Five Facts About Bastet - Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Cats
Egyptian Goddess of Cats
Bastet was depicted as a cat or a woman with the head of a cat or as a regular house cat.
Photo by Met Museum
Bastet had many roles.
She was the goddess of cats, women, children, the home, fertility, childbirth and secrets.
Bastet had the head of a cat.
Bastet was depicted as a cat or a woman with the head of a cat or as a regular house cat.
Bastet was beloved by ancient Egyptians
Cats were sacred to Ancient Egyptians because they protected stores of food from mice and rats. As the goddess of cats, Bastet was beloved by Ancient Egyptians. They believed Bastet protected the home from evil spirits.
The city of Bubastis was dedicated to Bastet.
The Ancient Egyptian city of Bubastis was the cult center of Bastet, which means she was the main deity of the city.
Cats were mummified at the Temple of Bastet
When their cats died, sometime people travelled to Bubastis to have their cats mummified at the Temple of Bastet. The mummified remains of more than 300,000 cats were found when Bubastis was excavated.
