Ancient Egypt: 59 Fascinating Facts For Kids The Ancient Egyptians lived by the banks of the mighty River Nile for 3,000 years, building one of the greatest civilizations the world has seen. The Nile gave the Egyptians all the food they needed to survive and prosper. They started out as humble farmers but later built great cities and kingdoms. They built great monuments, the most well-known being the pyramids, great tombs where the pharaoh kings were...