Alex-Med

The Alexandria & Mediterranean

Research Center

In her speech in the Library of Alexandria on 3 May 2001, Mrs. Mubarak stated that the Library of Alexandria is to be “… Egypt’s Window on the World…”, “… The Library of Alexandria should be the natural gateway where Egyptians would go to know the civilizations of the world, especially the cultures of the Mediterranean region…”.

This is in line with Law No.1 for the year 2001 concerning the Library of Alexandria, Article 3, point 4 specifying that one of the missions of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is “undertaking studies connected to the historical, geographic, cultural and religious aspects of the Mediterranean region, in the Middle East, Egypt and Alexandria specifically”.

Rationale

Since its founding by Alexander the Great, Alexandria has had two periods of historical and cultural greatness. During the classical era, it was the capital of the ancient world and its center of learning. The city’s pivotal position as a Mediterranean civilization contributed to its growth and to the cultural diversity that enriched it. During the Medieval Ages, Alexandria maintained strong contacts and exchanges with the Islamic and Mediterranean world (e.g. Andalusia and the Maghreb, Syria and Turkey, the independent city-states of Venice, Genoa and the peoples of Greece and Cyprus, etc). The city’s second period of greatness was from the middle of the nineteenth to the middle of the twentieth centuries, the period that has alternatively been called the “cosmopolitan” or “golden age” of Alexandria. Once more, its cultural and ethnic diversity led to its blossoming from a forgotten backwater to Egypt’s financial and cultural capital. In both periods, the role and mission of Alexandria were in keeping with the vision of its founder, who had sought to spread internationalism and to promote a healthy spirit of diversity, pluralism and interaction.

Therefore Alex-Med is
- A research and documentation center
- A forum for cultural preservation, interaction and exchange
- An actor for promoting economic development and sustainability

Mission

Alex-Med aims at reviving the historic role of Alexandria, and at promoting Alexandrian culture and Alexandrism, by relocating the city’s spirit of diversity, tolerance and cooperation once more in the Mediterranean. Its mission is therefore to document and disseminate the Alexandrian and Mediterranean tangible and intangible culture, while encouraging dialogue and mutual understanding. Furthermore, it will focus on economic development, cooperation and sustainability.

Scope

The scope of the Center is to cover research and documentation of all areas related to Alexandria and the Mediterranean. This involves research, acquisition, archiving, publications, seminars and conferences, exhibitions, projects, exchange programs and development programs.

• Research
  Research in all areas related to Alexandria and the Mediterranean will be undertaken. It will focus on tangible heritage in the fields of history, archaeology, architecture, literature, the arts and humanities, and extend to the intangible cultural heritage such as oral history, etc. It is hoped that the past will not only be preserved but also evoked to contribute to a better future.
  
  
• Acquire and archive
  Although much valuable material already exists, it is dispersed among individuals and institutions. The BA ought to be the main repository of all material on Alexandria and the Mediterranean. Thus Alex-Med will identify, procure and archive all this material. Digital archiving will be as important as the acquisition and classification of the actual material. For this reason, a website will be designed, and a special library reserved for the material acquired by the Center to be made readily available to researchers.
  
  
• Conferences and exhibitions
  These will be organized to promote scholarly and public interest in Alexandria and Mediterranean societies. The intention is to encourage debate, promote a better understanding, and share experiences related to issues of common interest, such as highlighting the role of the Mediterranean civilization and confronting the challenges that the modern world faces.
  
  
• Publications
  It is vital that the proceedings of these academic conferences be published, in book form, CD form and on the Internet. Other publications on Alexandria and the Mediterranean will be considered,
  including the results of the work carried out by the researchers employed in the Center. These could range from coffee-table glossy books for the general public to scholarly works for specialized readers and academics.
  
  
• Sustainable projects
  These will be an integral part of the Center’s agenda, with a special emphasis on Alexandria in relation to other Mediterranean societies. The idea is to promote economic development and sustainability. The city will be viewed as an experimental new urban space, promoting the values of social and cultural interaction, environmental conservation, and economic prosperity.
  
  
• Exchange programmes
  To encourage dialogue and scholarship with the rest of the world, exchange programs will be encouraged with local, Mediterranean and international institutions. Alex-Med will establish contact with institutions and organisations abroad that are related to Alexandria and the Mediterranean. Foreign and local scholars will be allowed to pursue research in the Center and make use of its archives, while Egyptian scholars and young researchers will be sponsored to learn skills, attend workshops and conferences, or generally gain expertise abroad. Volunteer work and internship are also encouraged.
  
  
• Membership and honorary membership
  This will be instituted for the friends of the Center. It will help to create a network with associations and centers locally and internationally.