Libraries are indispensable bridges for people to access information and preserve their cultural heritage. Each book carries the traces of knowledge, experiences and dreams accumulated over thousands of years. Libraries make this treasure available to society, ensuring equal and free access to information. Libraries Week provides an opportunity to highlight the value of these meaningful institutions and to encourage the reading habits of the public. In the context of this week, let's take a look at some of the world's most famous libraries.
Alexandria Library of Alexandria
In antiquity, Egypt was one of the most important centers of civilization in the Mediterranean. One of the first steps of Ptolemy I Soter, who took over after the death of Alexander the Great, was to build a library in the port city of Alexandria. Over time, the Library of Alexandria was damaged along with the buildings that maintained the pagan culture. In 2002, the magnificent "New Library of Alexandria" was built in its place.
The basic idea of the project is that it is in the shape of a disk rising from the surface of the water. This shape symbolizes the past while looking towards the future. The facade of the building consists of a granite wall carved with letters from the world's alphabets. The building is divided into two main sections: the library and the planetarium.
The library consists of eleven floors, four below ground and seven above ground. The building is 33 meters high in total and has an area of 45 thousand square meters. The project is designed to accommodate approximately 5 thousand people.
One of the most successful features of the building is the use of natural light. The orientation of the roof panels was carefully calculated at the design stage to ensure maximum natural light without direct sunlight. In addition, the building is effectively insulated against high levels of noise from the surrounding environment. These features ensure that the users have a comfortable experience in a quiet and naturally lit environment.
Trinity College Library Dublin
Trinity College Library not only houses hundreds of thousands of books, but also stands out worldwide for its architectural features and interior decoration. This library in Dublin is known for its unique atmosphere and rich cultural heritage.
The library traces its roots back to the founding of Trinity College in 1592. Today, Trinity College Library houses more than 6 million printed works, housing a vast collection ranging from journals and manuscripts to maps and musical works.
The Long Room, the main room of the Old Library, is about 65 meters long and holds 200,000 books. Today, however, it is known that the Long Room is not the same as the original structure of the library. During renovations between 1712 and 1732, it is recorded that the Long Room had a flat plastered ceiling and lower bookshelves in the open gallery, but in 1860 the roof was removed. This made room for the construction of the barrel vaulted ceiling and upper gallery bookcases. Along the Long Room are several marble busts. These busts are of the great philosophers and writers of the western world.
Royal Library of El Escorial
King Felipe II had promised to build a magnificent monastery after the war against the French and dedicated it to St. Laurentius. All means were mobilized and in 1584, the Escorial was completed after 21 years of construction. Located in San Lorenzo, northwest of Madrid, this complex has the appearance of a stern fortress. The Escorial has several main purposes.
Juan Bautista de Toledo, who had worked as Michelangelo's assistant on the Vatican Basilica of San Pedro, was appointed "royal architect" by the king and put in charge of this project. After the death of the master in 1567, who did not see the Escorial completed, the work was given first to the Italian Giovanni Battista Castello and then to Toledo's apprentice Juan de Herrera. Initially designed as a monastery, this gigantic structure later expanded and gained different functions with the addition of a monastic school, pantheon, basilica, library, library, royal palace, and large and small complementary parts in line with the king's demands and negotiations.
The Royal Convent consists of two main architectural complexes of cultural and historical importance. Historians' analysis shows that the Escorial has a two-tiered character and reflects the common architectural principles of the Spanish monarchy as well as the Roman Catholic Church. The Royal Library of the Escorial houses a total of three libraries, one at the rear of the basilica, a second inside the cloister and another in the public part known as the Royal Library.
The process of collecting books for the library at the Escorial took place in five different ways: purchases, gifts and donations, seizures from war and piracy, the acquisition of books by decree, and the rescue and protection of some books from the Inquisition's list of banned books. Today, the Royal Library of the Escorial houses more than 40,000 rare books and 4564 manuscripts.
Referance
https://www.anadoluhayat.com.tr/blog/hayata-dair/dunyanin-en-etkileyici-10-kutuphanesi-1093
https://gorgondergisi.com/dublin-trinity-college-kutuphanesine-kisa-bir-yolculuk/
https://www.zdergisi.istanbul/makale/manastir-kutuphaneleri-593
https://www.zdergisi.istanbul/makale/yeni-iskenderiye-kutuphanesi-599
