A young Egyptian man wearing a blue hoodie and carrying a backpack holds a brown carrier pigeon (hamam zagel) in both hands and looks up at it in a narrow alley flanked by aged stone and plaster buildings in Old Cairo. Carrier pigeon keeping is a deeply rooted urban tradition in Cairo, particularly in older neighborhoods where rooftop pigeon coops are a common sight. The weathered building facades visible in the background are characteristic of the historic districts of Old Cairo.