Hieroglyphs are a logographic writing system, which means that each symbol represents a word or an idea. For example, the symbol for "sun" is a circle, and the symbol for "water" is a wave.
Hieroglyphs can also be used to represent sounds. This is called a phonetic writing system. For example, the symbol for the sound "a" is a reed plant.
Hieroglyphs were written in vertical columns or horizontal rows, from right to left. The direction of the writing could be changed depending on the space available.
Hieroglyphs were often used to decorate tombs, temples, and other buildings. They were also used to write religious texts, laws, and other documents.
The study of hieroglyphs is called Egyptology. Egyptologists have been able to decipher the meaning of most hieroglyphs, but some still remain a mystery.
