Bubastis

Bubastis is an archaeological site in Sharqia Governorate, Egypt, preserving remnants of a large temple complex and palace walls. The ruins stretch across several hectares in the eastern Nile Delta, displaying foundations, column fragments, and relief carvings in granite and limestone.

The settlement became capital of the Twenty-Second Dynasty and remained a major religious center until the Persian conquest. The temple of Bastet was expanded over several centuries and attracted thousands of pilgrims during annual festivals.

Worshippers once brought offerings and bronze figurines to honor the cat goddess, whose temple drew pilgrims from across Egypt. Excavated shrines reveal how devotees practiced their rituals within the sacred enclosure.

The site lies near Zagazig and is accessible by local roads, with some areas still under excavation. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear, as paths are uneven and lead through rubble-strewn ruins.

Among the finds was a copy of the Decree of Canopus, a trilingual inscription on a granite slab. This document helped scholars decipher hieroglyphs even before the Rosetta Stone became widely known.