The massive ship crossed the canal within the south-bound convoy, a statement by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said.

Logos Hope docked in Port Said for 19 days until Monday, where it received thousands of visitors, according to an earlier statement by the SCA.

The ship last visited Egypt’s Suez Canal and Port Said in November and December 2010; it is operated by the non-profit German charitable organisation GBA Ships.

The floating library consists of 9 floors and offers over 5,000 books in various fields, including science, literature, education, hobbies, children’s books, and more, the SCA said today.

The ship, which is 132 metres long and 21 metres wide, sails under the flag of Malta. It has a total load of 14,000 tons.

Over the past 13 years, the Logos Hope has visited more than 150 countries and has received over 49 million visitors, said the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) last month.

The floating book fair has more than 400 volunteers representing 60 nationalities.