The Destruction of Library of Alexandria, ancient Egypt: 283 BC - 640 AD

Alexander the Great had established numerous cities in his exploits that started from Macedonia and covering Egypt and Levant to all the way to the Greater Punjab area of India and Pakistan. All the places that were named with the prefix 'Alexandria' are now known by various other names. Example - Alexandria Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan), Alexandria Bucephalous (possibly Jhelum, Pakistan), Alexandropolis Mædica (in Thrace, Bulgaria) etc. All, but one. The Egyptian city of Alexandria still is know by the same name globally, although its pronounced in Arabic as Iskandariya by the locals. Alexandria has been existing since 332 BC, the time when Alexander's forces arrived in Egypt. The last Achaemenid governor (or satrap) Mazaces handed over the governance of Tsakhit (Lower Egypt) to Alexander without a fight, thus making Lower Egypt part of the Greek empire of Macedonia. And thus, Alexandria is founded with Alexander remaking Mazaces as the governor. 

The Great Library

Alexandria has appeared in all chapters of Egyptian history, be it Alexandrian or Ptolemaic, or even during the Islamic times. But the most popular mention of Alexandria is the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria in 283 BC by various persons, most widely Julius Caesar. Known as Museum of Alexandria, Greek Mouseion or the Royal Library of Alexandria, the library was built during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter I - a general in Alexander's army, between 305 to 285 BC. Just to give a world perspective, when the library was built and destroyed, the Indian subcontinent was covered by its first single-largest empire - the Maurya Empire under King Bindusara (or as in Greek he was called Amitrochates after his alternate name Amitraghata), son to Chandragupta Maurya, the founder and father to King Ashoka. Interestingly, the two great empires of Alexander and Mauryas were geographically neighbors to each other at this time. 

Julius Caesar

Multiple personalities to blame for the destruction of the library. But what was the reason behind it? What could be the possible explanation to destroy a library that held over half a million documents from the then known nations - Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, China, Rome, etc.? Ptolemy himself had invited over a hundred scholars to conduct their research, translations and copyrighting of documents and the library even had their accommodations. This was also the time when another great city of Ptolemaida Hermiu (today's El Mansha, central Egypt) was established, thus connecting Nile river and the Red Sea through a canal. Alexandria also saw construction of the great Lighthouse or the Pharos of Alexandria. The first attack on the library was done perhaps during this time when Julius Caesar was cut-off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. It is to be noted that Egypt at this time was not a Roman province, but a Ptolemaic Kingdom. We are talking about three personalities here - 

1. Alexander - a Greek from Macedonia who died 43 years before the incident.
2. Julius Caesar - a Roman general at this time. Roman Empire wasn't yet born here and is still a Roman Republic occupying just the central Italian part. 
3. Ptolemy I Soter - Greek ruler of Egypt and companion of Alexander. 

The Egyptians at this point of time had their own set of religion. Since there was no Christianity till now, the ancient Egyptians followed something similar to what the Greeks did - paganism. The ancient Egyptians followed multiple Gods and Goddesses - Bendis, Isis, Serapis, Plusia etc., which during this period was also worshiped by Greeks and Romans. 

The Christian era

But this was the first destruction of the library. Over the consecutive centuries, the library was reconstructed and re-destroyed. There was one in the Christian era, around 391 AD. It was when the Temple of Serapis was converted into a Christian Church, its destruction also destroyed thousands of documents that held about 10% of the total documents in the library.

The Muslim era

Caliph Omar (or Umar) took over the city in 640 AD. According to him, the books and documents in the library would be blasphemous as it certain materials that would stand against the Holy Koran.  

Nevertheless, Alexandria plays a key role in world history and was (and still) is one of the most important port in the Mediterranean Sea. Here's a map of ancient Alexandria before it was Islamicized in the 7th century AD.