Shrine to Bastet at Karnak

[Stephen]

Does anyone know where this is at Karnak? Bernard Bromage, in his book The Occult Arts of Ancient Egypt (pub. 1953) mentions going there and being impressed by the magickal atmosphere of the place. He said there was a statue of the cat goddess and that the shrine was near the Lotus Lake.

[LivinginLuxor]

Firstly, there is no Lotus Lake at Karnak!

However, Bast was associated with both Mut and Sekhmet, and

"from her epithet 'lady of Asheru', the precinct of the goddess Mut at Karnak, it is clear that Bastet had a place on Theban soil where she could be equated with the consort of Amun- especially since the lioness and the cat were also claimed as sacred animals by Mut" - http://www.crystalinks.com/bast.html

However, the article does go on to say that there are no shrines or temples to Bast remaining in Egypt.

The precinct of Mut has many statues of Sekhmet, which could be said to resemble a cat, and its own sacred lake, so that may be the place you are thinking about.

[nofret]

In Tell el Basta (Bubastis) in the Delta, there you can find her Temple or what is left of it But its really interesting to go there once !!

[Stephen]

Firstly, there is no Lotus Lake at Karnak!

However, Bast was associated with both Mut and Sekhmet, and

"from her epithet 'lady of Asheru', the precinct of the goddess Mut at Karnak, it is clear that Bastet had a place on Theban soil where she could be equated with the consort of Amun- especially since the lioness and the cat were also claimed as sacred animals by Mut" - http://www.crystalinks.com/bast.html

However, the article does go on to say that there are no shrines or temples to Bast remaining in Egypt.

The precinct of Mut has many statues of Sekhmet, which could be said to resemble a cat, and its own sacred lake, so that may be the place you are thinking about.

................................................

Well, Bromage must have seen what he saw, and with his interest in Egyptology knew the difference between Bast and Sekhmet. He goes on to say how much he admires the domestic cat. I don't have the passage from the book with me at the moment, but I'll post it later today. He was so impressed by the shrine, he took up a handful of soil and when he returned home he built his own shrine to the cat-goddess.

I can only assume the shrine no longer exists, or perhaps the statue was moved to a museum?

- Stephen

[Stephen]

Firstly, there is no Lotus Lake at Karnak!

However, Bast was associated with both Mut and Sekhmet, and

"from her epithet 'lady of Asheru', the precinct of the goddess Mut at Karnak, it is clear that Bastet had a place on Theban soil where she could be equated with the consort of Amun- especially since the lioness and the cat were also claimed as sacred animals by Mut" - http://www.crystalinks.com/bast.html

However, the article does go on to say that there are no shrines or temples to Bast remaining in Egypt.

The precinct of Mut has many statues of Sekhmet, which could be said to resemble a cat, and its own sacred lake, so that may be the place you are thinking about.

..........................................................................................

Hi Stan,

Here's a few quotes from Bromage's book:

'One of our first expeditions was to Luxor and the great temple of Karnak, where I made a bee-line for the shrine...which houses a large statue of Bast, sitting in an ocean of green psychic radiance not far from the Lotus-Lake, which is a place of exquisite peace.

I well recall the state of semi-panic with which a guide met our request to have a look into the shrine. After some hesitation..., he explained that all natives of those parts had a mortal terror of the cat-goddess and ascribed to Her every possible kind of apocalyptic magic...(Her) Other Side, the wrathful aspect of this Being was Sekhmet, the Vehicle and Activator of Destruction!

At last, with trembling fingers, he unlocked the heavy stone portal; and we stood in front of what is probably the most highly-concentrated example of the welding of pure psychic force in the world!'

The Lotus-Lake is presumably what is now called the Sacred-Lake. I would just like to know what happened to this shrine, bearing in mind he wrote this in 1953. Perhaps Zahi Hawass might know?!

- Stephen