Google has paid tribute to Egyptian historian Mostafa Abdel-Hamid El-Abbadi in its latest signature Doodle, celebrating what would have been his 94th birthday.
El-Abbadi, a professor who specialised in Greco-Roman studies, died on February 13, 2017.
The illustration features the scholar in a library reading a book with drawings of the second great library of Alexandria, a place he was crucial in helping revitalise. It can be seen on the search homepage in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, as well as in Greece, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Iceland and the UK.
Who was Mostafa Abdel-Hamid El-Abbadi?
El-Abbadi was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1928. His father was the founder of the College of Letters and Arts at the University of Alexandria, which sparked his interest in academia. At 22, he graduated with honours and was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Cambridge.
After El-Abbadi completed his degree, he returned to the University of Alexandria where he would later become a professor in classics. During his tenure, he had a special interest in the Great Library of Alexandria. He would go on to become a leading author on the topic, giving lectures about it around the world. His findings and research led to his critically-acclaimed book, Life and Fate of the Ancient Library of Alexandria.
In his lectures, he often encouraged a modern recreation of the great universal library. He eventually convinced the Egyptian government and Unesco to support his project. Nearly 15 years after its conception and construction, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened its doors in 2002.
The library is home to more than eight million books on seven floors in four museums, and also includes a planetarium. It also functions as a research institute that’s open to the public.
What are Google Doodles?
Google Doodles feature sporadically throughout the year, transforming Google's traditional logo into an animation to pay tribute to an important figure or moment in history.
The doodles can also mark seasonal or celebratory events, such as International Women's Day, for example.
Scroll through our gallery below to see other regional Google Doodles from the past
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A Google Doodle celebrating Egyptian actress Karima Mokhtar's 89th birthday. All images: Google -
Egyptian writer Ihsan Abdel Quddous -
Kuwaiti actor and comedian Abdulhussain Abdulredha's 83rd birthday -
UAE National Day 2022 Google Doodle. -
Ousha Al Suwaidi was a poetess from the United Arab Emirates. -
Prof. Hamed Abdel Fattah Goher was an Egyptian oceanographer, scientist and TV presenter. -
Tunisia's Tawhida Ben Cheikh was a pioneer in women's medicine. -
Google Doodle of Egyptian actor and director Nour El-Sherif honours him on what would have been his 75th birthday. -
Google celebrates Syrian-Egyptian composer and actor Farid Al Atrash with a Google Doodle to mark what would have been his 110th birthday. -
Children's author Notaila Rashed is honoured with a special Google Doodle to mark her 86th birthday. -
Egyptian actress, producer, writer and filmmaker Bahiga Hafez was born 112 years ago, on August 4. -
The Google Doodle for January 20, 2020, celebrates Mufidah Abdul Rahman, Egypt's first female lawyer. -
A Google Doodle on June 10, 2019, celebrates Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Towfik. -
Google Doodle honours Persian mathematician, poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam on what would have been his 971st birthday. -
Mary Mounib was a renowned actress in the Egyptian cinema scene. Her 114th birthday is marked in a Google Doodle on February 11, 2019. -
Egyptian poet Gamila El Alaily is honoured in a Google Doodle on March 20, 2019. -
Syrian artist Louay Kayali is the subject of Google's doodle on January 20, 2019. -
Egyptian-French singer and actress Dalida is honoured on her birthday by Google Doodle, on January 17, 2019. -
Egyptian actress Hind Rostom is celebrated in a Google Doodle on her 87th birthday, on November 12, 2018. -
Ibn Sina, one of the greatest thinkers of Islam's golden age, is honoured on August 7, 2018. -
A Google Doodle honours Saudi musician Talal Maddah on what would have been his 78th birthday, on August 5, 2018. -
A Google Doodle gif marks Egyptian actor Omar Sharif's birthday on April 10, 2018. -
Egyptian poet Farouk Shousha is honoured by Google on what would have been his 82nd birthday, on January 9, 2018. -
Google celebrates Lebanese singer Sabah's 90th birthday on November 10, 2017. -
Egyptian painter Inji Aflatoun's Google Doodle pays homage to her style of bold brushstrokes. -
Google celebrates the birthday of Algerian painter Mohammed Khadda, who was born on March 14, 1930. -
Lebanese singer-songwriter Melham Barakat is honoured by Google on his birthday.
