The oldest discovered library is the Royal Library of Ebla, dating back to around 2500–2250 BCE, located near Mardikh in modern-day Syria. This library was uncovered in the 1970s and consisted of about 2,000 complete clay tablets and thousands of fragments, making it the earliest substantial collection of written texts that were purposely arranged and classified. It predates other famous ancient libraries such as the Library of Ashurbanipal and the Library of Alexandria.
The Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, Iraq, often considered the oldest known royal library from the 7th century BCE, is famous for its collection of about 30,000 clay tablets. However, it was not the oldest discovered library overall, as older archives like Ebla exist.
In summary, the Royal Library of Ebla in modern-day Syria holds the title of the oldest discovered library in the world.
