Thebes, Egypt

Thebes refers to the ancient city on the Nile in Upper Egypt that served as a major political and religious center, especially during the Middle and New Kingdoms; its monumental remains lie around modern Luxor.

The area contains extensive temple complexes such as Karnak and Luxor, and the royal burial grounds on the west bank including the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Visitors typically explore monumental hypostyle halls, colossal statues, decorated tombs and long avenues of sphinxes.

Thebes rose to prominence as a capital and cult center for the god Amun from the Middle Kingdom onward and reached its zenith in the New Kingdom when pharaohs built vast temples and tombs. Over time the city remained an important religious center even as political capitals shifted.

The archaeological ensemble occupies both banks of the Nile around modern Luxor in Upper Egypt, roughly 670 km south of Cairo by road and surrounded by agricultural Nile floodplain and desert hills to the west.

• Time needed: Major sites are spread across both banks of the Nile in the modern city of Luxor; allow multiple days to visit Karnak, Luxor Temple and the royal tombs on the west bank.

What to See #

• Karnak: The Karnak Temple complex, a large temple precinct developed from the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom with massive pylons, hypostyle halls and obelisks.
• Luxor Temple: Luxor Temple on the Nile's east bank, established in the New Kingdom and connected to Karnak by the ancient avenue of sphinxes.
• Valley of the Kings: The Valley of the Kings on the west bank, a New Kingdom royal burial area containing decorated rock-cut tombs including those of Tutankhamun and Ramses II.