An Egyptian girl perches on a ledge along the Coast Road and shakes sand from one of her shoes, her exposed head still wet from bathing in the Mediterranean Sea. Soon her conspicuous hair and skin will become unacceptable; casual innocent moments like this will be forbidden in public. It could signal a reputation-destroying sexual provocation toward an unrelated adult male. The marriage market here operates under strictly customary rules; mature young women seem the most pious believers for a reason: they have the most to lose should rumors of impropriety exist, or should they seem to lack the requisite devoutness. It is rational to avoid even the appearance of evil.

Eventually she will arrive at the public presentation shown here: