The Evolution of Ghadir Festival in the Fatimid Era of Egypt

People in the Fatimid era (910-1172) paid serious attention to holding different religious and ethnic ceremonies since their arrival in Egypt (973). Among the ceremonies, the Shia rituals especially Ghadir Festival and Ashura Mourning Ceremony had been especially important due to the deep relationship with identity of Shia Fatimid Government and its claimed legitimacy against Abbasid. According to the reports of resources, Ghadir Festival was held annually in Fatimid Egypt. Competition with Abbasid formal Sunnism, strengthening the Fatimid Shia Identity and legitimacy of Islam'illian government as well as the efforts made to change the behavior of Egyptians as an introduction for changing their value and belief structure, were all the reasons to consider holding Ghadir Festival and its continuity to organize as important. This festival has not always been the same in terms of grandeur, magnificence and expansion during the mentioned two centuries, and it has undergone significant changes and developments many times in accordance with the cultural policy of the Fatimid government. What are the developments of this celebration and what are the characteristics of each stage are the main questions of this study that will be examined through an analytical descriptive method and with a historical approach. The findings of this study show that the ceremony was initially simple and extensive; but after the establishment of the Fatimid government in Egypt, it underwent great changes. As most researchers have reported this important and glorious celebration that took place over a decade as well as carnivals of joy with Shiite symbols. Organizing the great Moukeb of Imam-Caliph Fatemi during this period, while giving joy to the celebration of Ghadir, was very effective in spreading Shiite culture. In the last period of the Fatimid government, due to the cost of this Moukeb, the celebration of Ghadir was limited to the inside of the palace and was held in a simple and one-day manner