THE TEMPLES, SITES AND MONUMENTS OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Bubastis (in Egyptian Per-Bastet - "The Domain of Bast") is the site of an ancient city about 50 miles northeast of Cairo in the eastern Nile Delta. The ancient mound (Tell Basta) sits just to the southeastern side of modern Zagazig.

It was an important city from the 4th Dynasty until the end of the Roman Period (2613 BC through 395 AD), and was the capital of the 18th Lower Egyptian nome during the Later Dynasties Period. However, we also know that even as early as the 2nd Dynasty, a number of kings built close ties with the city, its patron-goddess Bast, and the Temple of Bastet.

Besides the important Temple of Bastet, the city also occupied strategic ground on the route from the capital Memphis to the Sinai and on to Asia.

The city reached its peak in importance during the 22nd (Libyan) Dynasty, when Egypt was ruled by natives of the city such as Osorkon I (924-909? BC). Although the capital probably remained at Tanis Bubastis may have served as capital intemittantly during the 22nd and 23rd Dynasties.

The city was once apparently destroyed by the Persians, but appears to have overcome the disaster.

Herodotus described the red-granite temple of the cat goddess Bast in the 5th century BC. He tells us that the city was popular with religious pilgrims who came here by the thousands for the goddess' annual festival. This festival was one of the grandest in Egypt. Herodotus also tells us that:

"When the Egyptians travel to Bubastis they do so in the following manner. Men and women sail together, and in each boat there are many persons of both sexes. Some of the women make a noise with rattles, and some of the men play pipes during the whole journey, while the other men and women sing and clap their hands. When they come to a town on the way, they lay to, and some of the women land and shout and mock the women of the place, while others dance and get up to mischief. They do this at every town lying on the Nile; but when they come to Bubastis they begin the festival with great offerings and sacrifices, during which more wine is consumed than during the whole of the rest of the year. The Egyptians say that some 700,000 men and women make this pilgrimage every year."

Little is known of the layout of Temple of Bast, Blocks of various dates are found in the structure with some even from the 4th Dynasty. Herodotus tells us that the temple was already lower than the surrounding town in his day, and partially surrounded by the branches of perhaps a sacred lake. The temple was therefore probably very old.

There was an entrance hall attributable to Osorkon II (883-855 BC) of the 22nd Dynasty. He seems to have added a festival hall and hypostyle hall, while a sanctuary was built by Nectanebo II - the last native Egyptian pharaoh - of the 30th Dynasty (360-343 BC).

Also in Bubastis were temples from the 6th Dynasty kings Teti and Pepy I (2345-2283 BC), and two jubilee chapels: one built in the Middle Kingdom by 12th Dynasty Amenemhet III (1817-1772 BC) and one in the New Kingdom by 18th Dynasty Amenhotep III (1382-1344 BC).

Excavations continue at Tell Basta. Recent finds include a necklace of golden flies thought to be a military decoration awarded by the New Kingdom Pharaoh Ahmose (1539-1514 BC). The necklace, with 19 pendants in the shape of flies, was found alongside a cartouche inscribed with the name of Ahmose, the founder of the 18th dynasty who ruled from . The owner of the necklace probably won it for military service against the Hyksos.

Tell Basta has been considerably plundered by modern illicit digging.

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