The Library of Alexandria was one of the greatest centers of learning in antiquity. Founded in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, probably during the reign of Ptolemy I or his son Ptolemy II, it became a symbol of knowledge and culture.
The library's goal was to collect all the written texts of the known world. It is said that scholars sent by the Ptolemies purchased papyrus scrolls wherever they could find them, copying them if necessary. One legend even says that ships passing through the port of Alexandria were forced to hand over their books to be copied.
It housed thousands of works from Greece, Egypt, India and Mesopotamia. Philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers and poets worked here, such as the famous Eratosthenes, who calculated the circumference of the Earth, and Archimedes, with his studies on physics.
The fate of the library is shrouded in mystery. Some historians attribute its destruction to a fire during the war between Julius Caesar and Ptolemy XIII, others think that it slowly fell into ruin over the centuries, losing pieces under Roman and Christian rule.
What is certain is that its disappearance marked a great loss for human knowledge. Even today, the Library of Alexandria is a symbol of knowledge and a reminder of the importance of preserving culture.
The Library of Alexandria was probably founded during the reign of Ptolemy I, who ruled after the death of Alexander the Great, or by his successor Ptolemy II. Historians place its creation between the third and second centuries BC.