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Tel Basta museum - Egypt

Details about Tell Basta Museum in Al-Sharqiyah

  • 05 16, 2023

Details about Tell Basta Museum in Al-Sharqiyah

An ancient site called Tell Basta is located outside of Zagazig in the Sharqia Governorate. It was one of the ancient Egyptian capitals and a significant place of worship. In the Old Kingdom, it served as the capital of the 18th province. During the 22nd Dynasty, it was the capital of every province. In the past, it was referred to as "Per-Bastet" in honour of "Bastet," the god of comfort, joy, and happiness. Later, "Tell Basta" was used instead.

Tell Basta contains antiquities from the Greek and Roman eras, and was a passage and temporary residence for the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ when they came to Egypt. Due to its location at the eastern entrance to Egypt, it faced waves of people coming from the East through Sinai, and was a contemporary of many conquerors and invaders. It was honored to be a passage and temporary residence for the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ (peace be upon them) when they came to Egypt.

Location

The city of Tell Basta is located in the eastern Delta on the eastern branch of the Nile, at the point where the basin of this branch meets the basin of the Tanis branch, about twenty kilometers west of the entrance to Ouadi Toumilat. This location - in the vicinity of which the city of Zagazig, the contemporary metropolitan center of the province, developed - still bears its ancient title: Tell Basta.

Origin of the name

The ancient city of Tell Basta was first known as Bast (hence the name goddess Bastet (that is in reference to the city of Bast); later on it was called ‘Beit Bastet’ which is why it became Boubastis in Greek and Bubasis in Latin. The remains of this place, as well as the cult of the goddess lioness, belong to the First Dynasty of Egypt.

After her inclusion in the Heliopolitan pantheon, the goddess Bastet was considered a local substitute for the goddess Sekhmet, the female embodiment of dangerous but protective power of the sun. She was also revered as the patroness of the pharaoh in the royal temples of the Old Kingdom, and the cult of this "mistress of life for the earthly" was always established in northern Memphis (e.g. the Bubastieion and an underground cat cemetery at Saqqara).

The importance of Tell Basta during the Sixth Dynasty in its current location is attested by the remains and monuments left behind by King Teti and King Pepy I and by a private cemetery. Its temple was decorated with the names and images of a series of pharaohs from Amenemhat I to Nectanebo II. During the Ramesside period, Tell Basta became famous and its doctors and its "House of Life" became well known. Perhaps its strategic location was the reason for the confused concentration of the Libyans - Mechoueech - there during the Tanisian period.

King Shoshenq I and many of his family members were called "son of Bastet", and a study of common personal and family names of the period reflects the goddess's growing popularity. Animal worshippers believed that all cats were images of Bastet (a number of magnificent bronze Sawi statues of her have been found in the animal cemetery at Tell Basta). Bastet became universally revered as the "spirit of Isis".

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Egypt Tours FAQ

Read top Egypt tours FAQs

Modern Egyptian history is marked by a series of significant events and developments that have shaped the country's political, social, and economic landscape. Here are some of the major events in modern Egyptian history:

   British Occupation (1882–1952): Egypt was under British influence and occupation during this period, which began with the British invasion in 1882. Although Egypt nominally remained a part of the Ottoman Empire, it was effectively under British control.

   1922 Independence: Egypt gained nominal independence from British control in 1922, becoming a constitutional monarchy with King Fuad I as its ruler. However, British influence continued to be significant.

   1952 Revolution: The Egyptian Revolution of 1952, led by the Free Officers Movement, resulted in the overthrow of King Farouk I and the establishment of a republic. General Muhammad Naguib and later Gamal Abdel Nasser played prominent roles in the revolution.

   Suez Crisis (1956): Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal led to the Suez Crisis of 1956. The crisis involved military intervention by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel but ultimately ended with the withdrawal of foreign forces from the canal zone.

   Nasser Era (1956–1971): Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the leaders of the 1952 revolution, served as Egypt's president and played a central role in shaping the country's modern political identity. His policies included land reforms, the nationalization of key industries, and the promotion of pan-Arabism.

   1967 Six-Day War: Egypt's participation in the Six-Day War with Israel in 1967 resulted in significant territorial losses for Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula.

   Sadat and Peace with Israel (1970s): Anwar Sadat succeeded Nasser as president after Nasser's death in 1970. In a historic move, Sadat pursued peace negotiations with Israel, leading to the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

   Assassination of Anwar Sadat (1981): President Anwar Sadat was assassinated during a military parade in Cairo by Islamist extremists. Hosni Mubarak, who was vice president at the time, became president and remained in power for nearly three decades.

   Arab Spring (2011): Egypt was one of the countries deeply affected by the Arab Spring uprisings. Mass protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

   Political Transitions (2011–2020): Following the Arab Spring, Egypt went through a series of political transitions, including the election of Mohamed Morsi as the country's first democratically elected president in 2012 and his subsequent removal from power in 2013.

   Current Era: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a former military general, assumed the presidency in 2014 and has remained in office. His tenure has seen significant political consolidation and efforts to stabilize the country.

 

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