The Night of the Ghatās (Epiphany)
ليلة الغطاس
Egypt's Epiphany night — al-Mas'udi attended in 330 when the Ikhshid lit a thousand torches from his al-Mukhtara palace on the river island and hundreds of thousands, Muslims and Christians, thronged boats and banks; the streets never close and most plunge into the Nile believing it preserves from sickness 1.
At a glance
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Region
- Egypt & Nile
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Sacred timeTradition versus culture
Overview
According to al-Masudi, the Night of the Epiphany (Laylat al-Ghatas) falls on the eleventh of Tubah, corresponding to the sixth of January. It had a great standing among the people of Egypt, and people did not sleep on it. 2
The account
Al-Masudi relates that he attended it in the year 330 AH, with al-Ikhshid Muhammad ibn Tughj, in his house on the island on the Nile. A thousand torches were lit on both sides of the island and of Fustat, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Christians attended. 2
He describes it as the finest night to be had in Egypt, when the streets are not closed. He notes that most of them bathe in the Nile, and claim that this is protection from illness. 2
People and things also explored
The Kawsaj· Mihragan· al-Nasīʾ (Intercalation)· Nayruz· Mawlid al-Nabi (birthday celebrations)· The abjad letters named for Madyan's kings· al-Anwāʾ (Star Rains)· Jahiliyya names of days and months
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 302-303
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.302-303
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Night of the Ghatās (Epiphany)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/laylat-al-ghatas/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.