The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Collecting the knowledge of the world….

That was what libraries were about in ancient times. We all remember the stories about the library in Alexandria in ancient Egypt and the fire that destroyed all that knowledge and culture.

The very modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina is (off course) located in Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria is the second largest city of Egypt is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and is Egypt's largest port. 

View from the library 

The roof - facing the Mediterranean

The boulevard in Alexandria, Egypt

The roof provides lots of light

A palace among libraries.

In the Netherlands the library of the Royal Tropical Institute had to be closed after the subsidies for this institution were diminished. Its collection is unique. A small part of the collection went to Dutch institutions. On October 31 (2013) was announced that the bulk of the collection would go to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt.

In this magnificent library the books of the Tropical Institute will get a new home.





The walls of the building are covered with the different symbols that are used by different languages.  

The "Librería de Avila", a bookshop

On the corner of Bolivar and Adolfo Alsina you can find the "Librerá de Avila". It is a bookshop. But wat a bookshop. It dates from 1785 - when it started as the "Librería del Colegio". This College Bookshop existed untill 1989. Then the bookshop changed its name into Bookshop of Avila. Just look at the pictures and think yourself there with all these books. Everywhere there were little corners. A desk with a lamp. The portret of Borges on an old typewriter. Cupboards with old things, pictures, memorabilia. The huge sofa inviting you to sit and read. Another desk and books, many, many books.... 


We spend some hours there. It was a pitty that they were restoring the café. Now we have to come back......
The Librería has a website.... One thing is obvious: Time didn't fly in this bookshop.