General Guidelines:
- Library admission tickets are available from the ticket booth on Port Said street (near the Main Entrance).
- Entry to the Library of Alexandria is not permitted to children under 4 years old.
- Access to the Main Reading Area is restricted to visitors aged 16 and above, youth aged 4 to16 years are only permitted to enter Callimachus triangle only.
- The Children’s Library (6–11 years) is accessible to members only all year round. Ticket holders may be introduced to the services provided by the Library through a brief guided tour offered at different hours throughout the day.
- The Young People’s Library (12–16 years) is open to the public all year round, but is accessible to members only during summer and mid-year vacations. During those periods, ticket holders may be introduced to the services provided by the Library through a brief guided tour offered at different hours throughout the day.
- Handbags and laptop bags are allowed in the Main Building
- Clothes, food, and beverages are not allowed inside the library either in the Lockers.
- Personal books are not allowed unless it is stamped from the Internal Security Department.
- Smoking is not allowed at all inside the library.
- Photography is allowed everywhere inside the library, except within a number of specified Exhibitions and Museums, such as The World of Shadi Abdel Salam Exhibition, Selected Artworks of Adam Henein, Seif and Adham Wanly: Motion and Art, and Selected Artworks of Hassan Soliman, and Impressions of Alexandria: The Awad’s Collection.
- Mobiles are to be turned off or switched to silent mode. Violators will be subject to a fine of EGP 10.
Guidelines for Visitors:
- Visitors should have the Main Library admission ticket to attend a guided tour, a Culturama Show, the Permanent Exhibitions and the Sadat Museum.
- Guided tours and Culturama reservations are done through the Visits Front Office Desk. They can also be reserved online through the following links:
For individuals: https://www.bibalex.org/en/visitors/individualform
For organizations: https://www.bibalex.org/en/visitors/above16form
For travel agencies: https://www.bibalex.org/en/visitors/travelagencyform
- The guided tour takes around 30 minutes.
- For travel agencies, please arrive early as joining guided tours will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Tickets for the Antiquities and the Manuscripts Museums are both purchased from the Ticket Office in front of the Antiquities Museum.
- Admission to the Planetarium Science Center requires a separate ticket (available for purchase at the PSC entrance).
Note: The free tour path on the Exhibitions and Museums B1 level is a one-way only, it starts with the Antiquities Museum and ends with the Sadat Museum. The exit is from the Planetarium gate. Those who want to go back can re-enter from the Library's Main Entrance.
Guidelines for Schools:
- Prior reservation for guided tours is a must (in-person, phone or e-mail). Tours can also be booked online through the link https://www.bibalex.org/en/visitors/associationschooltourform
- Prior reservation for the Culturama shows is a must.
- Library admission ticket is required.
- The tour lasts nearly 45 minutes.
- Schools have to adhere to the pre-booked number of students and supervisors.
- Visitors must keep the reservation number they receive at the Front Office Desk.
For further inquiries please contact the Visits Front Office Desk:
Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 1573 and 1574
E-mail: visits@bibalex.org
Notes:
Visits to the Children and Young People's Libraries require a separate reservation.
For reservations, please contact
Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 1628, 1633
The Library ticket does not include admission to the Planetarium Science Center and Museums.
For Planetarium reservations, please contact
Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 2350