There are certain landmarks that we all know by heart. They pop up in our social media timelines among friends' travel photos and they make appearances in the travel accounts we follow on Instagram.
Amazingly, they're nearly always shot from the same angle. But a slight shift in the vantage point makes all the difference:
1. We usually think of the pyramids as exotic landmarks rising up in the middle of the desert, which is sort of true
But, they are also piles of stone next to a massive city
2. The magnificent opulence of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Mosque impresses everyone who sees a photo
But, even a highway glimpse captures the architectural wonder
3. The Pigeon Rocks (Raouche) by the corniche are probably Beirut's most iconic landmark
But, the view from underneath is like being let in on a secret
4. Everyone wants to snap this epic photo of the famous treasury in Jordan's Petra
But a view from above gives you a different sense of the scale
5. The gorgeous Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca grabs any visitor's attention
Its minaret rises elegantly above the surrounding city
6. This is the type of image of Mecca's Masjid al-Haram we're accustomed to seeing
But if we zoom out, we see the gorgeous natural landscape that surrounds it.
7. Kuwait Towers already look like they belong in some sci-fi feature film
But, from directly below, they transform into trippy abstract art
8. Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art has become a defining landmark of Doha
The building's geometric architecture looks like a magnificent house boat from another vantage point
9. Everyone recognize's Riyadh's Kingdom Center
The view from the side is a bit...underwhelming
10. It's hard to find a unique shot of a world famous monument like Dubai's Burj Khalifa
Sometimes, it comes down to finding a different frame
