Thebes, Ancient capital in Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Thebes stretches across both banks of the Nile and includes worship sites, burial grounds, and residential areas from several centuries of pharaonic rule. The eastern side features large columned halls and open courtyards, while the western side holds chambers carved into steep cliffs.
The capital flourished between the 16th and 11th centuries BCE, when successive rulers controlled tributary lands from Nubia to the Euphrates. Each pharaoh expanded existing compounds and added their own structures, until political power later shifted northward.
The name comes from the Greek word for the city, while locals always called it Waset. Today, festival processions and reenactments show how priests once moved between the different sanctuaries along the river.
Most visitors split their time between the east bank temples in the morning and the west bank tombs in the afternoon. Comfortable shoes are essential, as the paths are often sandy or uneven and there are significant distances between areas.
Some tombs contain astronomical ceilings with precise star charts depicting the night sky from over 3,000 years ago. These painted panels helped priests time religious festivals according to seasons and lunar cycles.
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