"We took special care to put in a state-of-the art system," because of the reported history of fires, Austrian-born architect Christoph Kapeller told AFP before joining Wednesday's inauguration ceremonies.

The ancient beacon of learning reportedly burned to the ground around 1,600 years ago and it may have been ravaged by previous fires, one of them during Julius Caesar's siege of Alexandria in 48 BC.

The new dazzling glass and concrete building sits among shabby modern apartment blocks on the Alexandria shore, looking like a solar disc tilting toward the Mediterranean sea.

Architects like Kapeller, co-author of the library's design with Norwegian firm Snohetta, wanted not only to install the best in sprinklers and other firefighting equipment, but also to build fire-proofing right into the design.

So, the building is strictly compartmentalized where possible, containing natural fire walls, while the vast open reading room, one of the biggest in the world, contains "smoke curtains" that can descend from the ceiling.

Three curtains would block smoke from sweeping through the room, killing people and damaging books.

The library's architects and engineers installed the curtains after first using computer graphics to simulate the flow of smoke through the vast room based on fires at various locations, Kapeller said.

Such curtains have been installed in airports and concert halls.

Kapeller also said sprinklers have been installed that will reduce the chances of their being triggered accidentally and showering the books and manuscripts stored in the library.

Mustafa Mekki, an engineer for an Egyptian firm contracted by Norway's Snohetta, also said the best in fire detection has been installed.

"We have an infrared system in the reading room to detect steam, even steam from cooking and smoke," Mekki said.

Prime Minister Atef Ebeid said a portable gas stove caused an inferno that killed 361 people aboard an Egyptian train in February, though a top judge cast doubt on that and blamed it on negligence by the rail and other authorities.

Offices in the building meanwhile contain detectors within the ventilation and air conditioning system.

To protect ancient manuscripts, there is an FM200 gas system which would suffocate a fire, Mekki added.

Library officials say despite the lingering reports of fires, the fate and location of the ancient library are still shrouded in mystery.

A library statement said the ancient center of learning may have been destroyed during the Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 AD, but said the historic record is not clear.

SPACE.WIRE