Best classic places spots hotspots sites sights views photo locations to photograph for photography with maps tips ideas composition postcard photos cool beautiful pictures
Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards
Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book
Best Travel Guide, Benjamin Franklin Awards finalist
“Impressive in its presentation and abundance of material.”
— National Geographic Traveler
“PhotoSecrets books are an invaluable resource for photographers.”
— Nikon School of Photography
“One of the best travel photography books we’ve ever seen.”
— Minolta
“Guides you to the most visually distinctive places to explore with your camera.”
— Outdoor Photographer
“This could be one of the most needed travel books ever published!”
— San Francisco Bay Guardian
“The most useful travel guides for anyone with a camera.”
— Shutterbug’s Outdoor and Nature Photography
“Takes the guesswork out of shooting.”
— American Way (American Airlines magazine)
PhotoSecrets Alexandria, first published May 3, 2016. This version output April 21, 2018.
Curated, coded and designed by Andrew Hudson. Copyright © Andrew Hudson for PhotoSecrets (Photo Tour Books, Inc.). Photos, text and maps copyrights are listed in the credits section.
“‘And what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversations?’”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Thank you to the many talented photographers that generously made their photos available. Photos distributed by the following:
Text copyright of Wikipedia editors and contributors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA).
Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors. Open data licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).
Cover image by Or/Wikipedia.
Back cover image by .
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any way without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner(s) and the publisher of this book.
The information provided within this book is for general informational purposes only. Some information may be inadvertently incorrect, or may be incorrect in the source material, or may have changed since publication, this includes GPS coordinates, addresses, location titles, descriptions, Web links, and photo credits. Use with caution; do not photograph from roads or other dangerous places or when trespassing, even if GPS coordinates and/or maps indicate so; beware of moving vehicles; obey laws. The publisher and author cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book. There are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, images, or graphics contained in this book for any purpose. Any use of this information is at your own risk.
For corrections, please send an email.
A great travel photograph, like a great news photograph, requires you to be in the right place at the right time to capture that special moment. Professional photographers have a short-hand phrase for this: “F8 and be there.”
There are countless books that can help you with photographic technique, the “F8” portion of that equation. But until now, there’s been little help for the other, more critical portion of that equation, the “be there” part. To find the right spot, you had to expend lots of time and shoe leather to wander around, track down every potential viewpoint, and essentially re-invent the wheel.
In my career as a professional travel photographer, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. Andrew Hudson’s PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photographing instead of wandering about. It’s like having a professional location scout in your camera bag. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photograph on assignment.
PhotoSecrets can help you capture the most beautiful sights with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment. So grab your camera, find your favorite PhotoSecrets spots, and “be there!”
Bob Krist has photographed assignments for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Travel/Holiday, Smithsonian, and Islands. He won “Travel photographer of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.
For National Geographic, Bob has led round-the-world tours and a traveling lecture series. His book In Tuscany with Frances Mayes spent a month on The New York Times’ bestseller list and his how-to book Spirit of Place was hailed by American Photographer magazine as “the best book about travel photography we’ve ever read.”
The parents of three sons, Bob and his wife live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Thank you for reading PhotoSecrets. As a fellow fan of travel and photography, I hope this guide will help you quickly find the most visually stunning places, and come home with equally stunning photographs.
PhotoSecrets is designed to show you all the best sights. Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations. Get ideas for composition and interesting viewpoints. See what piques your interest. Know what to shoot, where to stand, when to go, and why it’s interesting. Now you can spend less time researching and more time photographing.
The idea for PhotoSecrets came during a trip to Thailand, when I tried to find the exotic beach used in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. None of the guidebooks I had showed a picture, so I thought a guidebook of postcard photos would be useful for us photographers. Twenty-plus years later, you have this guide. Thanks!
Now, start exploring — and take lots of photos!
Originally an engineer, Andrew Hudson started PhotoSecrets in 1995. His first book won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and his second won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards.
Andrew has published 38 nationally-distributed photography books. He has photographed assignments for Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Men’s Health and Seventeen, and been a location scout for Nikon. His photos and articles have appeared in Alaska Airlines, National Geographic Traveler, Shutterbug Outdoor and Nature photography, Where, and Woman’s World.
Andrew has a degree in Computer Engineering from Manchester University and a certificate in copyright law from Harvard Law School. Born in Redditch, England, he lives with his wife, two kids, and two chocolate Labs, in San Diego, California.
At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Austin |
| Address: | Alexandria, Egypt |
| Fame: | Capital of Texas |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Texas |
| Counties: | Travis, Williamson, Hays |
| Settled: | 1835 |
| Incorporated: | 1839 |
| Population: | 931,830 (city, 2015) 2,000,860 (metro) |
| Time zone: | CST (UTC-6) |
| GPS: | 30.25, -97.75 |
| Website: | austintexas.gov |
The second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast.
Photographer: Or
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
sphinx made of pink granite, Ptolemaic.
| Addr: | Serapeum, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.181944 29.896944 |
| What: | Sphinx | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Tentoila Tentoila
Year: 2006).
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Pompey’s Pillar is a Roman triumphal column in Alexandria, Egypt, and the largest of its type constructed outside of the imperial capitals of Rome and Constantinople.
| Addr: | Amoud Al Sawani, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.1824944 29.8964528 |
| What: | Column | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Roman triumphal column | Wik: |
Photographer: The Abdelrhman 1990
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Avjoska
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
The Planetarium Science Center is a department in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria | Where: | 31.208984 29.908143 |
| What: | Museum | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Kostas Kokkinos
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Wall | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Mahmoud Saaid
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria | Where: | 31.207806 29.908889 |
| What: | Statue | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: David Lisbona
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Interior of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Mummy | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: David Lisbona
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Interior of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Koran | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: David Lisbona
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Interior of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Drawing | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Barcex
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria | Where: | 31.208236 29.909944 |
| What: | Pool | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: David Stanley
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Sculpture | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Gigi Ibrahim
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Gigi Ibrahim
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria | Where: | 31.20889 29.90917 |
| What: | Sculpture | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Abdelrhman 1990
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
Pompey’s Pillar is a Roman triumphal column in Alexandria, Egypt, and the largest of its type constructed outside the imperial capitals of Rome and Constantinople.
| Addr: | Acropolis, Alexandria | Where: | 31.1824944 29.8964528 |
| What: | Roman triumphal column | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Aymantarek24
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Acropolis, Alexandria | Where: | 31.213766 29.898151 |
| What: | Temple | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Daniel Mayer
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
| Addr: | Acropolis, Alexandria | Where: | 31.213766 29.898151 |
| What: | Roman amphitheater | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Roman amphitheater |
Photographer: Delengar
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Citadel of Qaitbay, Pharos Island, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2130 29.8852 |
| What: | Front | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: This File Is Lacking Author
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Citadel of Qaitbay, Pharos Island, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2130 29.8852 |
| What: | Vault | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Carstenw
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Citadel of Qaitbay, Pharos Island, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2130 29.8852 |
| What: | Front | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Carstenw
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Citadel of Qaitbay, Pharos Island, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2130 29.8852 |
| What: | Hall | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Leonard J Defrancisci
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Citadel of Qaitbay, Pharos Island, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2130 29.8852 |
| What: | Nameplate | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Jerrye and Roy Klotz
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Montaza Royal Gardens, built under the monarchy, is a favored tourist spot with sizable gardens and palaces left by its royal heritage.
| Addr: | Malak Hefni St at El Malek, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2851346 30.018529 |
| What: | Park | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Sujayps
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Sujayps
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
Montaza Palace is a palace and extensive gardens in the Montaza district of Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Malak Hefni at El-Gaish Rd, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2886 30.0159 |
| What: | Palace | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Al-Haramlik Palace | Wik: |
Photographer: Daniel Mayer
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Mahmoud Saaid
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
Stanley is a neighborhood near the city centre of Alexandria.
| Addr: | Where: | 31.234307 29.946485 | |
| What: | Bridge | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Elizabeth Skene
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Alexandria Aquarium is a small aquarium in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Qaitbay St, El Anfoushi, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2128 29.8851 |
| What: | Aquarium | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Theegyptian
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
The Alexandria Zoo is a zoo close to the Smouha neighborhood in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Qism Sidi Gabir, Al Iskandariyah, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2050384 29.9443692 |
| What: | Zoo | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Zoopro
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Photographer: Share Bear
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque is a famous mosque in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Al Moercy Abo Al Abass, Al Berkah, Qesm Al Gomrok, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.205472 29.882167 |
| What: | Mosque | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Al Moercy Abo Al Abass | Wik: |
Photographer: Leonard J Defrancisci
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: David Stanley
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Ermaât
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.200 29.917 |
| What: | Statue | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Abdelrhman 1990
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Kom Ad Dakah Gharb, Qesm Al Attarin, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.1930322 29.9053484 |
| What: | Train station | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Roland Unger
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
The Royal Jewelry Museum is an art and history museum in the Zizenia neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | San Stifano, Qesm AR Ramel, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2407 29.9630 |
| What: | Museum | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Mogaio
Year: 2006.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
or Sayyid Darwish Theatre was built in 1918 and opened in 1921.
| Addr: | No.22, Al Mesallah Sharq, Qesm Al Attarin, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.1968708 29.9017045 |
| What: | Opera house | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: O2ma
Year: 2005.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: This File Is Lacking Author Information
Year: 2001.
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Lycée Al-Horreya is a French international school serving ages 3 to 18.
| Addr: | Omar Lofty at Ahmed Lofty, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20944 29.91972 |
| What: | School | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Alexknight12 Alexknight12
Year: 2001).
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Ermaât
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
The Palais d’Antoniadis is a palace in Alexandria, Egypt, named after Sir John Antoniadis.
| Addr: | Izbat Saed, Qesm Sidi Gaber, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20222 29.95083 |
| What: | Palace | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Antinyonad’s Palace | Wik: |
Photographer: Ermaât
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: Realman208
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
| Addr: | El-Gaish Rd, Qism El-Raml, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.245553 29.966654 |
| What: | Hotel | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Someone
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Alexandria National Museum opened in 2003 in a renovated Italian style palace, previously home to the United States consulate.
| Addr: | Tariq Al-Horreya Street, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.2011 29.9132 |
| What: | Museum | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Néfermaât
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: Delengar
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Alexandria University is a public research university in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Al Azaritah WA Ash Shatebi, Qesm Bab Sharqi, Alexandria, Egypt | Where: | 31.20194 29.90528 |
| What: | University | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: IÅi
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Maamoura Beach is a neighborhood in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Qism El-Montaza, Alexandri, Egypt | Where: | 31.28794 30.032501 |
| What: | Beach | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Photographer: Theegyptian
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Shallalat Gardens is the name of ancient garden located in Alexandria, Egypt.
| Addr: | Housny Hammad at Suez Canal Rd, Alexandria | Where: | 31.20306 29.91389 |
| What: | Garden | When: | Anytime |
| Wik: |
Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide.
Photo key: Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Key for distributors: f:Flickr; w:Wikipedia. Key for license: a:CC-BY-SA; b:CC-BY; m:public domain.
Cover image by .The Abdelrhman 1990 ( wb); Abdelrhman 1990 ( wa); Alexknight12 Alexknight12 ( wa); This File Is Lacking Author ( wb); Avjoska ( wa); Aymantarek24 ( wa); Barcex ( wm); Share Bear ( wb); Carstenw ( wa); Leonard J Defrancisci ( wa); Delengar ( wa); Ermaât ( wa); IÅi ( wb); Gigi Ibrahim ( wm); This File Is Lacking Author Information ( wa); Jerrye and Roy Klotz ( wa); Kostas Kokkinos ( wb); David Lisbona ( wa); Daniel Mayer ( wa); Mogaio ( wa); Moro 2088 ( wa); Néfermaât ( wa); O2ma ( wa); Or ( wm); Realman208 ( wb); Mahmoud Saaid ( wa); Elizabeth Skene ( wa); Someone ( fb); David Stanley ( wa); Sujayps ( wm); Tentoila Tentoila ( wa); Theegyptian ( wa); Roland Unger ( wm); Zoopro ( wm). Some text adapted from Wikipedia and its contributors where noted by the URL path in the “Wik” table field, used and modified under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) license. Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors, used under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).