Egypt & the NileAfricaMajor empire

Old Kingdom of Egypt

c. 2686 – c. 2181 BCE · about 505 years approximate dates

The Old Kingdom was the age of the pyramid builders, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Strong central government under god-kings declined into the First Intermediate Period around 2181 BCE.

Key facts

Dates	c. 2686 – c. 2181 BCE
Region	Egypt & the Nile
Continent	Africa
Capital	Memphis
Religion(s)	Ancient Egyptian religion
Peak extent	≈ 0.4 million km² (c. 2400 BCE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Early Dynastic Egypt

Followed by

Middle Kingdom of Egypt Egypt – First Intermediate Period

Sources

Wikipedia – Old Kingdom of Egypt
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.