At Eid al-Adha, a Weary Egypt Rejoices

The call to prayers, a fixture across Egypt at sunrise, sounded more jubilant than ever as a country weary after years of turmoil began marking the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

In Cairo, typically smog-filled streets of honking cars stood empty and quiet, aside from the occasional bleat of a ram.

The holiday commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim — or Abraham as he is known in the Bible — to sacrifice his son in accordance with God's will, though in the end God provides him a sheep to sacrifice instead.

Many Muslims in Egypt celebrate by having their own sacrifice and bloody-smocked butchers roam neighborhoods offering their services to dispatch cows, sheep and goats. Families share the meat with the poor as part of Islamic tradition.

Some head to the Egyptian coast for the holiday.

Those who remain behind enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere at home, taking walks down streets now cooler as the season has begun to change. Children wearing new clothes also receive money to buy toys and candy.