Fun Facts About Egypt for Kids
Egypt is a unique destination for travel, with its rich history, culture, and traditions that can fascinate anyone with an interest in ancient civilizations. But while sightseeing the pyramids and the Nile’s banks is a highlight for tourists, kids can also learn quirky and engaging facts about this nationally significant place.
Here are ten fun facts about Egypt that kids will flip over:
1. Did you know Egypt is the oldest known civilization in the world? It’s said to date back to 3100 BC!
2. The Nile River is one of the longest rivers in the world, flowing over 4,000 miles.
3. Egyptians invented paper, ink, and toothpaste. Now we know who to thank for our school supplies and our toothy grins!
4. Ancient Egyptians were the first to use thirty-day calendars that separated the year into 12 months. They didn’t have a leap year, though, so their calendar drifted off the mark every century.
5. The pyramids were built to be tombs for pharaohs or kings. The largest one, the Great Pyramid, took about 20 years to build and used over 2,300,000 blocks of stone!
6. Egyptians believed cats were sacred animals and worshiped them. They believed cats brought them good luck, and if someone killed or injured one, it was punishable by death.
7. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and a human head. It’s the most massive statue in the world, believed to represent the Pharaoh Khafre.
8. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were made up of over 700 different characters that represented parts of life, such as plants, animals, and the weather.
9. The word “pharaoh” means “great house.” It referred to the buildings where the kings or pharaohs lived, and thus became associated with the rulers themselves.
10. Egyptians believed in the afterlife and mummified their dead to preserve their bodies for the next life. Can you imagine being wrapped tightly in bandages like a mummy?