The Planetarium at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

© Paul Panayiotou/SIME/eStock Photo

The Planetarium at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

It might resemble a spaceship, but this is the planetarium at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. The library was constructed in 2002 to revive the intellectual atmosphere of the Library of Alexandria, which served as a centre of study in the ancient world. The original library was established in 3rd century BCE and once housed the largest collection of manuscripts in the world. Most of these ancient manuscripts were on papyrus scrolls. The library welcomed scholars for 600 years before it was lost, believed to be destroyed by fire. Today the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina welcomes a new generation of scholars.