Stand on Farouk Street in the late afternoon and you get the shape of Zagazig quickly: a working Delta city on the Muweis Canal, traffic thick with cotton and corn trade, and a street grid that runs from Government Street through Abu Hamad and El Kawmia Street. It is a place people pass through on the way to somewhere else, which is exactly why a day here feels unhurried.
The city suits travellers already interested in ancient Egypt and modern Egyptian history, and anyone basing themselves in Sharqia rather than Cairo. Its appeal is concentrated: the ruins of Bubastis lie just outside town, and two museums hold the finds and the story behind them.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, with practical notes on how to fit them into a single day.
Top things to do in Zagazig
1. Tell Basta (Bubastis)
Tell Basta is the ruin field of the ancient sacred city of Bastet, the cat goddess, and it sits to the southeast of Zagazig. You can still make out the remains of temples and the catacombs where sacred cats were buried, and the site holds the remains of temples built by Osorkon II and Nectanebo II.
Give it the coolest part of the day, since there is little shade across the ruins. It pairs naturally with the Museum of Tell Basta Antiquities, which holds the objects recovered from here and from nearby sites.
2. Museum of Tell Basta Antiquities
This museum, on the northwestern side of the Bubastis archaeological site in Zakazik First, displays Egyptian relics connected to Bubastis and in particular to the cat goddess Bastet. Its collection includes ushabti statues and mummies of the 18th dynasty, along with pottery and the materials used in mummy preservation.
It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, and the telephone number listed is +20 55 2299381. Visit it either before or after Tell Basta so the site and its finds read as one story.
3. Museum of leader Ahmed Orabi
On Ahmed Orabi Street, this museum is dedicated to one of the first nationalist leaders in Egypt, who was born here in 1841. It also mounts exhibitions on the culture of the Sharqia region, so it works as an introduction to the governorate as well as to the man.
It opens daily from 08:00 to 19:00, which makes it the easiest of the three sights to slot into a day. Combine it with a walk along the city's notable streets, several of which are close by.
4. The Archaeological Museum of the University of Zagazig
This university museum exhibits significant finds from the nearby sites of Bubastis (Tell Basta) and Kufur Nigm. It is a useful second look at the same archaeology from a different collection, and it sits within Zagazig University.
Treat it as a complement to the Museum of Tell Basta Antiquities rather than a substitute, and check locally before setting out, as university museums can keep different hours from civic ones.
5. Farouk Street
Farouk Street is one of the most notable streets in Zagazig, and walking it gives you the everyday city rather than a monument. The same is true of Government Street, Abu Hamad and El Kawmia Street.
Walk them in the evening, when the heat has dropped and the streets are at their liveliest, and use them to link the Ahmed Orabi museum to the rest of your day.
6. The Muweis Canal
The city sits on the Muweis Canal, and the waterway is the reason for the trade in corn and cotton that defines Zagazig. A walk along it is a way to see the working city rather than a sight with an entrance.
Go in the late afternoon, and pair it with one of the notable streets above so you cover both the canal side and the commercial centre in one loop.
7. Zagazig University
Zagazig University was founded in 1974 and has colleges across the sciences and arts. Its grounds are worth a look if you are already coming for the Archaeological Museum of the University of Zagazig, which is housed there.
Since the museum is the reason to make the trip, plan the campus visit around it rather than as a separate outing.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Tell Basta (Bubastis) to the southeast of town, while the air is still cool and the ruins are quiet. Work through the temple remains and the catacombs of the sacred cats before the heat builds.
Afternoon. Move on to the Museum of Tell Basta Antiquities in Zakazik First, open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, to see the ushabti statues, the 18th dynasty mummies and the material recovered from Bubastis. If time allows, add the Archaeological Museum of the University of Zagazig for the finds from Bubastis and Kufur Nigm.
Evening. Visit the Museum of leader Ahmed Orabi on Ahmed Orabi Street, open daily from 08:00 to 19:00, including its exhibitions on Sharqia culture. Finish with a walk along Farouk Street, Government Street, Abu Hamad or El Kawmia Street, and if there is light left, along the Muweis Canal.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the ruins of Bubastis?
Tell Basta (Bubastis) lies to the southeast of Zagazig. The site holds the ruins of the ancient sacred city of Bastet, including temple remains and catacombs of sacred cats.
What can I see at the Museum of Tell Basta Antiquities?
The museum holds Egyptian relics related to Bubastis, in particular to the cat goddess Bastet, along with ushabti statues and mummies of the 18th dynasty, plus pottery and mummy preservation materials. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
When is the Museum of leader Ahmed Orabi open?
It is open daily from 08:00 to 19:00 on Ahmed Orabi Street. As well as the life of Ahmed Orabi, who was born here in 1841, it includes exhibitions on the culture of the Sharqia region.
Which streets in Zagazig are worth walking?
The most notable streets are Farouk Street, Government Street, Abu Hamad and El Kawmia Street. Walking them in the evening is the simplest way to see the city itself between museum visits.
Set your dates around the three sights above and you can plan the rest of your Zagazig day from there.