bubastis (bohairic coptic: "poubasti"; greek: "boubastis" or "boubastos"), also known in arabic as tell-basta or in egyptian as per-bast, was an ancient egyptian city. bubastis is often identified with the biblical "pi-beseth" ( "py-bst", ezekiel 30:17). it was the capital of its own nome, located along the river nile in the delta region of lower egypt, and notable as a center of worship for the feline goddess bastet, and therefore the principal depository in egypt of mummies of cats.