The Fatimids were famous for the remarkable variety of celebrations of feasts and festivals.
In this talk, Paul Walker, drawing upon a range of historians – many of whom provided eye witnesses accounts – describes several celebrations such as the Ashura, ‘Id al-Fitr, ‘Id al-Adha, ‘Id al-Ghadir and the Dam Breaking ceremony.
The Fatimids also encouraged celebration of some Christian festivals such as the Christmas and the Coptic New Year. Prof. Walker proposes that in most cases these celebrations intensified and became increasingly elaborate towards the last decades of the Fatimid era.
Click here to watch: http://www.iis.ac.uk/video
Header image: Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat – ©2011 Thomas Lewandovski
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