Who was Mostafa El-Abbadi? Google Doodle celebrates Egyptian historian on his 94th birthday

Mostafa El-Abbadi was a renowned Egyptian historian who helped recreate the historic Library of Alexandria in modern times. He would have turned 94 years old today. To honour his contribution, Google dedicated its today’s Doodle to the scholar.

Worldwide homepages are exhibiting the Google Doodle resembling El-Abbadi, including the ones in the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Austria, Greece, Germany, Iceland, and Sweden.

The doodle not only shows the illustrations of the Library of Alexandria but also features a drawing of the professor reading a book.


Here are some facts about Mostafa El-Abbadi, the Library of Alexandria, and why he was such a significant historian:

A well-known Egyptian historian focusing on Greco-Roman studies, Mostafa El-Abbadi, is credited with having the idea to bring back the old Library of Alexandria.



On October 10, 1928, El-Abbadi was born in Cairo, Egypt. His father, who founded the College of Letters and Arts at the University of Alexandria, fostered his passion for academia from a young age. He later earned his degree from the University of Alexandria and received a scholarship to attend the University of Cambridge.

El-Abbadi returned to the University of Alexandria as a lecturer after completing his studies and eventually rose to the position of professor of Greco-Roman studies. He then relocated back to Egypt. His work was recognised across the world with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) funding an initiative led by the Egyptian scholar.

FAQs

1. Which El-Abbadi initiative did the UNESCO fund?
   He repeatedly advocated for the modernisation of the library while working as a professor, and he eventually led UNESCO and the Egyptian government to support his initiative.
2. How & when did El-Abbadi die?
   He suffered from heart failure, and at the age of 88, he passed away on February 13, 2017.