The second great festival of Thebes took Amun across the river. Like The Opet Festival, it began at Karnak, but it led to the west bank, the side of the tombs and the memorial temples you met in Cult Temples and Memorial Temples.
Key idea
In the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, Amun’s boat crossed the Nile to the temples of the west bank, and families visited the tombs of their dead and feasted there.
What happened
- The festival was held each year in the second month of Shemu, the harvest season, at the new moon.
- Amun’s boat crossed the river and visited the memorial temples of the kings. In the 18th Dynasty its goal was Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari, in the bay of cliffs facing Karnak.
- Families went to the tomb chapels of their relatives, with food, drink, music and flowers.
- People spent the night at the tombs, sharing a meal with the dead.
Why it works
Egyptians believed the dead lived on and still belonged to their families. When Amun visited the west bank, the living and the dead were brought together. A tomb was not a place to avoid but a house where the family could visit. Banquet scenes in Theban tombs, with guests, musicians and lotus flowers, recall these visits.
The festival is known from the Middle Kingdom, when Mentuhotep II built his temple at Deir el-Bahari, and it flourished in the New Kingdom.
| Opet | Valley festival | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Karnak → Luxor Temple (east bank) | Karnak → west bank temples |
| Season | Akhet (flood) | Shemu (harvest) |
| Focus | renewing the king | visiting the dead |
Worked example: Which festival?
A tomb painting shows a family feasting with musicians, and its text mentions Amun "when he crosses to the west". Which festival is likely?
- Amun crossing to the west bank fits the Valley festival.
- A family feast at a tomb fits it too.
- Opet stayed on the east bank.
Answer: The Beautiful Festival of the Valley.
Worked example: Choosing a season
Opet fell in Akhet. When did the Valley festival fall?
- Egypt’s year had three seasons: Akhet (flood), Peret (growing), Shemu (harvest).
- The Valley festival was in the second month of Shemu.
Answer: Shemu, the harvest season.
Common mistake
Thinking Egyptians avoided cemeteries. Families visited the tombs and shared meals with the dead, above all at this festival. Quick check: tomb chapels were built with open doors for visitors.