Opet Festival in ancient Egypt | New Kingdom of Egypt | Egyptian Festivals What is the Opet Festival? The Opet Festival was one of the most important religious festivals in ancient Egypt, especially during the New Kingdom in Thebes. It was an annual festival during which the sacred barks of the triad of Thebes, Amun, Mut, and Khonsu journeyed from Karnak to Luxor and back since the 18th Dynasty. According to some, the Opet Festival continued into the Roman and the Coptic Period. What is the most important festival in Egypt? Ancient Egyptian history is very rich with feasts and celebrations since the beginning of history. For example, the Saqqara complex has a huge place where they were celebrating the Heb Sed Festival. Meanwhile, during the New Kingdom of Egypt when Luxor was the capital, we found a lot of their feast during that time. During the Greco-Roman era, temples such as Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae still keep a lot of these feasts decorating their walls. Surprisingly, the Palermo stone dates back to 2500 BC and mentioned many of these feasts. Feats in ancient Egypt varied from religious to political feasts allowing all people to share both rich and poor. In fact, one of the most important feasts in the past was the Opet Festival together with the beautiful feast of the Valley. Meanwhile, they have much more feasts like gods’ feasts such as Min Festival, Sokar Festival, Bastet, Hathor, and Isis. The Purpose of the Opet Festival? The purpose of this festival was to give energy to the Netjer—divine power—and to reestablish the pharaoh’s divine right to rule. Queen Hatshepsut who ruled Egypt as a Pharaoh during 1473–1458 BC) is believed to have been the first to develop and celebrate the Opet Festival. During her reign, the
Opet Festival in ancient Egypt | New Kingdom of Egypt | Egyptian Festivals What is the Opet Festival? The Opet Festival was one of the most important religious festivals in ancient Egypt, especially during the New Kingdom in Thebes. It was an annual festival during which the sacred barks of the triad of Thebes, Amun,
The temple of Ramesses III at Karnak Luxor | Barque Chapel of Ramesses III The location of the temple of Ramesses III The temple of Ramesses III is located inside Karnak temple on Luxor east bank of the Nile River. Barque Chapel of Ramesses III was built in the large open court lying between the first unfinished Pylon of Nectanebo I (380-362 BC) and the second pylon of Horemheb (1323- 1295 BC). Who is Ramesses III? Ramesses III was the second Pharoah of the 20th dynasty of the new Kingdom of ancient Egyptian history. His father Pharoah Seth Nakht founded the dynasty and Ramesses III followed him. King Ramesses III is considered the last great Egyptian Pharoah king after Ramesses II and Thutmose III. Meanwhile, three of his sons will rule Egypt later under the names Ramses IV, Ramses VI, and Ramses VIII. He led numerous military campaigns to defend Egypt’s borders against the Sea People, the Syrians, and the Euphrates people. Pharoah Ramesses III built Habu temple, KV 11 in the Valley of the Kings, besides his addition to Karnak temple and Luxor temple. Why the temple of Ramesses III was built? Ramesses III built this small temple following the pattern of the Egyptian temples and at his temple, the second Pylon was the end of the temple. King Seti II built his triple Barque Shrines to the north of the second Pylon. So, Ramesses III built his shrines to the south of the second Pylon as a resting place for the holy barques of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Probably, he wanted to store the Barques in a place carrying his name as Taharqa will do the same after that when he built the Taharqa kiosk in the open court. Who was the triad of Luxor? The triad of
The temple of Ramesses III at Karnak Luxor | Barque Chapel of Ramesses III The location of the temple of Ramesses III The temple of Ramesses III is located inside Karnak temple on Luxor east bank of the Nile River. Barque Chapel of Ramesses III was built in the large open court lying between the
