Egypt Announces Unearthing of Ancient Cat Goddess Temple in Alexandria

Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,000-year-old temple that may have been dedicated to the ancient Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said today (January 19, 2010).

According to the Associated Press, the ruins of the Ptolemaic-era temple were discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in the heart of the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C.

Alexandria was the seat of the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled over Egypt for 300 years, until the suicide of Queen Cleopatra.

Modern Alexandria was built squarely on top of the ruins of the classical-era city and many of its great temples, palaces, and libraries remain undiscovered.