The Library of Alexandria is one of the most important libraries of the ancient world. It was founded by the Ptolemaic dynasty in the early 3rd century BC in Alexandria, Egypt. Over time it has become a center for scholars, philosophers and scientists from all over the world. It was built as part of the research institute, also known as the Alexandria Museum. This library, which has an important place in the history of humanity, has housed more than 150 thousand volumes of manuscripts according to ancient sources. Among these books were works written in many fields such as medicine, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and literature.
During the various occupations of Alexandria, the library was repeatedly looted and burned. Therefore, only a few documents and books from the library remain today. There are many rumors and legends about the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. The 2009 movie Agora also addressed this issue. The two most widely believed rumors among the public are that the books in the library were burned in the baths for 6 months and the library burned for 6 months. However, there is no conclusive evidence about the authenticity of these rumors.
History of the Library of Alexandria
The city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great of Macedon in 332 BC. After the disintegration of the empire, Ptolemy I Soter, son of one of its commanders, Lagus, captured the city of Alexandria and proclaimed his kingdom in Egypt. Ptolemy, who ascended the throne at the age of 24 and ruled for 24 years, was a ruler who disliked wars and made no effort to expand his country’s borders. Ptolemy, who had a great interest in science and literature, won the love of the people by respecting the customs, traditions and religion of the Egyptians. He also preserved ancient canons and religious rites and assumed the title of Pharaoh. He imitated the rulers of ancient Egypt by marrying his own sister. The rulers of this dynasty reigned in Egypt for 300 years.
The city of Alexandria, the center of the new state, was founded by Alexander the Great and became an important capital during the Ptolemaic dynasty. The new pharaoh repaired and expanded it, making the city even more beautiful. His most important work was the museum and the library attached to it. A beautiful site was chosen for the library near the palace, where a specimen of animals and plants from all known countries at that time was displayed. The botanical garden and an observatory were also located in the museum. An anatomy hall was also opened for the autopsy examination of the human body. Special houses were built for knowledge of physics, chemistry, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, literature, and physiology. The Alexandria museum was one of the most important scientific and cultural centers of the period.
The Library of Alexandria was dazzling with thousands of manuscripts as one of the greatest libraries of antiquity. A large staff of staff was employed in the library, and the works were written on papyrus and stored in rolls. This library, which was supported by the royal family, was a frequent destination for great scientists as well as its publishing house function. Important names such as Euclides, Archimedes, Herophilos, Eratosthenes, Ptolemy worked in this library.
The most important part of the museum was famous for its library. The director of the library had the authority to find and retrieve every written work, and any book that entered Egypt had to be taken there. While the book was given to its owner by making a copy here, the original was kept in the library. In addition, the officers sent abroad would buy and bring the books they found in other countries. In this way, many scientific works have been collected in a safe place before they were scattered and doomed to disappear.
Burning of the Library of Alexandria
Many people believe that the Library of Alexandria was burned by the Christians during the destruction of ancient Pagan temples and structures. According to this view, the Egyptian Governor Theophilos gave the land in the temple of Osiris in Alexandria in 391 to the Christians, and a stone with ancient religious inscriptions was uncovered during the foundation excavations to build a church here. The Christians made a mockery of this stone, and this event angered the Pagan believers living in the city, and eventually a religious uprising broke out in Alexandria.
The two sides clashed and the area where the Library of Alexandria was located was razed to the ground. Emperor Theodosius I asked why the old religion was still alive in Alexandria, and it was said that the books of the Library of Alexandria, which continued the old pagan culture, were the reason for this. The emperor then had all the works in the library destroyed.
Earlier, shortly after the library was taken by the Muslims, the second Islamic Caliph Hz. It was claimed that it was destroyed by the conqueror of Egypt, Amr Ibnul-As, by the order of Omar. However, some Western scholars, such as Alfred J. Butler, Victor Chauvin, Paul Casanova and Eugenio Griffin, have stated that this story is not true. According to another view, the Library of Alexandria was destroyed by Caesar during the siege. However, the existence of the library lasted until the 4th century and it is thought that only a part of it was damaged or destroyed during Caesar’s siege. The New Alexandria Library was built in the area where the burned Alexandria library was located and opened to service in 2002.
