The Great Library of Alexandria was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. Founded in Egypt during the Hellenistic period by Ptolemy I Soter, it was intended to be a universal storehouse for all human knowledge. At its peak, it may have held hundreds of thousands of papyrus scrolls, including works by the greatest thinkers of antiquity. Scholars from across the Mediterranean flocked there to study mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and literature. However, the library is equally famous for its tragic destruction, which occurred in several stages—ranging from a fire set by Julius Caesar's troops to religious riots in later centuries. The loss of the library represents one of the greatest cultural catastrophes in history, as countless unique texts and ancient scientific discoveries were lost forever to time.