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From the Library of Congress to Oxford’s Bodleian Library, the British Library to the Vatican Library, there is no shortage of famous beautiful libraries around the world.

Others may not be as well known, but they’re still a sight to behold. Any book lover would dream to spend a few hours perusing their bookshelves, soaking in their history.

Grab your library card and join 91�ȱ� Bitesize as we take a trip around the globe and wander between the book stacks.

George Peabody Library, Baltimore, USA

With its striking black and white marble floor, ornamental cast-iron balconies and huge skylight, it’s no surprise that the George Peabody Library has been called a ‘Cathedral of Books’.

Named after the man who funded it, American philanthropist George Peabody, the library formed part of a wider cultural centre called the Peabody Institute, which was one of the first music conservatories in the US. It opened in 1878 and since 1982 has been connected to the John Hopkins University, but remains open to the public.

The library’s 300,000 volumes generally date from the 19th Century, but cover a wide variety of topics, including religion, science, history and geography.

You might recognise the large atrium from the rom-com Sleepless in Seattle. When Annie (Meg Ryan’s character) visits her brother at his office, she stops outside of, and walks through, the George Peabody Library.

John Rylands Library, Manchester, UK

Walking through the John Rylands Library, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was actually a cathedral, thanks to its neo-Gothic architecture, including vaulted ceilings, alcoves and stained glass windows. The architect was Basil Champneys, who also designed numerous libraries at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

While the John Rylands Library is named after a wealthy Manchester merchant, it was actually founded after his death (1888) by his Cuban-born wife, Enriqueta Rylands. She was the major beneficiary of an estate worth £2,574,922 (£280,345,298 today) so had the money to buy large collections of books and manuscripts from aristocratic families.

The inauguration ceremony took place on 6 October 1899, Enriqueta and John’s wedding anniversary. On the same day, Enriqueta became the first woman to be awarded the honorary Freedom of the City of Manchester.

Take a closer look at the stonework and stained glass and you’ll notice the use of the Lancashire red rose (the county where John was born) and the coat of arms of St Helens (his hometown).

Al-Qarawiyyin Library, Fez, Morocco

Another library founded by a woman is the al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco. It’s part of the University of al-Qarawiyyin, which was originally founded as a mosque in 859, by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Little is known about Fatima’s early years, only that she was born in Qayrawan, Tunisia, after which the mosque was named.

One of the oldest libraries in continuous use, it was closed off to the public for hundreds of years, open only to scholars. However, following decades of rainwater infiltrating the building, the Al-Qarawiyyin Library underwent renovations and was officially re-opened with public access in 2017. To prevent further water damage and improve drainage, architect Aziza Chaouni included an underground canal system as part of her design.

Other additions included a lab for treating, preserving and digitising texts and a secure, temperature and humidity controlled room. Historically, the most valuable works were located in the manuscript room, kept safe by a door which had four locks and required four different keys owned by separate people to open.

Waldsassen Abbey Library, Bavaria, Germany

Religious learning was also the driving force behind the creation of a library at Bavaria’s Waldsassen Abbey.

The abbey itself was founded in 1133 by members of the male Cistercian order but was sold in 1803 and became a cotton factory.

In 1863 it was bought back by Cistercian nuns, who opened both a nunnery and girls’ school on the site.

The library was built during the 1720s and is notable for its intricate wood carvings.

The upper level of the library is supported by a series of columns, carved into the shapes of human figures who appear to be straining to hold up the balcony on their shoulders. These figures are said to represent vices such as vanity and ignorance.

Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is home to the largest collection of Portuguese language books outside of Portugal, found inside the aptly named Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading. Brazil declared its independence from Portugal in 1822, but Portuguese remains its official language. Several years after independence, a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants decided to create a literary hub for their community.

When work on the library began in 1880, it marked three hundred years since the death of the great Portuguese poet Luís de Camões. The library is located on a street named after him. The exterior of the building was inspired by the 16th Century Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal, where the poet’s tomb can be found. A first edition of his most famous work, the epic poem Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), is one of the library’s greatest treasures.

The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading significance to Portuguese culture was recognised by Portugal’s decision to award it legal deposit status, ensuring that the Brazilian library receives a copy of every published piece of Portuguese literature. This is about 6,000 new books every year.

Tianjin Binhai Library, Tianjin, China

Opened in 2017, the sweeping curves of the Tianjin Binhai Library flow around a central glowing spherical auditorium. Take a step back and it looks a bit like an eyeball nestled in an eye socket, so it's been nicknamed 'The Eye'.

The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves have space for 1.2 million books, with the walkways along the lower levels doubling as seating areas. However, the library currently only holds around 200,000 books. Due to time constraints, the plan to make the upper rows of bookshelves accessible through rooms behind the rows was axed. To disguise the lack of books up there, aluminium plates representing books were installed instead.

In addition to all the books, or pictures of, there are meeting and reading rooms, computer areas and lounge spaces.

This article was published in September 2024