Who Was Harkhuf, the Explorer?

🕐 3 min 56 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the adventures of Harkhuf, an ancient Egyptian explorer, and discover the joy of exploration!
Understand who Harkhuf was Learn about ancient Egyptian explorers Appreciate the value of maps and exploration
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, look at my drawing! I made a big map of our forest.
                
                    Owlo:
                    How beautiful, Koko. You even drew the big oak tree by the river.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, and the secret cave we visited last week. I love discovering new places.
                
                    Owlo:
                    I can see that. You know, long ago there lived someone who also loved discovering. His name was Harkhuf.
                
                    Koko:
                    Harkhuf? That's a funny name. Who was he?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Harkhuf was a famous explorer from ancient Egypt. That was more than four thousand years ago.
                
                    Koko:
                    Four thousand years! That's even before my great-great-grandparents were born, right?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes, even much earlier than that. Harkhuf made very long journeys to faraway lands.
                
                    Koko:
                    Where did he go then? Did he have a map like mine too?
                
                    Owlo:
                    He traveled to Nubia, a land south of Egypt. Come, let's go to the library. I have a book about him there.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wow, look at all these pictures. Egypt looks so different from our forest.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Indeed it does. Egypt is in Africa, where it's very hot. A great river flows there, called the Nile.
                
                    Koko:
                    Why did Harkhuf go on his journey? Was he lost?
                
                    Owlo:
                    No, he wasn't lost at all. The pharaoh, who was the king of Egypt, sent him out.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Harkhuf had to discover new territories and trade with other peoples. He brought back ivory, ebony wood, and incense.
                
                    Koko:
                    What is incense? It sounds like something yummy.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Incense is a kind of fragrant resin that people used long ago in ceremonies. It smelled sweet and special.
                
                    Koko:
                    Just like mama's cakes! Was it dangerous to travel so far?
                
                    Owlo:
                    It certainly was, Koko. Harkhuf had to walk through deserts, without cars or trains. He had donkeys and camels with him.
                
                    Koko:
                    And he didn't have GPS either, I think.
                
                    Owlo:
                    No, no GPS at all. He used the stars and the sun to find his way. Very clever indeed.
                
                    Koko:
                    What was the most exciting thing he brought back?
                
                    Owlo:
                    On his last journey, he brought back a dancing dwarf. The young pharaoh was very happy about that.
                
                    Koko:
                    A dancing dwarf? That sounds funny. Did Harkhuf write down his adventures?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes, he had stories about his journeys carved into stone, on the walls of his tomb.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That's how we still know about his adventures now, thousands of years later.
                
                    Koko:
                    Just like how I draw my map! But I use paper, not stone.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly right. Harkhuf was brave and curious, just like you. He dared to discover new things.
                
                    Koko:
                    I think it's so cool that people back then made such long journeys. How long did a journey like that take?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Sometimes many months, Koko. He was often away from home for a whole year. His family missed him very much, of course.
                
                    Koko:
                    That's a long time. I would miss mama and papa too. Can we become explorers ourselves?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Of course we can. You can explore anywhere, even here in our forest. You've already made a map.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, and tomorrow I'm going to draw that cave even better. Owlo, can you summarize what I learned today?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Of course, Koko. Why don't you tell me?
                
                    Koko:
                    Harkhuf was a brave explorer from ancient Egypt. He made long journeys to Nubia for the pharaoh.
                
                    Koko:
                    He brought back special things and wrote his adventures in stone. Just like how I draw my maps, but much harder.
                
                    Koko:
                    And the most important thing is you must be brave and curious to discover new things.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Perfectly explained, Koko. Next time we can learn about other explorers, like Ibn Battuta or Zheng He.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, that sounds fun! But right now I'm going to finish my map first. Maybe I'll become a famous explorer too one day.