Tell Basṭa - Tell Basṭa

Tell Basta (Arabic:تل بسطة‎, Tall Basṭa, orتل بسطاء‎, Tall Basṭāʾ) is the excavation area of ​​the ancient Egyptian city Bubastis in the southeast of the city ez-Zaqāzīq in the egyptianNile Delta. Next Tanis it is the most important archaeological site of the 22nd ancient Egyptian dynasty, the so-called Bubastid dynasty. The ancient city was already settled in the first to second dynasties.

background

history

But ez-Zaqāzīq is famous because of the ancient Egyptian city Per-Bast (et), the "house / domain of the (goddess) Bastet", Greek Bubastis or in the Old Testament Pi-beseth (Pi-Beset, Pibe’seth, Ez 30,17 EU), the most important parts of which are on the Tell Basta located in the southeast of the city of ez-Zaqāzīq. Originally about 200 hectares in size, today about 75 hectares are accessible on the excavation area (north-south extension about 1500 meters, east-west extension about 500 meters). In Pharaonic times the city was part of the 13th Lower Egyptian or Heliopolitan Gaus. In the late period this Gau was subdivided, Bubastis is now the capital of the 18th Upper Egyptian Gau. During the entire Pharaonic period, Bubastis is the most important Cult place of the cat-shaped goddess Bastet. In addition to the Bastet, the gods Atum and their sons Mahes, Horhekenu are also worshiped here.

The city was since the 1st – 2nd Dynasty settled until the end of the Roman period and until the Arab conquest (after 642); this can be seen particularly in the graves of residents and officials. It reached its first climax with the increase in importance of the goddess Bastet in the 4th dynasty, at the end of the 6th dynasty it was the most important city in the Nile Delta: Teti and Phiops I build their Ka chapels here.

In the Middle Kingdom there is a resumption of construction activities. Although Bubastis is not a district capital, it is still a religious center. There are testimonies of a Bastet cult under Amenemhet I, Sesostris I and Sesostris III, under the latter king a new Bastet temple was built. The testimonies from the New Kingdom are incomplete, only Amenophis III. erected a small temple, civil servants like the two viceroys of Kush, Hori II. and his son Hori III., built their graves here.

Bubastis reaches its bloom among the Bubastids, 22nd Dynasty, as the seat of the ruling family and probably the Egyptian capital of this dynasty. Under Osorkon I, a columned hall is built in the temple of Bastet, the temple is extended by a portico with Hathor columns and a pylon and a new decoration is attached to the temple; the Atum / Thoth temple outside the actual temple area is also attributed to him. Osorkon II expanded this temple on the occasion of his Sedfestes (30-year coronation anniversary) for another court and the famous Sedfest portal; he also built a small temple for Mihos, Bastet's son. The Sethfest depiction is the most extensive in all of Egypt, unfortunately the relief blocks have been lost or scattered all over the world.

With the rule of the Cushites, the city loses its importance. Only a few additions follow. In the 26th dynasty, barrel-vaulted adobe buildings for cat mummies (Cat necropolis) and erected several small shrines for various deities under Nectanebo II. During the second Persian conquest, 342 BC. BC, several cities in the delta including Bubastis are sacked, the city is the site of a battle between Persian troops and Greek mercenaries.

In Greco-Roman times, the city is considered to be founded by Isis, probably due to the etymological modification of the name to “ba iset” (soul of Isis), but there are only a few testimonies from this time, mostly statues. The city becomes an important commercial and religious center. Herodotus describes in his histories the city and the temple of "Artemis" as if lying on an island and surrounded by water; Further references can also be found in Strabo, Pomponius Mela, Johannes, Bishop of Nikion, and the Arab historian el-Maqrīzī.

With the arrival of Christianity, the temple is closed. A large Roman or Byzantine fortress is built at the entrance to the city.

Bubastis is also used in Old testament mentioned: the biblical prophet Ezekiel predicts the decline of the city during his journey to Egypt (around 550 BC, Ez 30,17 EU).

Description of the temple of Herodotus

Herodotus refers to Bubastis in two places in his historical work. For one, he describes the temple itself:

II, 137. (…) “In Egypt there are indeed many high-lying cities, but in none of them, I believe, the soil was raised as high as in the city of Bubastis, where a famous temple of Bubastis is. There are larger and more precious temples, but nothing more charming than this one cannot be seen. But the Bubastis is Artemis in Greek.

II, 138. Your whole sanctuary, shall I describe it to you, lies on an island except for the entrance. From the Nile, in fact, lead two different canals that are not connected to each other, one on one side, the other on the other, to the entrance, each a hundred feet wide and shaded by trees. The porch is ten fathoms high, adorned with strange sculptures six cubits high. The sanctuary is in the middle of the city and you can see it from all sides on a walk. Because the city was raised by the excavated earth, but the temple remained at the old location below, you can overlook the whole complex from above. A wall with sculptures runs around it, and in the middle, in a grove of tall trees, is the large temple in which the image of the goddess is located. The whole thing is a stadium long and wide on all sides. Towards the entrance there is a stone-paved street, about three stages long, which, four plethren wide, leads in an easterly direction across the market to the Hermes Temple, and there are also sky-high trees on this street. "^[1]

Elsewhere he describes the festive gatherings in honor of Isis in Bubastis (II, 58-60).

Research history

Important excavations were carried out from 1882 to 1889 by Edouard Naville (uncovering the Sedfest gate), from 1939 to 1944 by the Egyptian Egyptologist Labib Habachi, since 1961 by the local Antiquities Authority and the University of ez-Zaqāzīq, and since 1990 by Dr. Tietze from the university Potsdam. Significant finds recently were smelting plants and the larger than life statue of a daughter of Ramses ’II.

Another spectacular find was made in September 1906 during construction work on the Cairo - ez-Zaqāzīq railway line via Bilbeis, 160 m west of the Bastet Temple: two valuable ones Gold and silver treasures were discovered here, which are now in the jewel hall of Egyptian Museum to Cairo exhibited are.

3 km south of Bubastis is the Tell el-Yahudiya (Judenhügel) - but without any noteworthy remains.

getting there

In the street

Ez-Zaqāzīq can be reached in two ways from Cairo by car or taxi:

1. about the Route agricole to Benha and from here in an easterly direction to ez-Zaqāzīq.
2. above Heliopolis in a north-easterly direction to Bilbeis and from here in a north-easterly direction to ez-Zaqāzīq.

If you only want to visit Bubastis, the cost of a taxi is unnecessarily high.

buses

Minibuses and shared taxis run from Midan Ahmed Helmy in Cairo. The fare is around LE 5.

By train

Ez-Zaqāzīq can easily be reached by train Ismailia to reach. Express trains run from Cairene Train station at 6:25 am, 7:30 am, 8:55 am, 11:30 am, 2:35 pm and 5:45 pm, possible return times are 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm; the fare for first class is LE 8 and the journey takes about one hour. In between, there are also suburban trains that stop at all subway stations; the fare for the second class is LE 3.

In front of the train station in ez-Zaqāzīq you can rent a taxi to Tell Basta or the university.

mobility

The best way to get to your destination in ez-Zaqāzīq is by taxi. The cost of a trip to the university or to the Tell Basta excavation site from the train station is around LE 10.

Tourist Attractions

Excavation area at the temple of Tell Basta.

The excavation area of ​​Tell Basta is located at the intersection of the Shari 'Mustafa Kamil and the Shari' Bilbeis. Opening hours: 9 am–5pm Admission price: LE 60, for foreign students LE 30 (as of 11/2019).

Usually one visits the southern part of the excavation area, here is the magazine of the antiquities administration and the ticket booth.

On the site you can explore:

• Sculptures originating from Bubastis, Tanis and Athribis. This Sculpture park was established in 2000. The pieces include a basalt statue of Ramses II, crowned with a scarab, from Bubastis, a limestone sphinx of Amenemhet I (?) From the Middle Kingdom, a quartzite statue of a falcon deity from Athribis and a double rose granite statue of Ramses 'II. With Ptah.
• The remains of the Bastet temple, originally 180 m long and 55 m wide, from the time of Osorkon II. Scattered here are columns, capitals, architraves and blocks, some of which are decorated with reliefs. Recent excavations suggest numerous other finds, especially from the New Kingdom, below the current ground level.
• A few years ago, in the southeast corner of the Bastet Temple, the approx. 4 m high one was about 2 m deep Granite statue of a daughter of Ramses ’II. found.
• To the east of the warehouse of the antiquities administration is the New Kingdom cemetery.
• In the southeast of the excavation area is the Palace complex from the Middle Kingdomwhose foundations can be easily identified.

More temples

You should ask the guards to be able to visit the northern part of the excavation area across the street. Here you will find the undergrowth Ka Temple of Teti. But nothing can be discovered of the old cat necropolis and the cemetery of the Old Kingdom.

The two silver treasures from Zaqaziq are today in the museum of Cairo kept.

kitchen

There are cafes and restaurants in the town of ez-Zaqāzīq.

accommodation

Accommodation is available in the city of ez-Zaqāzīq.

trips

• If you are traveling by car or taxi, it is worth visiting Bubastis with Tanis connect to.
• The ancient sites of Mendes (Tell er-Rub ') and Tell et-Timai. It can be reached via Abu Kebir and Simbillāwein. Shortly before reaching el-Mansūra, turn east at an intersection towards Mit Fāris, only to turn a little later onto a dirt road to the south.
• When it is open again, a visit to the Sharqīya National Museum in the suburb is worthwhile Hirrīyat Razna.

literature

• leader
  • Tietze, Christian; Maksoud, Mohamed Abd El: Tell Basta: a guide to the excavation site. Potsdam: University Press Potsdam, 2004, ISBN 978-3-937786-13-1 .

• Historical sources
  • Herodotus, history, II, 58-60, 137-138
  • Diodorus, Historical library, XIV, 46-51

• Excavation reports
  • Naville, Édouard: Bubastis: (1887-1889). London: Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1891, Memoir of the Egypt exploration fund; 8th.
  • Naville, Édouard: The Festivall-Hall of Osorkon II. In the Great Temple of Bubastis: (1887 - 1889). London: Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1892, Memoir of the Egypt exploration fund; 10.
  • Habachi, Habib: Tell Basta. Le Caire: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 1957, Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte: Supplément; 22nd (in English).
  • Tietze, Christian; Long, Eva (Ed.): Baset - Bubastis - Tell Basta: a collection of sources. Potsdam: University Press Potsdam, 2004, ARCUS: Reports from archeology, building history and neighboring areas; 7-9. 3 volumes.

Individual evidence