Library of Alexandria

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 13 March 2021.

The Library of Alexandria, also known as Great Library of Alexandria, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world located in Alexandria, Egypt.

First built by Ptolemy I Soter and finished under Ptolemy II, it was dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts and daughters of Zeus, and was said to hold anywhere between 40,000 to 400,000 scrolls. It was part of a larger research institution known as the Mouseion of Alexandria.

History

Some time between library's founding and the 1st century BCE, the misthios Kassandra visited the library and placed a copy of Herodotos' manuscript within one of the shelves, in hopes that his stories and travels will be preserved and remembered by the later generations.

In 48 BCE, Bayek, having followed the clues in Aya's home travelled to the library in search of his wife. There he was greeted by Aya's cousin, Phanos the Younger, who explained the reason for Aya's absence. Phanos later directed the Medjay to the entrance to Aya's hideout beneath the library.

At some point Bayek also found and solved the Papyrus Puzzle stored in the library.

In 1511, during an excavation of the destroyed Library of Alexandria, the Mamluk Sultanate's soldiers discovered two Memory Seals in a chest from 331 BCE. Ezio Auditore sent some Assassins from Constantinople to Alexandria to retrieve the Seals.

Behind the scenes

Library of Celsus (Ephesus) / Roman Period

Historically, the library was partially destroyed during the Siege of Alexandria. However in the events of the game, the library remained in one piece with no signs of damage whatsoever after the events of the siege. This was explained in the Discovery Tour to be because research suggested that the building destroyed during the Siege was merely a storage for the Library, not the Library itself.

The facade of the library is inspired by the Library of Celsus in Ephesus.

Gallery

Concept artScreenshots

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  Concept art
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  Concept art
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  Reconstruction of the library drawn by Jean-Claude Golvin

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  Life inside the library
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  Interior of the library
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  Interior of the library
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  The astrolabe in the library
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  Closeup of the astrolabe

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Assassin's Creed Crossover Stories