Tell Basta/Bubastis -

The Tell Basta Project

The Tell Basta Project is an international archaeological, geoarchaeological, and epigraphic project of the Chair of Egyptology at the University of Würzburg in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities. It aims to research the ancient city of Bubastis (Tell Basta) in the southeastern Nile Delta.

Funded by the Research Fund of the Faculty of Arts and the Universitätsbund Würzburg (2014–2022), the Gerda Henkel Foundation (2018–2022), and the German Research Foundation (since 2023).

Project Management

PD Dr. Eva Lange-Athinodorou
Phone: +49 931 31-89510
Mail: eva.lange@uni-wuerzburg.de

Institute for Ancient Studies
Chair of Egyptology
Residenzplatz 2 / Tor A
97070 Würzburg

The City of the Cat Goddess

Gayer-Anderson Cat (BM EA64391)
©The Trustees of the British Museum — Gayer-Anderson Cat (BM EA64391) ©The Trustees of the British Museum

From the beginning of its settlement at the end of the 4th millennium BCE until the Roman era, the city of Bubastis was one of the most important cities, not only in the Nile Delta, but also in the whole of Egypt. Tell Basta, the modern name for the archaeological site, is now located directly south of the modern city of Zagazig. This large and important site has a variety of monuments and buildings, some of which are unique in Egyptian archaeology.

Bubastis was situated in the southern part of the Eastern Delta on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, which was one of the most significant factors contributing to the city's enduring prosperity. Throughout the millennia that this branch was active, Bubastis could readily access Egypt’s network of waterways and benefit from these vital communication routes. Bubastis was also situated in close proximity to Wadi Tumilat, one of the main land routes to the Sinai Peninsula, through which Egyptian quarrying, trade, and military expeditions passed. Due to its exceptional geographical location, the city held a key position in a trans-regional communication and trade network.

Furthermore, Bubastis was the main place of worship for an important royal protective deity, the feline goddess Bastet. The most recognisable form of Bastet, which achieved the most fame, is that of a cat. However, prior to the 1st millennium BCE, she was depicted exclusively as a lioness. In this form, she was associated with other lioness goddesses such as Sekhmet and Shesmetet. The cult of Bastet is attested in the 2nd Dynasty, from the reign of King Hotepsekhemwy (around 2800 BCE), and she appeared as the main goddess of Bubastis at the beginning of the 6th Dynasty, during the reign of Pepi I (around 2270 BCE). The Greek historian Herodotus (around 450 BCE) described the annual grand festivals of Bastet (Histories, Book II, 60), with thousands of people travelling from all over the country to participate. The highlight of the festivities was the appearance of the goddess in her sacred barque, in which the goddess, in the form of her cult statue, was rowed on the sacred canals (old Egyptian: isheru) that surrounded her temple.