Shobra, Egypt, 2010. Egypt is one of 23 countries represented at the Dubai Photo Exhibition, showing off photography that dates to the 1920s. Dubai Photo Exhibition is in various venues of Dubai’s design district from 16-19 March. (Photo by Aiman Nassar)





Princess Fawzia of Egypt, and Princess Nasl Shah of Turkey, at the Women’s Conference at the Dome Palace, 1922. The exhibition’s curator, Ayman Lotfy, says: “We can see the development in style and techniques from the past to present, and feel the daily life of the Egyptians in relation to their place. Also dealt with is the subject of a woman’s life in Middle Eastern society, and her efforts to protect herself while searching for freedom”. (Photo by Mohamed El Ghazouly)





Aswan, Egypt, 2010. Photographer Aiman Nassar, meanwhile, talks of “opening new worlds before us, new hopes, new dreams … a playground of fertile and colourful moments”. (Photo by Aiman Nassar)





A tram in Cairo, 1934. As well as capturing regal life, the court photographer Mohamed El Ghazouly also went into the streets of the city to create his work. (Photo by Mohamed El Ghazouly)





Hay Carriers, El Badrashin, Giza, 1957. Ramses Marzouk’s shots – sometimes coolly observational, sometimes erotic – are the result of his training in Italy and Paris, when he was on his way to becoming one of Egypt’s most celebrated cinematographers. (Photo by Ramses Marzouk)





Nile flood, 1923. One of the earliest images in the exhibition is of the Giza pyramid complex. (Photo by Mohamed El Ghazouly)





Dokki, Egypt, 2010. India, South Korea, Morocco and Brazil are some of the other countries with artists showing work at the Dubai exhibition, which also features what is likely the first photographic self-portrait, made in 1840 by France’s Hippolyte Bayard. (Photo by iman Nassar)





The Baker Woman, Beni Sweif, Egypt, 1963. Another image by Ramses Marzouk, who worked on more than 50 films during his career, including Alexandrie … New York (2004), which played at the Cannes film festival. (Photo by Ramses Marzouk)





Belly dancer Nagwa Fouad sailing on the river Nile, 1972. Farouk Ibrahim was a society photographer, capturing Egyptian’s political and cultural elite, including presidents Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak. (Photo by Farouk Ibrahim)





Great Sphinx of Giza, 1970. Marzouk photographs the mythical beast with the body of a lion and the head of a man, thought to have been built around 2500BC. (Photo by Ramses Marzouk)





President Sadat reads daily newspapers at home in Giza, 1978. Ibrahim caused a stir in Egypt with an intimate series on Anwar Sadat, including images of him in his underwear and shaving. (Photo by Farouk Ibrahim)