Under the Eye of Ra: A Hot, Hazy Tuesday in Cairo
The sprawling, ancient metropolis of Cairo, a city built on layers of history and dust beside the life-giving artery of the Nile, began its day on this Tuesday, the 13th of May, under a sky that held the distinct promise of heat. There was no gentle, cool awakening here; the air already possessed a dry warmth even before the first rays of the sun crested the horizon. This was a day shaped by the forces of the desert and the relentless energy of the sun, a typical late spring day in a city where summer arrives early and lingers long. As the very first hint of light began to push back the pre-dawn darkness, around 5:30 AM, the air temperature was already mild, hovering in the low twenties Celsius (around 70-72°F). It wasn't cold, but it held a relative freshness compared to the heat that was soon to build. Looking eastward, the sky wasn't a deep indigo or a clear black, but rather a lighter, slightly muted shade, hinting at the presence of particles in the air – the ever-present...