Akitu

E212323

Akitu is the ancient Mesopotamian New Year festival, marked by elaborate rituals celebrating the god Marduk and the renewal of kingship and cosmic order.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mesopotamian festival
New Year festival
religious festival
associatedCityGod Marduk of Babylon
linked to: Marduk
associatedDeity Ashur
Assur
linked to: Ashur

Enlil
Ishtar
linked to: Inanna

Nabu
associatedText Enuma Elish
calendarMonth Nisannu
calendarSystem Babylonian calendar
celebratedIn Akkad
Assyria
Babylon
Sumer
Uruk
cosmologicalFunction reaffirmation of divine order
renewal of cosmos
culture Ancient Mesopotamian culture
linked to: Mesopotamia
duration 12 days
festivalType agricultural festival
state festival
linkedConcept New Year
divine kingship
kingship ideology
seasonal renewal
locationType temple festival
mainDeity Marduk
mainTemple Esagila
originPeriod early 2nd millennium BCE
politicalFunction affirmation of royal authority
legitimization of kingship
practicedBy Assyrians
Babylonians
Sumerians
linked to: Sumer
primaryTheme cosmic order
creation renewal
renewal of kingship
processionRoute from Esagila to Akitu house outside city walls
religion Mesopotamian religion
ritualElement humiliation and reaffirmation of the king
offerings and sacrifices
procession of Marduk statue
public processions
recitation of Enuma Elish
temple ceremonies
timeOfYear spring

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Marduk festival Akitu
Processional Way of Babylon usedDuringFestival Akitu festival
linked to: Akitu
Processional Way associatedWithFestival Akitu (Babylonian New Year festival)
linked to: Akitu
Mesopotamian religion hasFestival Akitu festival
linked to: Akitu
Neo-Babylonian kings performedRitual New Year festival (Akitu)
linked to: Akitu
King of Babylon ceremonialEvent New Year Akitu festival
linked to: Akitu