Rare Book & Special Collections Reading Room (B2)

The Reading Room houses a host of rare books, maps, momentous documents of renowned figures, as well as a number of personal libraries of celebrities accessible only to postgraduate researchers. The rare book collection comprises over 10,000 books and documents dated between the 16th century and early 20th century. They cover a wide scale of subjects including: philosophy, psychology, religion, social sciences, languages, natural sciences, mathematics, applied sciences, fine arts, literature, geography, history, etc. The room also holds a unique collection of maps of Egypt, Europe and the world. The most recent addition is a remarkable collection on Egyptology, covering the history and antiquities of Egypt from the dawn of history to the Arab conquest. Moreover, the room holds a modest collection, yet an exquisite one, of incunabula, the oldest of which is dated back to 1492. It also comprises many significant special collections, namely, the Louis Pasteur Institute Collection (2,811 volumes and 36,714 periodicals), Abdul-Rahman Badawi Collection (12,599 volumes), Abdul-Razzaq al-Sanhuri Pasha Collection (1738 volumes), Alexandria Appeal Court Collection (2,007 volumes), Muhammad Said al-Farisi, Former Governor of Jeddah Collection (663 volumes and 15,877 periodicals). Dr. Muhammad Hasanin Haikal Collection (1440 volumes), and the latest addition Ain Shams University's General Library Collection (20,000 volumes). These collections owe their weight to the importance of their donors or original owners. All collections are currently cataloged and made available on the Library's main database.