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Shakespeare Connected - Ageless Cleopatra

Library of Alexandria

After its construction in the third century BC, the Library of Alexandria became one of the most important centres of knowledge in the ancient world. It is thought to have contained 400,000 scrolls. It’s also suggested that Antony’s wedding gift to Cleopatra included thousands of scrolls for the library.

Cleopatra had a significant personal library and was well-read in philosophy and astronomy. She was also a writer, producing a pharmaceutical book about maintaining physical appearance.

The library has suffered destruction numerous times. Plutarch blames Julius Caesar’s army for burning it down in 48 BC.

Today, Alexandria is the bustling second-city of Egypt. In 2002, a new library was opened to revive an iconic symbol of this city.


Image sourced from Wikipedia

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The new Library of Alexandria, completed 2002.

Image sourced here.

 

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