Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem marked the re-opening of a newly renovated public library in Giza at a ceremony on Tuesday. The three-floor El-Bahr El-Azam Library includes a hall for visual arts exhibitions, a children's library of around 2,000 books, a summer cinema hall, a music hall, an information technology hall, a public library of about 7,500 books in various fields, and a science and literature hall. There is also an open-air roof space for holding cultural events. Also present at the opening ceremony were Major General Ahmed Rashed, the governor of Giza, and the head of the General Organisation for Cultural Palaces, Ahmed Awwad. The computers hall at Al-Bahr Al-Azam Library (Photo: Courtesy of the Culture Minister Media Office) Abdel-Dayem said that every cultural portal established or re-opened is a positive way to build individuals who are able to confront and defeat extremism and terrorism. She also thanked the family of the late critic Ali Abu-Shadi for donating his collection of books, including a hundred volumes in Braille, to the library. Awwad said that the library, which had been inactive since 2011, had been affiliated with the General Organisation for Culture Palaces since 2014. “The renovation started in 2016. It is located on total area of 3,000 square metres, the building is on 370 square metres, and the rest is left for green spaces,” he said. Rashed praised the reopening of the library, saying it represents a cultural and artistic outlet for the people of Giza, serving an area with a large population. He noted that the governorate had provided support to the library.
