Overview

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina places great emphasis on the History of Science and has allocated an outstanding area to the History of Science Museum dedicated by the French Ministry of Culture.
The History of Science Museum is situated underneath the Planetarium, appearing like a sphere suspended in the air.

View from the Science Museum

The Museum has a rectangular shape, surrounded by granite walls on one side, and inclined glass panels allowing sunlight on the other side.
The French Ministry of Culture donated this Museum to the Library of Alexandria, as part of the co-operation between the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the French National Council for Protecting the Arts.

The Museum is considered a beacon for knowledge and education, and is living proof of the interaction between cultures. It aims at reviving ancient Egyptian achievements in fields of mathematics, architecture, and the preparation of medicine, thus honoring those scholars whose work contributed to mankind’s knowledge.

Three historical periods are on display: The journey within the Museum commences chronologically with Ancient Egypt, passing through Greek Alexandria and finally reaching the Middle Ages of Arab Muslims.

The visitor passes through different fields of science some of which are displayed on the walls, and others are exhibited on tables.

Three stops are made, at the end of each era: The first stop presents Ptolemaic Alexandria; the second honors translators, whose works had great impact on the spread of knowledge, and the third stop shows three scientists from Western Europe who were widely known during the Renaissance period, namely: Nicolas Copernicus, William Harvey and Leonardo da Vinci.

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