Luxor

The province

Get to know Luxor

Luxor lies in Upper Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, on the site of Thebes, the capital of Egypt in the New Kingdom. The modern city occupies the east bank, with the great temples, while the west bank holds the necropolises of kings and nobles. The whole ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as Ancient Thebes and its Necropolis.

On the east bank, the Karnak complex, dedicated to the god Amun, brings together temples, obelisks, sacred lakes and the hypostyle hall with 134 columns. The Avenue of the Sphinxes, about 2.7 km long, links Karnak to the Luxor Temple in the center, which is lit up at night. The Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum are on the riverside avenue.

On the west bank, the Valley of the Kings contains rock-cut tombs of New Kingdom pharaohs, such as those of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses VI; the Valley of the Queens includes Nefertari’s tomb, with separate admission. Deir el-Bahari, Hatshepsut’s terraced temple at the foot of the mountain, Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum, the artisans’ village of Deir el-Medina and the Colossi of Memnon complete the west bank.

At sunrise, balloons rise over the west bank when the wind allows. Luxor is the departure point for Nile cruises to Aswan, with stops at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo; the temple of Esna, to the south, belongs to the governorate and has restored colors on its ceiling.