Welcome to Luxor
Luxor
was the ancient city of
Thebes, the great capital of
Egypt during the New
Kingdom, and the glorious
city of the god Amon-Ra.
The population numbers
487,896 (2010 estimate),
with an area of
approximately 416 square
kilometers (161 sq mi). As
the site of the Ancient
Egyptian city of Thebes,
Luxor has frequently been
characterized as the
"world's greatest open air
museum", as the ruins of the
temple complexes at Karnak
and Luxor stand within the
modern city. Immediately
opposite, across the River
Nile, lie the monuments,
temples and tombs on the
West Bank Necropolis, which
include the Valley of the
Kings and Valley of the
Queens. Thousands of
international tourists
arrive annually to visit
these monuments,
contributing a large part
towards the economy for the
modern city.
