CAIRO, March 13, 2018 - Al Azhar on Wednesday appointed former director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) Dr Ismail Serageldin as adviser of the new Al Azhar Library. Serageldine was the director of BA since its inauguration in 2002 till 2017. Earlier, he worked as a deputy to the World Bank chief and has penned more than 45 books in various cultural and developmental fields. The new Azhar library, which is currently under construction, is being established on an area of 14,000 square metres in Cairo. The project's vision is to establish a world-class public library that adopts state-of-the-art technologies to enhance the role of Al Azhar in promoting Islamic culture. The library will allow local and international scholars and researchers to access electronic versions of its valuable manuscripts and other educational assets. The library will include spaces for the following; Main Library and specialised libraries on an area of 13,770 square metres, restoration centre on an area of 575 square metres, a conference and exhibition centre on an area of 1,190 square metres, administration offices on an area of 400 square metres, a culture and other panoramic interactive system, research centers) and a data and IT services centre on an area of l00 square metres in addition to a car parking that has a capacity of 400 spaces.
