Which goddess was the patron of the city of Bubastis?

Which goddess was the patron of the city of Bubastis? Bastet was the goddess and principal patron of Bubastis in Lower Egypt.

Bubastis, known in Egyptian as Per-Bastet, means “House of Bastet.” The city became the center of her cult, and its temple hosted one of Egypt’s most famous religious festivals. Her worship was established by the early dynastic period and later spread widely through Egypt.

Bastet’s character changed over time. In earlier traditions she could appear as a fierce lioness goddess, sharing dangerous solar associations with deities such as Sekhmet. By the first millennium BCE, she was increasingly represented as a cat or a woman with a cat’s head. This gentler image connected her with the household, motherhood, protection, music and domestic well-being.

Bubastis was also associated with enormous numbers of cat votives and cat mummies. Herodotus described the city’s crowded festival, celebrated with music, dancing, offerings and wine. Bastet is sometimes confused with Sekhmet because both have feline forms, but Bastet is the canonical patron deity of Bubastis.