Did you can teach your children about exotic places without ever leaving your home. You can take a virtual tour of almost any country in the world, like Egypt! I'll even get you started with these 25 cool facts about Egypt.
Don't you love learning about different cultures and countries? I know that I do and most kids find it very interesting as well. I have also noticed that kids like facts, so I put together this list of fun facts about Egypt.
Are you ready to learn some more interesting facts and Egypt?
1. People in Ancient Egypt worshiped many animals, but the most special animal was the cat. Anyone who killed a cat, even by accident, was sentenced to death.
2. Ancient Egyptians believed that having a pet cat in the home brought a family good luck. Because of this, most families had cats.
3. Wealthy families in Ancient Egypt loved their cats so much in fact that they would shave off their eyebrows when a cat died to mourn the loss of the cat. The family continued mourning until their eyebrows grew back.
4. In Ancient Egypt both men and women wore eye makeup, as makeup was thought to give magical powers to anyone who wore it. The most common colors of eye makeup were green and black.
5. Historians believe that Egyptians started using a form of toothpaste over 7,000 years ago, long before the toothbrush was invented. Having a healthy smile, white teeth, and fresh breath has been important for thousands of years!
6. The Egyptians believed that after death, a person would make a journey to another life in a new world. Mummies were created so that the dead person could have access to their body in the new world.
7. The process of becoming a mummy took a very long time. Start to finish, mummification took more than two months.
8. Only rich people became mummies, as the process of becoming a mummy was very expensive. Poor people were buried in the sand.
9. Each mummy was buried inside a tomb. The walls of the tomb were painted to show scenes from the person’s life on Earth. Family members placed belongings like furniture, games, jewelry, makeup, dishes, and even food inside the tomb. These items were thought to be needed in the person’s next life.
10. The kings of Ancient Egypt were called pharaohs. Pharaohs and their family members were often buried inside special tombs. The famous pyramids seen in Egypt today are these special tombs.
11. Over 130 pyramids have been found in Egypt. The largest pyramid ever built is The Great Pyramid in Giza. The pyramid is 481 feet tall. This means the tallest pyramid is almost as tall as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
12. The Great Pyramid was the tomb built for Pharaoh Khufu. This pyramid is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
13. Sphinx statues were built to guard some of the Egyptian tombs. A sphinx was a mythological creature that possessed the head of a human and the body of a lion.
14. You've heard of King Tut (the Pharoah Tutankhamun)? Did you know he was only 8 or 9 years old when he became the ruler of Egypt? He only served as king for 10 years as he died in his late teens.
15. One of the most successful kings of Ancient Egypt was actually a woman known as Pharaoh Hatshepsut.
16. Cleopatra was one of Egypt’s famous rulers, but her family was actually from Greece. Historians believe that Cleopatra could speak at least seven languages including Egyptian and Greek.
17. The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river in the world.
18. Over 83 million people currently live in Egypt. A lot of these people speak Arabic and many also speak English and French.
19. Many animals live in Egypt today, including cobras, crocodiles, hyenas, and cheetahs.
20. Seen here, Egyptian money used today has both English and Arabic writings on it. Instead of using the dollar like we use in the U.S., the Egyptians use the Egyptian pound.
21. The most popular sport in Egypt is soccer. Egypt was the first nation from Africa to participate in the World Cup.
22. In 2011, a father in Egypt named his daughter Facebook.
23. In most families, girls help with indoor chores like laundry and cleaning. Boys help with outdoor chores, including shopping trips.
24. Many children in Egypt never attend school and never learn to read or write. Other Egyptian children are highly educated and attend private schools.
25. In the cities in Egypt, many children live in the same apartment building as their aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Continue to explore the wonders of Egypt by researching whatever your child shows interest in. A magical journey awaits!
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