Pigeons taught human beings loyalty
Pigeon breeding is an Egyptian tradition which consists of raising pigeons in a pigeon tower in the country side or on one’s roof in cities. Pigeon breeders feed and care for their birds and they let them out to fly at certain times of each day, the birds always return.
I took a taxi and as we were trying to figure out how to navigate the endless succession of new bridges in Heliopolis the driver started to talk:
-Things are so expensive now, I’ve completely forgotten about meat. Even chicken, a disgusting frozen chicken is more than I can afford. Before the prices increased I used to raise pigeons on my roof, each pigeon was huge, the size of my forearm (he shows me his forearm). I had about 30 pigeons on my roof. I used to feed them corn. A sack of corn used to cost us 6 pounds but overnight the price increased to 23 pounds. I couldn’t afford to my birds.
I thought he was simply sad about losing a protein source but it was much more than that as I quickly discovered.
-I was devastated Ostaza. I loved them like my children. Pigeons are beautiful creatures. They taught human beings loyalty الحمام علم الانسان الوفاء. Whenever I was sad, would go up there and sit with them. Pigeons take turns sitting on their eggs, so one pigeon eats and the other minds the nest in alternation. Once, a pigeon’s husband flew away and didn’t come back. She refused to leave her eggs to go eat and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t help her. She stayed by her eggs untill she died on top of them. Each bird had it’s own personality and each couple was different. Pigeons mate for life not like couples nowadays who spend their time fighting in family courts الحمام بيقعد مع بعض طول العمر مش زي ناس اليومين دول متلقحين فى محاكم للأسرة
- How are they different ?
- For example Ostaza, there was this one couple where the male was only interested in ruffling his feathers and cleaning them. He only cared about his looks. He wouldn’t help his wife sit on the eggs. He would just groom himself all day and she would get mad and bite him so that he would help. Pigeon males are also jealous, they don’t like their wives to leave the nest to eat for long because they don’t want to lose them. If they take too long, they go and bite them and push them into the nest.
-Didn’t it make you sad to eat them then?
-I would eat the young ones before they matured and developed a personality. Once I knew their personality and they started breeding, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing them. I also fed them very well. Normally female pigeons only lay two eggs, but mine would lay four. I didn’t want to feed them less than they were used to.
We had reached the destination but I didn’t want to interrupt him, starting from now things get sad so stop reading if you get upset by hearing about animals dying:
- When I could no longer feed them, I decided to take them to my village. I think grief drove me mad. I put them in a sack and drove them to the village and by the time I arrived most of them were dead. (At this point he was tearing up), I knew better than to do this. I don’t what got into me. مش عارف عملت كدة ليه، حزن ولا هبل ولا ايه
I left wishing that he would one day be able to afford pigeons again.
El Sit w El Sayed
The photo shows a traditional Egyptian amulet where a man and woman figure stand on either side of a pigeon tower. This type of amulet was used in Zar practices.
Pigeon towers built in the traditional rural fashion
