World's 20 Most Stunning Libraries

Fodor's
Temple of Haesina

Where: Mount Gaya, South Korea

Tucked into the mountains of South Korea, the 15th-century, UNESCO-designated houses the Tripitaka Koreana, the most extensive collection of Buddhist texts in the world. Its Janggyeong Panjeon buildings additionally store over 80,000 woodblocks, used to print books before the invention of the printing press.

Insider Tip: Though the Tripitaka Koreana collection is not open to the public, you can still visit the temple complex and peek inside.

Plan Your Trip: Visit .

(Theda Grimoire [CC-BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons)

Over the centuries, kings, presidents, monks, and other luminaries have constructed libraries as more than mere book repositories, but as symbols of knowledge, power, and wealth. Many of their structures propose commanding architecture and some even house works of art and cultural treasures. Here are 20 of the world’s most stunning libraries, from a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the mountains of South Korea to the modern incarnation of the legendary library of Ancient Alexandria.

by Laura Itzkowitz