The Old Kingdom was a time period that lasted from about 2700 BC - 2200 BC.

The first capital of Ancient Egypt in the Old Kingdom was Memphis, which was chosen by King Narmer. King Narmer was the first Egyptian pharaoh to unite the upper and lower kingdoms (lands) of Ancient Egypt. Today you could never tell Memphis was even there. It disappeared along with the temple to honor the god of craftsmen, Ptah. The capital moved later to Heliopolis. Heliopolis, like Memphis was one of the many cities that stood close to the Nile River. For an idea of where Heliopolis is at, it stood by what is now Cairo. A temple was built in Heliopolis to honor the sun god, Ra.

In the Old Kingdom the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids and Sphinx. The sphinx was a man’s head on the body of a lion. Because of the Great Pyramids, the Old Kingdom was also known as the pyramid age.