25 Fun Facts About Ancient Egyptian Pyramids For Kids

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The ancient Egyptian pyramids for kids are an interesting source to teach your child about the history and architecture of Egypt. These pyramids, dating back nearly 4500 years, are remarkable engineering feats and some of the oldest structures still standing today. They encourage tourism in the country. Their massive size and shape and the stories of pharaohs and mummies have plenty of mysteries revolving around them. With many chambers and secret doorways, these ancient burial sites are magnificent places full of cultural significance, representing the faith and reverence Egyptians had for the afterlife. These monuments leave visitors awestruck and thrilled.

If your child happens to be curious and you want to introduce them to the Egyptian pyramids, we have interesting facts about this medieval wonder of the world. Read along to explore more about these majestic structures.

Fun Facts About The Egyptian Pyramids For Kids

There are many pyramid structures around the world, but none of them come close to being as popular as the Egyptian pyramids. Keep reading for more interesting facts about the Pyramids in Egypt.

1. Have you ever wondered what the inside of a pyramid looks like? Well, the interior of each pyramid is different and was designed to suit the interests of the Pharaoh getting it built. Most of the pyramids built for the Pharaohs have multiple chambers, corridors, and entrances, with doors made of stone, and sometimes even gold HieroglyphicsⁱSymbols that were used to represent a language, used on ancient Egyptian monuments and paintings of the king’s life were used to decorate these chambers. These could show the culture in ancient Egypt.

2. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest structure in the world for 3800 years until the Eiffel Tower was built in the early 19th century.

3. To date, we don’t know what is inside the pyramids of Giza. Archaeologists and historians believe that the great pyramids, like most others, may have ancient artifacts which could include everyday items, jewelry, and even grains.

4. The first pyramid built by the Egyptians was the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and the last one was the Pyramid of Ahmose.

5. The topmost stone of the pyramid is called the capstone.

6. By the year 1000 BC, almost every tomb that had treasures was believed to be robbed and tomb robbers were punished severely.

7. The pyramid complex of Giza is guarded by the monolithicⁱFormed of a single large piece of stone SphinxⁱA mythical character with a lion’s body and a human’s head , a lion with the head of a human.

Quick fact

The pyramids were originally adorned with bright colors. Researchers have found remnants of yellow, red, and blue pigments on the stones of the pyramids.

8. There are around 70 pyramids along the west bank of the Nile River.

9. One of the most interesting Tutankhamun facts for kids is that the tomb of King Tutankhamun or King Tut, which was rediscovered in 1933 by an archeology excavation team led by Howard Carter, contained a solid gold funerary mask of the pharaoh. This was in spite of the tomb being raided twice before its discovery, soon after the king was buried. This tomb had a quartzite sarcophagus and the king’s mummy.

10. Each pyramid’s position is such that each side of the structure’s slopes would exactly face each direction – East, West, North, and South.

11. Most pyramids were built using limestone, while a few, like The Great Pyramid, had granite too.

12. Ancient Egyptian rules used different techniques like booby traps, hidden doors, thin wires to decapitateⁱA violent act of cutting off the head of a human or animal robbers and the likes, to protect the pyramids from being raided.

13. The funerary complex of the Step Pyramid spreads to an area of 37 acres.

14. In 2015, an international team of researchers used thermographyⁱA technology that uses infrared images to analyze the temperature on the surface of an object or a living organism and found unexplained temperature differences in the stones of the Khufu pyramidⁱOne of the largest and first pyramids to be built at Giza . These anomalies indicate that there could be cavities or tunnels with air flow in that specific region (2). Interesting, isn’t it?

Interesting Information About The Pyramids In Egypt

Want to tell your kid all about the mysterious pyramids? Here are the top ten interesting pieces of information to begin with.

15. What is the Egyptian pyramid?

They are pyramid-shaped structures built in medieval Egypt. Early Egyptian civilizations had resources only to build Mastabas, which resemble the base of the pyramid. These were built for the burial of the highest-ranking officials in the administration.

The civilizations after that built the step pyramid, which was considered to enable the ancestors to move up toward heaven easily. The pyramids that came after the step pyramids had smoother slopes with pointy peaks.

16. Who built the Egyptian pyramids?

The pharaohs had the pyramids built in a designated area on the western bank of the Nile River. This is considered to be one of the most interesting facts about ancient Egyptian pharaohs for kids. A common belief is that the slaves, mostly from poor countries in the then Africa, were used to build the pyramids. But archaeological finds say that most of the pyramids were built by people living in that region. People in towns and cities around the Nile were hired as laborers to complete the construction of these stunning structures.

17. Why did they build the Egyptian pyramids?

They were built as monumental tombs for kings and their consorts with proper preservation techniques. The Pharaoh’s body was buried inside the pyramid, along with treasures, food, and other accessories that people believed their leader would need to succeed in the afterlife. The shape of the pyramid, with a wider base and pointy peak, is to help the Pharaoh’s soul move to heaven easily.

18. When were the Egyptian pyramids built?

The Step Pyramid of Djoser is believed to be the first pyramid ever built. It was constructed somewhere around the 27th century BC. The first smooth pyramid was a tomb for King Snerfu, built near Gaza between 2680 and 2560 BC. Most pyramids were built between 2575 and 2150 BC, during the Old Kingdom period. These pyramids are all near the River Nile.

19. How were the Egyptian pyramids built?

The pyramids are built entirely from huge stones, some weighing as much as 70 tons. It is believed that the laborers would bring stones from distant quarries via boats along the Nile and then drag the stones to the construction site using wheeled wooden sleds. The pyramids were constructed by aligning them along the cardinal points using the stars as guides. Complex internal passages and chambers were designed to build the pyramids to their massive heights. For a long time, architects and historians were mystified by how the stones were dragged to stack them on one another. However, it is believed that ancient Egyptians created ramps and levers to move the stones into place, demonstrating their ingenious understanding of physics.

Did you know?

Approximately 2.3 million bricks, each weighing about 2.5 tons, were utilized in the construction of the Pyramids of Giza.

It is, however, understood that a lot of planning was involved in building the pyramids because of the density of the stones and the design of the structure. The stones had to be of a specific shape and size and had to be cut to specific measurements to fit and stay on top of each other without falling or sliding down. Experts also believe that mortar was used to keep the stones in place.

Almost all the pyramids that exist today are solid structures that can withstand the toughest of weather conditions. Al-Aziz Uthman, a Kurdish leader, tried to destroy the pyramids. He started with the smallest pyramid, the Pyramid of Menkaure, but gave up after finding that the task was extremely expensive and difficult.

20. How long did it take to build the Egyptian pyramids?

Historians guess that the pyramids were built slowly, one stone at a time. It is estimated that it took 20,000 workers around 23 years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. All the pyramids that exist today are believed to have been built over centuries, somewhere between 2670 and 664 BC, which is over 2000 years for building less than 150 pyramids!

21. Which is the largest Egyptian pyramid?

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The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid in the world. Also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, the Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and perhaps the only one still standing. It is located in the Giza Plateau, which also has two other pyramids.

It is estimated that more than 2.3 million stones were used to build the pyramid, with each stone weighing anywhere between two and 30 tons, while a few weighed as much as 70 tons.

The Khufu Pyramid has three chambers including the king’s and the queen’s chambers. It is the only pyramid in the world to have air shafts. Also, this pyramid has no hieroglyphics or carvings by the original builders.

If this pyramid had to be built all over again today, it would cost a whopping $5 billion, according to Jean-Pierre Houdin, a French architect and author of the book Khufu: The Secrets Behind the Building of the Great Pyramid. It would take around five years to complete construction with 2000 workers and several modern machines like helicopters, cranes, and bulldozers.

22. How big are the Egyptian pyramids?

The Egyptian pyramids are massive structures that can go above 100 meters. Not all the Egyptian pyramids have the same dimensions.

The Great Pyramid spreads over an area of 13.3 acres and is 137 meters (449 feet) tall. Each side of the pyramid is more than five acres.

Klara Jane Holloway, a blogger, recalls the awe-inspiring moment when she and his brother were left amazed by the magnificence of the Pyramids during their visit to Egypt. She says, “As I came around the corner to where we would sit, I saw the three pyramids lit up in the distance. Tears came to my eyes. The pyramids are really and truly the most majestic structures I have ever seen. They are more massive than I pictured, and to see them took my breath away (i).”

23. How tall are the Egyptian pyramids?

The largest Egyptian pyramid is half as tall as the Eiffel Tower, at 137 meters, and weighs around 16 times the Empire State Building. The smallest pyramid is 65 meters tall, which is taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and has a volume of 235,183 cubic meters.

24. How many pyramids are there in Egypt?

As of 2008, 118 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt.

Bonus Fact!

Researchers have recently discovered that the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza is not actually a square and is a little lopsided! (3) The construction was not as perfect as we thought now, is it?

What is the most interesting thing about the Egyptian Pyramids that appeals to you and your kids? Share your thoughts in our comments section.

The pyramids are a significant source of income for the people of Egypt as there is hardly ever a shortage of tourists wanting to catch a glimpse of this old wonder of the world. As you can see in the graph below, the country registered 3.8 USD billion in tourism revenue in 2016, which surged to 13.03 USD billion in 2019. Unfortunately, the revenue saw a massive drop in 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but tourism recovered quickly the following year as Egypt reported 13 USD billion in tourism revenue in 2021.

Tourism Revenues in Egypt increased to 13 USD Billion in 2021 from 3.80 USD Billion in 2020

Infographic: Facts About Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

The ancient pyramids of Egypt are storehouses of mystery. With various secret chambers and mummies, they are a prime attraction for tourists from all across the world. The infographic below lists some intriguing facts about great pyramids that will excite your children.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Fun Facts About Ancient Egyptian Pyramids For Kids

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Explore the ancient wonders of Egypt and uncover the secrets of its lost pyramids. Uncover the mysteries of the past and discover the treasures of Egypt’s ancient history.

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