The BA Honors Dr. Mostafa El-Feki for Donating his Personal Book Collection
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, headed by Dr. Ahmed Zayed, organized today a ceremony to honor the political thinker Dr. Mostafa El-Feki, former Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2017-2022), on the occasion of his personal book collection donation to the Library. During the ceremony, Dr. El-Feki gave a lecture entitled “The Bibliotheca Alexandrina: An Egyptian Icon.”
Dr. Ahmed Zayed said that Dr. Mostafa El-Feki is a national Egyptian figure and an outstanding thinker with a rich and distinguished background, who is loved and known by the entire population, even if they do not agree with him, as he is one of those people who are connected to the history of their countries and have witnessed major transformations. He also pointed out that Dr. El-Feki was keen to visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina due to his love for the Library and its staff, and that he took charge of it during a difficult period marked by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Zayed added that those who follow El-Feki's career would find that it is very diverse, as he is a diplomat, politician, administrator, academic, parliamentarian, and thinker who set an outstanding example during the period in which he led various institutions. He noted that when he took charge of the Library, the cultural side of his personality emerged, as he is an intellectual and knowledgeable in several intellectual fields and that the concept of diversity reflected throughout his career reveals his multifaceted and open personality.
He also stressed that Dr. El-Feki showed great generosity when he donated his private library, consisting of 14,000 books in various fields, in addition to a large number of valuable acquisitions exceeding 500 items, to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
For his part, El-Feki expressed his gratitude to Dr. Ahmed Zayed and the entire Library staff for the honor, adding: “Ever since I learned that Dr. Zayed would take charge of the Library after me, I have considered myself honored,” noting that he decided to donate the books he had collected throughout his life to the Library in appreciation of this prestigious international cultural institution, which belongs to an ancient city overlooking the Mediterranean.
Regarding the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, El-Feki emphasized that at one point he thought his professional life had ended, especially after the events of January 25 and his advanced age, but when he started working, he realized that managing the Library was the crowning achievement of his life. He pointed out that when he took charge of the Library, he was met with major challenges, as he noticed that despite its status, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was not eligible for the State Awards. With the participation of a number of colleagues, the Library was finally in its rightful place among Arab and foreign universities and cultural institutions, and became eligible for the State Awards.
He also mentioned that through all his experiences, he became increasingly convinced that Egyptian society is a cultural and civilizational accumulation and that culture is Egypt's most precious commodity, giving us value, respect, and status among nations. He concluded: “Therefore, I say that we have a country with status, value, effectiveness, and resonance in the overall assessment, and we must be respected and appreciated in all circumstances.”
It is worth mentioning that the ceremony included a documentary film chronicling Dr. Mostafa El-Feki’s journey, from his early years to his appointment as Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. He was also presented with the Library Shield at the end of the ceremony.