Ancient Egyptian civilization lasted nearly 3,000 years. This mysterious and artistic civilization started around 3,000 B.C. It ended around 30 B.C, when Egypt was conquered by the Roman Empire. 

A dynasty is a powerful group or family that holds onto power for many years. In ancient Egypt, dynasties did impressive things, like build pyramids. 

The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three main time periods. The Old Kingdom lasted from 2,700 to 2,200 B.C. The Middle Kingdom lasted from 2,050 to 1,800 B.C. The final period was the New Kingdom. It lasted from about 1,550 to 1,100 B.C.

During these three periods, power passed from one dynasty to another. A dynasty ruled until it was defeated or there were no heirs left to rule. There were more than 30 dynasties in Egyptian history. 

Beginning in about 4,000 B.C., there were two kingdoms in Egypt: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Around 3,100 B.C., Menes, the king of Upper Egypt, conquered Lower Egypt. He joined the two kingdoms together and built his capital city at Memphis, near the border. This began the long string of dynasties that would rule ancient Egypt. 

The rulers of dynasties were known as pharaohs. The Egyptian word "pharaoh" means "great house." Not much is known about the pharaohs of the early dynasties. 

Pharaohs were more than just rulers. They were considered gods and were believed to possess the secrets of heaven and earth. Pharaohs led the government and the army. They had total power. 

About 300 years after Menes united Egypt, the Old Kingdom began. 

During the Old Kingdom, rulers built many pyramids. The pharaoh Cheops built the Great Pyramid of Giza as his tomb. Chephren, a ruler in the Fourth Dynasty, built the statue of the Great Sphinx, an imaginary creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. 

At the end of the Old Kingdom, civil wars broke out between pharaohs and wealthy nobles. This period ended in famine and chaos. 

Montuhotep II was an Eleventh Dynasty pharaoh. He was the last ruler of the Old Kingdom and the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom. He restored political order after the Old Kingdom ended. 

The Middle Kingdom is remembered as a time of arts, particularly jewelry making. During this period, Egypt became rich and powerful from trading with its neighbors. The kingdom continued to work on huge construction projects. The Pyramid of Hawara was one of these projects. Known today as the Labyrinth, this enormous structure was said to have 3,000 rooms. 

Eventually, the kingdom's prosperity came to an end. Crop failures, economic troubles and power struggles contributed to its decline. 

Trouble struck when a group of foreigners, the Hyksos, invaded Egypt. They used new tools for war, such as bronze weapons and horse-drawn chariots. They easily defeated the Egyptians, who fought on foot with weapons made out of copper and stone. 

Early pharaohs of the New Kingdom eventually threw out the Hyksos. This period is remembered as a time of artistic creation. It also marked the end of rule by dynasties in Egypt. 

A famous pharaoh of the new period was Amenhotep IV, who started a religious revolution. Before Amenhotep's rule, Egyptians believed in many gods. The most important was named Amon. Amenhotep, however, believed only in Aton, the sun god. Belief in only one god is called monotheism. It was a shocking idea to Egyptians at the time. 

To show his devotion to Aton, Amenhotep changed his name to Akenhaton, which means "he who is loyal to Aton." Akenhaton also moved his kingdom's capital from Thebes, where Amon was worshipped. The new capital was based in Tell el Amarna, where there was a temple dedicated to worshipping Aton. 

Egyptian priests were not like priests today. Each represented a different god, and ran a temple dedicated to that god. The priests were not happy that Akenhaton favored only the god Aton. 

The priests were not alone in their anger. Many Egyptians felt that the pharaoh was wrongly disrespecting the gods. After the death of Akenhaton, the powerful priests insisted that the capital to be moved back to Thebes. 

The pharaoh who returned the capital to Thebes was the boy-king Tutankhamun. King Tut began his reign at the age of 10. He ruled for just nine years. At 19 years old, he died of a head injury. 

Though King Tut did not rule for long, his name is famous today. He is mostly remembered because of his beautiful tomb full of treasure. 

Ramses II, or Ramses the Great, was another important ruler during this period. He reigned for 67 years. He had 200 wives, 96 sons and 60 daughters. Ramses completed many large building projects, including temples and a palace. 

After Ramses' rule, Egypt fell into decline. Over the next 900 years, rival groups invaded Egyptian lands. Pharaoh Nectanebo II became the last pharaoh born in Egypt. He fled in 343 B.C. to avoid being killed by invaders from the nearby country of Persia. Nectanebo's escape ended more than 2,500 years of Egyptian rule in ancient Egypt