The National Library of Aleppo ( ar, دار الكتب الوطنية) is a

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

national library A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public library, public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, o ...

in the northern city of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. It was opened in 1924, at the Islamic awqaf department in Khan al-Jumrok at the time of the

French Mandate The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate foun ...

History

In 1924, a decision to open a national library in Aleppo was passed by the central government in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

to become a branch of the Arab Scientific Academy. Sheikh ''Kamel al-Ghazzi'' became the first director of the library. In 1937, the construction of the new library building was set in the Bab al-Faraj square, adjacent to the famous clock tower. The construction was completed in 1939. The inauguration of the new library building was delayed due to the circumstances during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Finally, on 4 December 1945, the new building was opened by the efforts of the Aleppo governor prince

Mustafa al-Shihabi Prince Mustafa Al-Shihabi ( ar, الأمير مصطفى الشهابي; 1893 – 1968) was a Syrian agronomist, politician, writer and the third elected director of Arab Academy of Damascus (1959–1968). "Prince" title was only of a social backgr ...

, with a collection of 6,000 books. The library remained under the administration of the Aleppo municipality until 1954 when the building was redeveloped and became under the direct administration of the Syrian Ministry of Culture.Aleppo Library, one of the oldest libraries in the Arab world
/ref> Currently, the library contains a collection of 100,000 books. The building has a small theatre hall with 300 seats.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aleppo National Library Library buildings completed in 1939 Libraries in Syria

Education in Aleppo Buildings and structures in Aleppo 1924 establishments in Mandatory Syria Libraries established in 1924

History

See also

References