaitbay, summer | 9:00 am · last entry 7:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Qaitbay, winter | 9:00 am · last entry 5:00 pm |
| Qaitbay, Ramadan | 9:00 am · last entry 3:00 pm |
The Ministry's monuments website gives 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily for Qaitbay. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina sets its own hours; check bibalex.org before you go.
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticketing portal, checked August 2026
Tickets, foreign visitors
| Adult | Student | |
| Citadel of Qaitbay | EGP 200 | EGP 100 |
- Children under 6 enter free
- Students: valid ID, age 24 or under
- The Bibliotheca Alexandrina sells its own tickets; children under 4 cannot enter
Prices in Egyptian pounds, as of August 2026
Getting there and how the visit runs
Drive to the site
| From Stanley Bridge back to your Alexandria hotel | 7 km · about 8 min |
|---|
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
On our Alexandria day tour the Bibliotheca comes after the Roman Theater, 2.5 km away, about 4 min by car. Qaitbay follows Pompey's Pillar, 5.9 km away, about 7 min. After lunch the tour drives 19 km, about 25 min, to Montaza, then 9.9 km, about 15 min, to Stanley Bridge, the last stop before your hotel. Entrance fees to the sites on the program and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
Before you go
What to wear and bring
- Modest clothing
- Only a handbag inside the library; larger bags go in the deposit boxes
Photos
- Photos with a mobile phone are free of charge at Qaitbay
- In the library, photos are allowed except in some exhibitions on level B1
- Ask before photographing people
Average daily high in Alexandria (°C)
The coolest months are December to February.
World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)
Questions about Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel
When did the Bibliotheca Alexandrina open?
On October 16, 2002. Construction of the $200 million building was completed in 2001.
Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina the ancient Library of Alexandria?
No. It is a new library built in memory of the ancient one, which was founded around 295 BCE and lost in antiquity; its main building may have burned in 48 BCE.
Was the Citadel of Qaitbay built on the Lighthouse of Alexandria?
Yes. Sultan Qaitbay built the fort from 1477 to 1479 AD over the ruins of the Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
How much is the ticket to the Citadel of Qaitbay?
EGP 200 for foreign adults and EGP 100 for foreign students, as of August 2026. On our Alexandria day tour the entrance fee is included.
What are Qaitbay's opening hours?
From 9:00 am, with last entry at 7:00 pm in summer, 5:00 pm in winter and 3:00 pm in Ramadan, per the Ministry's ticketing portal.
Can children visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?
Yes, from age 4. Visitors under 16 may see the public areas, but not the main reading area.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; World Meteorological Organization.
Day tours
Tours that stop at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel
From other cities
Guides
Read before you go
Alexandria in a day: what the city tour coversSeven stops from the catacombs to Stanley Bridge, the drives between them and what the tour includes.
El Alamein or Wadi El Natrun: which day from Alexandria?War museum and cemeteries or three Coptic monasteries: drives, stops and what each day includes.
Egypt day tours by city: what you can do from each baseWhat you can do from each of our 8 bases, from the Giza pyramids to the Red Sea reefs.
What is included in an Egypt day tour, and what is notPickup, car, guide, tickets, lunch, tips and flights: what our day tours include and leave out.