List of libraries in the ancient world


The great libraries of the ancient world served as archives for empires, sanctuaries for sacred writings, and depositories of literature and chronicles.

Algeria

; Timgad

Anatolia

; Hattusa
; Royal Library of Antioch
; Library of Pergamum
; Library of Celsus
; The Imperial Library of Constantinople

China

;Han Imperial Library
;Qin reign
;Tang dynasty

Egypt

; The Royal Library of Alexandria, Egypt, fl. 3rd century BC.
;Serapeum of Alexandria
; Temple of Edfu Archive/Library

Ethiopia

; The Library of Aksum

Greece

; The Library of Aristotle
; Kos Library
; The Library of Pantainos
; The Library of Rhodes
; Hadrian's Library

Indian subcontinent

The great seats of learning in the ancient Indian subcontinent include:
; Takshasila,
; Nalanda
; Vikramshila
; Kanchipuram

Iran

; The Academy of Gondishapur in western Iran, established during the Persian Sassanid Empire in the 3rd through 6th centuries.

Iraq

; The Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh
; Nippur temple library
; Nuzi
; The House of Wisdom

Italy

;Libraries of the Forum:
;Atrium Liberatatis
; The Villa of the Papyri, in Herculaneum, Italy

Lebanon

; Tripoli Dar al-'ilm

Palestine

; The Theological Library of Caesarea Maritima

Syria

; Ebla
; Ugarit
; Tell Leilan
; Mari
; Sufiya Mosque Library, Grand Umayyad Mosque