The 12th edition of the Tahteeb National Festival, organized by the General Authority of Culture Palaces, kicked off on Saturday at the Luxor Temple Square in southern Egypt, and will run until December 21.
According to a statement by the Luxor Culture Department, the festival overseen by Artist Ahmed al-Sahfei sees the participation of a number of skilled Tahteeb players who have flocked from the provinces of Upper Egypt.
In addition to the daily Tahteeb contests, the festival includes folkloric shows performed by groups of folkloric arts from Sohag, Asyut, Minya, Mallawi, Beni Suef, Sharqia, and Luxor, alongside the Nile Troupe for Music & Singing.
Tahteeb, also popularly known as the “Baton Game”, is a prominent folkloric game practiced in community gatherings and different popular celebrations. It used to be a martial arts game, but has been turned into a performative game.
Ancient Egyptians used to teach ‘Tahteeb’ to soldiers, and depicted its rituals on the walls of temples and cemeteries. The game witnessed some changes, but it is still related to horse riding, and generally looks similar to sports contests.
A dancer or player needs a strong response and quick initiative when hitting the Tahteeb ring, which consists of an oboe band, two players holding wooden batons, and an experienced referee.
In 2016, Tahteeb was put on the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
