Pharaohs

A pharaoh was the king or queen of all Egypt — but Egyptians also believed their pharaohs were gods on Earth. They ruled the people, led the armies, and made sure the land stayed peaceful and rich. Long ago, Egypt was split into two parts — Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north. That sounds funny, right? But it’s because the Nile River flows from south to north, downhill toward the Mediterranean Sea. The first pharaoh, King Narmer (also called Menes), united Upper and Lower Egypt over 5,000 years ago. He wore a special double crown — white for Upper Egypt and red for Lower Egypt — to show that all of Egypt was now one great kingdom!