Marring the Alexandrina

By Mohsen Zahran

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The civilised world witnessed with awe and acclaims the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina's inauguration on 16 October 2002 in the presence of President and Mrs Mubarak, in the company of kings, queens, presidents and high dignitaries from the international community. The fifth anniversary was celebrated two years ago, proving to all the success of the Bibliotheca in achieving its objectives as a centre of excellence in knowledge and culture.

However, with the eighth anniversary slowly approaching, and the convening of the 12th annual meeting of the International Friends Associations in Alexandria, the Friends will be bewildered and dismayed at the sight of a new two-storey food court structure on the Plaza of Cultures -- a strange arrival built recently, according to media reports. It is not only indifferent to the tri-polar complex, but also incompatible urban planning-wise, architecturally, functionally, visually and spatially.

The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina was completed during the same last decade of the 20th century when the new British Library in London and the new French Library in Paris were inaugurated. However, it is inconceivable that these two international centres could tolerate the construction of food courts on their plazas! Nor could Harvard, MIT, Oxford, the Sorbonne, UNESCO, the universities of Cairo or Alexandria, or the Opera House in Cairo, allow such a transgression. How can such a distraction, diffusion and digression be allowed to stand on this sacred campus? Even the claim that the "food court" and bookshop will serve the needs of 1.2 million "tourists" visiting the library annually is inexcusable, intolerable and unacceptable, especially since the library complex itself incorporates several restaurants, cafeterias and a bookshop.

Furthermore, this alien structure will block the future extension of the library complex westward towards nearby archaeological sites, which is tantamount to arresting the possibilities and promise of future development options.

I am sure that relevant Egyptian authorities will look seriously into this matter in cooperation with UNESCO and the international community due to the special national, regional and international role and mission of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which serves Egypt, the Mediterranean region, the Arab nations and the world at large.

This week's Soapbox speaker is former executive director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and emeritus professor of urban planning at the University of Alexandra.