THE GREAT LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA
The great Library of Alexandria, Egypt was one of the largest and most significant Libraries of the ancient world but details of it are a mixture of history and legend. Alexandria came to be regarded as the capital of knowledge and learning. Many important and influential scholars worked at the library during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. Ptolomy 1 may have laid the groundwork for the library but it did not come into being until the reign of Ptolomy 11 (283 – 246 BCE ) The library was built in the Brucheion (Royal Quarter) of Alexandria as part of the Mouseion, or Seat of the Muses, the ancient centre of learning.
The library, or part thereof, was accidently burned down by Julius Caesar during his Civil War in 48 BCE. Sadly, the library dwindled during the Roman Period due to lack of funding and support.
According to legend, the Syracusan inventor Archimedes, while studying at the library of Alexandria, invented the Archimedes’ screw, a pump for pulling water up from below.
The later Kingdoms and Empires of the Near East, also had long traditions of book collecting. Fascinating!
This facade is all the remains of the Library in Alexandria
I have already apologised in an earlier mail for my late entry. I am really sorry, but a huge queen size quilt I was commissioned to do, railroaded this library blog off the tracks. I was finding it difficult to complete this big project in my small flat, so I hopped on a bus with my suitcase crammed full of fabric, travelled for 9 hours to my sister in the low veld for help. 3 busy weeks later, I returned home with the completed top layer. The design was taken from paintings by an Austrian artist called Hundertwasser. This is the result so far.
Allison.
