Egypt

Discover Egypt

Fun Foods

Koshari, Ta'meya, Shawarma, Hawawshi, Roz bel-laban, Basbousa, Umm Ali

The pyramids are so perfectly built that some people think aliens made them. They didn't. Egyptians were just that good.

Ancient Egypt started over 5,000 years ago along the Nile River. The Nile flooded every year and left behind rich soil for farming. Without that river, Egypt would just be desert.

Pharaohs ruled Egypt for thousands of years. They built massive pyramids as tombs and filled them with treasures. The Great Pyramid of Giza took 20 years and millions of stone blocks to build.

King Tutankhamun became pharaoh at age nine. He died at 19, but his tomb stayed hidden for over 3,000 years. When archaeologists found it in 1922, all the gold and treasures were still inside.

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh. She was incredibly smart and spoke nine languages. After she died, Rome took over Egypt, and the age of pharaohs ended forever.

Egypt changed hands many times. Arabs brought Islam in the 600s. The Ottoman Empire ruled for centuries. Britain controlled the country until 1952, when Egyptians finally won independence.

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are must-sees. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has King Tut's golden mask. A Nile River cruise floats you past ancient temples and tombs.

Egyptians invented a lot. They created one of the first writing systems: hieroglyphics. They made paper from papyrus plants. Their 365-day calendar inspired the one we use today.

Koshari is the national dish. It piles rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas together with tomato sauce and crispy onions. Street vendors sell it everywhere, and it costs almost nothing.

Ancient Egyptians treated cats like royalty. Hurting a cat was a serious crime. Some cats even got mummified and buried with honors.

Sham el-Nessim is a spring festival that's been celebrated for 4,500 years. Families pack picnics and head outdoors. It happens the Monday after Coptic Easter.

Modern Egypt mixes ancient wonders with busy cities. Cairo has 20 million people and traffic that never stops. But the pyramids still stand at the edge of town, just like they have for 4,500 years.