Few moments in life take our breaths away. Sunsets are probably responsible for most of them. Like the one I lived at Al-Azhar Park in Cairo.

Al- Azhar Park is probably the most amazing park I've ever visited. It is a true getaway from the city's hectic lifestyle. A haven of peace atop a hill which overlooks the city, offering some of the best views of Cairo. 

There are also some pretty impressive facts about the city's green lung. The place where Al Azhar park is located was used as an open dump during 500 years! (I was impressed to find out about this, too).

Al Azhar comprises 30 hectares of green areas, recreation facilities, a kiosk and much more. During its construction, parts of the Ayyubid city wall (built during the reign of Saladin) and stones with hieroglyphic texts were uncovered as well. You can perceive its importance when you take in consideration that 15 million Cairenes come to this place to relax and breathe fresh air.

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So, I stood at the highest lookout point during sunset, when I heard a murmur in the air. The Maghrib prayer had just started: this is the fourth prayer of the day, performed short after the sun sets.

  What my eyes saw and what my ears heard can't be explained with the use of words. All of a sudden, the music in the air became louder and louder, as every mosque started to call the believers to join the prayer. You could hear the different tones of voice of the muezzins, the persons in charge to lead the call to prayer. It was such a mystical sound and all combined with the fantastic reddish colors of the sun, it was definitely one of the most sublime moments of the whole trip. 

It was on that very moment and on that very hour when I understood why Cairo's nickname is the city of a thousand minarets; the silhouettes of the mosques and the buildings, with their bunch of satellite dishes, seen with the light of the last sun rays was quite a revelation. 

It was Cairo life and it was glorious.