On Monday, part of our group made a side excursion out to Alexandria. Most of Alexandria's famed ancient monuments are long destroyed. The city, though, still turned out to be well worth a visit.

The ancient library of Alexandria is one of the buildings that can no longer be found here. However, a new library now stands in the city that may perhaps one day be just as famous.


The facade of the library, inscribed with letters and symbols from a multitude of human languages, looks like a sail sticking up above the Mediterranean. Perhaps it can help pull Egypt in a new and exciting direction...



The library is such a contrast to the rest of our experience in Egypt. Modern, quiet, calm, organized...


The view outside, looking past the planetarium. Off in the distance (between the palms) is Fort Qaitbey, built on the site of the Pharos lighthouse, one of the ancient 7 wonders of the world. Again, little remains of this landmark today.