Early in the 3rd century BCE, Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter set out to build an institution unlike any other. A former general of Alexander the Great, he founded the Mouseion, a grand research university in the royal quarter of Alexandria. It featured gardens, a zoo, and dining halls for its resident scholars. At the suggestion of his advisor, Demetrius of Phalerum, the project’s ambition grew. The goal was to create a universal collection that would house 'all the books in the world'. This was not a public library in the modern sense; it was a private institution funded by the king, built to attract the greatest minds. The question was not just if they could build it, but how they could possibly fill it.
The Library of Alexandria
Discover how the Library of Alexandria gathered its massive collection, who worked there, and the events that led to its destruction.
Chapter 1
A Library for All the World's Books
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did one big fire destroy the Library of Alexandria?
No single event destroyed the library. It suffered damage from a fire in 48 BCE and a major military siege in 272 CE, but its ultimate end came from centuries of declining patronage, civil unrest, and neglect.
How many books were in the Library of Alexandria?
The collection is estimated to have held between 400,000 and 700,000 papyrus scrolls at its height. It was the largest and most significant collection of knowledge in the ancient world.
Did Muslims burn the library when they conquered Egypt?
No. The story that Caliph Omar ordered the library's scrolls burned in 642 CE is a myth. The legend appeared in the 13th century, centuries after the event, by which time the Great Library had already ceased to exist.
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