By Nada El-Margoushy
Yesterday, January 4th marks the arrival of the largest floating library and bookstore in the world on the docks of Port Said. The media bureau of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) announced the arrival of the “Logos Hope” ship to the east coast last month.
Logos Hope officially opens to the public today, January 5th. It will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. except for Fridays; it will open at 3 p.m. after the Jumu’ah prayer. The ship welcomes visitors all day of the week excluding Sundays.
Hope is the biggest among four ships operated by the international charitable organization in Germany, Google Books for All (GBA).
The ship will remain at the dock for 20 days before setting sail towards Aqaba Port in Jordan on January 23rd. A team of well-trained security agents will guard the ship that carries up to 350 passengers.
The entrance fee for adults is 5 EGP, while differently-abled people and children below the age of 13 will enjoy free entrance.
The 132-meter-long ship holds over 5000 books in all genres and different languages. The collection is wildly diverse and big enough to suit all ages and everybody’s reading preferences. Moreover, the floating book fair offers other leisure activities, including a theatre, a dining room, and an international café.
This library is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for book lovers worldwide to feed their shared passion for reading. In addition, visitors can take advantage of their trip and go sightseeing in the city.
It is worth noting that around 400 volunteers from 60 countries work in this magnificent library for free, motivated by the noble cause of spreading knowledge.