Preparing for
the Opet
Festival
Ancient Egypt
Clothing
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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?
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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
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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
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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.
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Make-up
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!)