Riad Shehata
He was the official photographer of the King of Egypt, in charge of photographing royal events such as marriages, enthronement ceremonies and formal parties. He was the first Egyptian photographer to travel abroad; he went to Frankfurt in Germany where he studied the art of photography extensively. He travelled around the world in order to take rare photographs.
Riad Shehata

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- Name
- Riad Shehata
- Died
- 1942
- Occupation
- Photographer; studio owner
- Known for
- Official royal photographer of the King of Egypt; pioneering Egyptian photographer to travel abroad
- Education
- Studied photography in Frankfurt, Germany
- Nationality
- Egypt
- Languages
- Arabic · Egyptian Arabic
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He was the official photographer of the King of Egypt, in charge of photographing royal events such as marriages, enthronement ceremonies and formal parties. He was the first Egyptian photographer to travel abroad; he went to Frankfurt in Germany where he studied the art of photography extensively. He travelled around the world in order to take rare photographs.
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wikidata · Q7322115 · wikipedia · Riad Shehata
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Biography
Biography
His studio was located in downtown Cairo's Opera Square. After his death in 1942, the studio remained open under the same name. The Riad Shehata Studio was notably charged by King Farouk with photographing in minute detail the extensive damage resulting from the devastating 1952 Cairo Fire. In 2003, 275 rare photographs from the Riad Shehata Studio were bought by a private collector from the photographer's family.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Riad Shehata • Native Name — رياض شحاتة • Died — 1942 • Occupation — Photographer; studio owner • Known for — Official royal photographer of the King of Egypt; pioneering Egyptian photographer to travel abroad • Education — Studied photography in Frankfurt, Germany • Notable Works — Royal ceremonies, marriages, enthronements; documentation of Cairo Fire damage (1952) Riad Shehata (died in 1942) was an Egyptian photographer. He was the official photographer of the King of Egypt, in charge of photographing royal events such as marriages, enthronement ceremonies and formal parties. He was the first Egyptian photographer to travel abroad; he went to Frankfurt in Germany where he studied the art of photography extensively. He travelled around the world in order to take rare photographs. His studio was located in downtown Cairo's Opera Square. After his death in 1942, the studio remained open under the same name. The Riad Shehata Studio was notably charged by King Farouk with photographing in minute detail the extensive damage resulting from the devastating 1952 Cairo Fire. In 2003, 275 rare photographs from the Riad Shehata Studio were bought by a private collector from the photographer's family.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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