2025/04/22 by Азимова, Дилноза
paper · doi:10.34920/2181-8207/2025/1-163
In the article, it is stated that аncient world libraries served not only as repositories of texts but also as vibrant centers of knowledge, culture, and governance. The creation of the first libraries in world history and their development are examined through examples such as the libraries of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the medieval and Renaissance-era “Bayt al-Hikma” (House of Wisdom). The history of libraries began approximately 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia with clay tablets. Mesopotamian libraries can be divided into three main types: temple libraries, palace libraries, and private libraries. It is believed that in the 300th year BCE, the library in Alexandria, Egypt, housed up to 400,000 papyrus scrolls, where scholars like Euclid and Archimedes worked. The next library, from the Middle Ages, is the Abbasid library in Baghdad, Iraq. “Bayt al-Hikma” (“House of Wisdom”) was recognized as the first major library of Baghdad. Indeed, ancient libraries laid the foundations for modern systems of knowledge by preserving texts in disciplines such as science, philosophy, medicine, and history.