Islamic hymns fade out giving way to Arabic pop music as women remove their veils to reveal bikinis or one-piece swimsuits at a religiously correct beach for women only in Egypt.
Welcome to "La Femme", French for "The Woman", in the posh resort of Marina, where women can lounge on sunbeds, tan, join in a daily belly-dance contest or breastfeed their babies shielded by barriers of palm tree branches from the prying eyes of men.
The branches even stretch into the Mediterranean sea to give maximum shelter to the women, who have faced the constraints of growing conservatism in this mostly Muslim country.
"Sometimes I turn around and look behind to make sure there are no men. And, thank God, there aren't any," said Safa, a Cairo resident in her 60s, who enjoys the privacy of La Femme beach club.
"It is 'haram' (forbidden in Islam) to strut around in front of men in a swimsuit," she said, as she basked in the sun. "It is an excellent idea to have a beach reserved for women only."
Most of the women at the beach are upper-class like Safa, who can afford to dish out $US14 ($A16.11) dollars on weekdays and $US16 ($A18.41) on the weekend for the privilege of entering the gated beach club to preserve their modesty.
A growing number of Egyptian women from all walks of life have opted for strict Muslim guidelines such as wearing scarves to cover their heads and conservative clothes with high necklines and long sleeves.
Marwa is among those who have chosen to abide by the Islamic dress code.
"Being a veiled woman I have no other option but to go to a women only beach," she said as she slips a short yellow beach dress over her swimsuit.
A few seats away Sara, 20, is relaxing in an itsy-bitsy bikini that she donned after removing her Muslim scarf.
"It is wonderful here. We don't have to put up with the prying eyes of men. But on the mixed beaches it is unbearable," said Sara.
At mixed beaches where women and men are allowed, many girls shield themselves by wearing so-called 'sharia' (Islamic law) swimsuits that cover them from the neck down to the ankles and look more live diving suits.
"The 'sharia' swimsuits are not practical," said Marwa, who says she is as happy as a "fish in water" at La Femme, where she feels she can be herself.
The only moment of concern for Marwa is when young men riding jet skis try to inch their way closer to the coast to sneak a view of the women.
To ensure the women's "sanctity", guards at the entrance to the club search all the beach bags to keep out any cameras that could be used to take pictures of bikini-clad bathers that could end up on the internet.
