The Mediterranean seaport of Alexandria was one of the great cities of ancient times, but very little tangible evidence has survived. Up until the early Fifties, Alexandria was an Egyptian Beirut or Shanghai, a famously - notoriously - cosmpolitan city whose social, cultural and business life was dominated by expatriates. Literary lions E.M.Forster, Lawrence Durrell and (the Australian Nobel laureate) Patrick White all lived here during the War years. The expatriates left en masse during Nasser's revolution and life in Alexandria became relatively austere. Foreigners savour its enduring historical and literary mystique, whilst Egyptians themselves visit for the mild climate and seaside ambience. Alexandria today is a city of several millions, sprawling 20 kilometres along the coast and stitched up by crumbling expressways, but the downtown area remains a Thirties and Forties timewarp. The Bibliotecha Alexandrina is an ultra-modern showpiece conceived to evoke the grandeur of the long-vanished ancient Library - and stayed closed during my visit as staff met to protest the legacy of the Mubarak era.

These images were taken in November 2011 with Nikon D300 using RAW format, and are available for licensing. Please visit my blog post.