10 oldest libraries in the world

Since the advent of writing, literate societies have created institutions dedicated to collecting and safeguarding knowledge. Early record rooms housed extensive materials on trade, governance and foreign relations. Long before the internet, libraries served as vital centres of learning, profoundly influencing the course of civilisation. Many of the earliest records were inscribed on clay tablets, which have survived in far greater numbers than texts written on papyrus or leather. For historians, these tablets are invaluable, offering rare and detailed insights into the ancient world.

Many of the world’s earliest archives and libraries were destroyed thousands of years ago, leaving behind only fragments of the knowledge they once contained. Others survive today as ruins, silent reminders of their former grandeur, while a rare few have endured the centuries largely intact.

Here are ten oldest libraries in the world

Bogazköy Archive – Hittite Empire

The Boğazköy Archive, also known as the Hattusa Archive, is one of the most significant surviving records of the Hittite Empire (c. 1600–1200 BCE). Discovered at Hattusa in modern-day Turkey, the Hittite capital, the archive consists of over 30,000 clay tablets and fragments written in cuneiform.

The tablets cover laws, treaties, religious texts and diplomatic correspondence, including the famous peace treaty between the Hittites and Egypt.

Written in several languages, they reflect the empire’s wide political and cultural reach. Many tablets survived because fires that destroyed the city baked the clay, preserving the records. For historians, the archive offers rare insight into Bronze Age governance, diplomacy and belief systems.

Library of Ashurbanipal – Assyrian Empire

The Library of Ashurbanipal was one of the ancient world’s most important centres of knowledge, created in the 7th century BCE by King Ashurbanipal of the Assyrian Empire. Located in Nineveh, it housed thousands of clay tablets written in cuneiform.

The collection included royal records, scientific texts, omens, prayers and literary works such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Many tablets survived after the destruction of Nineveh in 612 BCE, as fires baked the clay, preserving the texts. Today, the library provides invaluable insight into Assyrian administration, religion and intellectual life.

Library of Alexandria

The Library of Alexandria in Egypt was the most famous centre of learning in the ancient world. Built during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the complex was opened between 286 to 285 BC, it sought to collect all known knowledge, housing hundreds of thousands of scrolls on subjects ranging from science and medicine to philosophy and literature. Though its destruction remains debated, the library became a lasting symbol of humanity’s pursuit of knowledge and the tragic loss of ancient learning.

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Hadrian’s Library – Greece

Hadrian’s Library in Athens, Greece, was built by Emperor Hadrian, One of the greatest and most well known Roman emperors in the 2nd century AD. It served as a major centre for learning, housing scrolls, lecture halls, and reading rooms, and remains an important archaeological site showcasing Roman architecture and scholarly culture.

The building was seriously damaged during Sack of Athens in 267 AD, but repaired in the following centuries. The library would eventually fall into disrepair and become the ruin seen today.

Library of Celsus – Turkey

The beautiful ruins of the library of Celsus can be found in the ancient city of Ephesus, now part of Selçuk, Turkey. was built in the 2nd century AD to honor the Roman senator Tiberius Celsus Polemaeanus, Commissioned in 110 AD by consul Gaius Julius Aquila it was the third largest library in the Roman Empire and is one of a very few buildings of its kind that has survived from antiquity. The building was heavily damaged by a fire in 262 AD, though it is unclear if that resulted from natural causes or of a Gothic invasion. The facade stood proudly until earthquakes in the 10th and 11th centuries left it in a ruinous state as well. It once held thousands of scrolls and served as a monumental symbol of knowledge and Roman architectural grandeur. Today, its striking façade remains a popular historical landmark.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt

Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt, founded in the 6th century AD at the foot of Mount Sinai, the longest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world and one of the world’s oldest working libraries. It houses a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts and religious texts, preserving centuries of Christian scholarship and heritage such as the 4th century ‘Codex Sinaiticus.

Read also: What libraries mean to the nation

University of al-Qarawiyyin – Morocco

 

The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, accommodating 22,000 worshippers It is also the centre of an early medieval University and was founded in 859 AD, and is considered the world’s oldest continuously operating university. Its library holds a vast collection of ancient manuscripts, making it a historic centre of Islamic learning.

Mogao Grottoes or Cave of ‘The Thousand Budhas’ – China

 

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas, in China date back to the 4th century AD. In the early 20th century a ‘library cave’ was discovered which housed manuscripts from the 5th until the 11th centuries. This network of caves houses thousands of manuscripts, murals, and Buddhist texts written in a large variety of languages, making it a priceless repository of religious, cultural, and historical knowledge along the Silk Road.

Malatestiana Library – Italy

The Malatestiana Library in Cesena, Italy, built in the 15th century, is one of Europe’s earliest public libraries commissioned Malatesta Novello . It preserves a vast collection of manuscripts and early printed books and remains a remarkable example of Renaissance architecture and knowledge preservation. Over400,000 books being kept at the historic library

Bodleian Library – United Kingdom

The Bodleian Library in Oxford, United Kingdom, named after Sir Thomas Bodley was founded in 1602. It is the main research library of Oxford and one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It houses millions of books, manuscripts, and historical documents, serving as a major centre for research, scholarship, and the preservation of knowledge.