Opet Festival
Encyclopedia
The Beautiful Feast of Opet (or Opet Festival) was an Ancient Egyptian festival, celebrated annually in Thebes
, during the New Kingdom
period and later.
The statues of the gods of the Theban Triad
— Amun
, Khonsu and Mut
— (hidden from sight in a sacred barque) were escorted in a joyous procession from the temple of Amun
in Karnak, to the temple of Luxor
, a journey of around 2 miles, in order to relive their marriage. The highlight of the ritual is the meeting of Amun-Re of Karnak with the Amun of Luxor. Rebirth is a strong theme of Opet and there is usually a re-coronation ceremony of the pharaoh.
In earlier celebrations of Opet, the statues of the god probably processed down the avenue of sphinx
es that connect the 2 temples, stopping at specially constructed chapels en route. These chapels would have been filled with offerings, providing for the gods themselves and the attending priests. At the end of the ceremonies in the Luxor Temple, the barques journeyed back by boat to Karnak. In later celebrations, the statues would be transported both to and from Karnak/Luxor by boat. It was celebrated in the second month of Akhet
, the season of the flooding of the Nile
.
A royal barque was also present, and the ceremonies in the 'Chamber of the Divine King' would reenact the coronation ceremonies and thus confirm kingship.
Thebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
, during the New Kingdom
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt....
period and later.
The statues of the gods of the Theban Triad
Theban Triad
The Theban Triad are three Egyptian gods that were the most popular in the area of Thebes, in Egypt.-History:The group consisted of Amun, his consort Mut and their son Khonsu. The eighteenth and twenty fifth dynasties of the New Kingdom favored the triad...
— Amun
Amun
Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
, Khonsu and Mut
Mut
Mut, which meant mother in the ancient Egyptian language, was an ancient Egyptian mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture. Alternative spellings are Maut and Mout. She was considered a primal deity, associated with the waters from which...
— (hidden from sight in a sacred barque) were escorted in a joyous procession from the temple of Amun
Amun
Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
in Karnak, to the temple of Luxor
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
, a journey of around 2 miles, in order to relive their marriage. The highlight of the ritual is the meeting of Amun-Re of Karnak with the Amun of Luxor. Rebirth is a strong theme of Opet and there is usually a re-coronation ceremony of the pharaoh.
In earlier celebrations of Opet, the statues of the god probably processed down the avenue of sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
es that connect the 2 temples, stopping at specially constructed chapels en route. These chapels would have been filled with offerings, providing for the gods themselves and the attending priests. At the end of the ceremonies in the Luxor Temple, the barques journeyed back by boat to Karnak. In later celebrations, the statues would be transported both to and from Karnak/Luxor by boat. It was celebrated in the second month of Akhet
Akhet (hieroglyph and season)
The Egyptian language word Akhet is both a hieroglyph and an Ancient Egyptian season.The two uses for akhet:* In ancient Egyptian, the place where the sun rises and sets; often translated as "horizon" or "mountain of light". It is included in names like "Akhet Khufu" and Akhetaten...
, the season of the flooding of the Nile
Season of the Inundation
The Season of the Inundation is the first season in the ancient Egyptian calendar and corresponds roughly with early September to early January....
.
A royal barque was also present, and the ceremonies in the 'Chamber of the Divine King' would reenact the coronation ceremonies and thus confirm kingship.