29 June 2015 – The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in Alexandria, Egypt added to its considerable collection a bust of the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Cairo.

The life-size bust, rendered in synthetic cold-cast bronze, is the work of Filipino sculptor Frederic I. Caedo, grandson of renowned sculptor Anastacio T. Caedo. It will be displayed in the reading area of the BA’s Main Library.

Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Claro S. Cristobal officially turned over the bust to Ambassador Aly Maher, Advisor to the BA, in a signing and unveiling ceremony.

In addition to the bust, the donation also included prints of the original manuscripts of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, produced by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), as well as the publications Lumina Pandit: A Collection of Historical Treasures and Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615.

Inaugurated in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern take on the old library of ancient Alexandria, then one of the world’s centers of learning and culture. The present-day complex – which also houses six specialized libraries, four museums, a planetarium and 13 academic research centers – attracts around 1.5 million visitors a year. END