Ancient Egypt and the Pyramids

Thousands of years ago, a great civilization grew along the Nile River in Egypt. Its kings and queens were called pharaohs, and people believed they were chosen by the gods. This civilisation lasted for an astonishing 3,000 years — far longer than any country has existed today.

The Egyptians built pyramids as giant tombs for their pharaohs. They filled them with treasure and everyday objects they believed the pharaoh would need in the afterlife. The Great Pyramid is made of more than two million heavy stone blocks, each one cut by hand and dragged into place — there were no machines or engines to help.

You might imagine the pyramids were built by enslaved people, but most historians now think they were built by thousands of skilled, paid workers. These workers lived in a special town nearby, ate good food, and were proud of their work. Building one great pyramid could take twenty years or more.

The Nile was the heart of Egyptian life. Every year it flooded and left rich, dark soil behind, which helped farmers grow plenty of wheat and barley. That is why people called Egypt the 'gift of the Nile'. Without the river, this whole land would have been nothing but desert.

The Egyptians made one of the world's first kinds of paper, called papyrus, from a tall reed that grew by the Nile. They wrote on it with reed pens and ink. Scribes — the people who could read and write — were greatly respected, because writing was a difficult and special skill.

The Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses. Ra was the Sun god, Anubis watched over the dead, and Isis was a powerful goddess of magic and motherhood. Huge stone temples were built so people could honour them.