When an Ancient Egyptian temple from c. 3000BC was excavated, limestone carvings of pigeons were found. This temple was dedicated to the goddess Ninhursag, and so this discovery revealed the religious significance of the pigeon.
The most common type of dovecote in Egypt is a cylinder or cone shape with holes and sticks poking out for the birds to perch on. Similar pigeon houses can be found in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Despite the religious respect towards the pigeon in both Islam and the country's history, Egypt is one of the only countries where pigeon is still commonly eaten - "Hamam mahshy" is a popular dish, and squab is considered a delicacy. This means that it is also one of the few places in the world that many farmers still use dovecotes to harvest pigeon meat.