Preparing for the Opet Festival Ancient Egypt

Clothing Typically made out of white linen because it was a cooler material. Wool was used also, but it was not allowed in any of the temples because the material came from animals.

What should I wear?

. Unlike most of the people of the ancient Mediterranean, the Egyptians did not wear just one or two big pieces of cloth wrapped around themselves in various ways. Men and women in Egypt wore tunics which were sewn to fit them. These tunics were like a long T-shirt which reached to the knees (for men) or to the ankles (for women). How to tie a toga…

Flax Harvest

Hair During the Old Kingdom, hairstyles were usually short. Some people shaved their heads and then wore a wig when going to social events or for protection from the sun During the New Kingdom, the style was to wear the hair longer and sometimes braided.

Jewelry Gold jewelry was available for the rich. For those with less wealth, copper and jewelry called faience (earthenware decorated with colored glazes that could imitate gemstones) was cheap to buy. Thick necklaces were commonly worn as were bracelets and earrings.

Make-up Both men and women wore blue and green eyeshadow and black kohl eyeliner. People also wore kohl around their eyes because it helped keep the glare of sunlight down. They used a red cheek powder was called ochre. They used a dye called henna to redden their nails and hair. They mixed powdered minerals with oil to get colors. At parties women wore a cone of scented fat on their heads that slowly melted making their heads smell nice.

Jewelry

Footwear People usually went barefoot and carried their sandals, wearing them only when needed. The sandals worn by the poor were made of woven papyrus or palm while those worn by the rich were made of leather.

Opet Festival

Opet Festival This is one of Egypt’s greatest festivals. It was celebrated in the second month of Akhet, the season of the flooding of the river and linked to the symbolic fertility of the rising of the Nile. This was when people did not have such a great workload. It was long past harvesting time and it was not yet time to plow and sow. A great procession went to honor the god, Amun. People walked from Karnak to Luxor, about one and a half miles away. Video of the Festival

At Karnak, the people watched the high priests disappear in the temple At Karnak, the people watched the high priests disappear in the temple. Inside, the priests bathed the image of the god and dressed him in colorful linen and adorned him with jewelry from the temple treasury including magnificent necklaces, bracelets, scepters, amulets and trinkets of gold or silver encrusted with lapis lazuli, enamel, glass and semi-precious gems. The priests then enclosed the god in a shrine and then placed the shrine on top of a ceremonial barque or boat, often supported by poles for carrying.   When the priests emerged from the temple, they carried the barque on their shoulders throughout the pillared halls and courtyards of Karnak. Then they moved into the crowded streets where people elbowed each other to catch a glimpse of the sacred vessel. In Hatshepsut’s time, the complete journey was accomplished on foot, while stopping at different resting stations. Later, the boat was carried to the Nile and then towed upriver to Luxor Temple by high government officials who vied for the enviable honor. The pharaoh himself was there to greet Amun and escort him to Luxor Temple. The people heard the steady beat of soldier’s drums and watched as men from Nubia danced to songs of devotion sung by the priests. During one Opet festival in the 12th century BC, it is recorded that temple officials distributed 11,341 loaves of bread and 385 jars of beer to the citizens.

Hatshepsut’s Chapel Procession

Musicians at the Festival

How can I help make our festival a success? Sign up to bring something to share (remember, no peanuts!) Bring a musical instrument to entertain us. Wear an Egyptian outfit (it’s worth one point extra credit!)