Luxor City
Luxor Overview
The following headings provide a brief overview of the different aspects of Luxor. By clicking the heading of each aspect overview you will access a more detailed analysis.
Luxor is the smallest of Egypt’s governorates and is located in Upper Egypt (southern Egypt), and encompasses the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. The climate of Luxor is classified as a ‘hyper-desert’ as the city has the hottest summer days of any other city in Egypt, alongside Aswan, of an average summer higher or 40⁰C, and 22⁰C in the coolest month of the year. Precipitation sits at a yearly average of 1mm; the dry climate causes issues for monuments. Click here to find out more.
Luxor, known as Ancient Thebes, is home to many historical sites, such as Karnak and Luxor Temple, as well as the various tombs of the nobles in the Theban Necropolis. The whole of the Ancient part of Luxor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ‘Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis’. For more information on the various historical sites in Luxor, see Heritage.
For Ancient Egyptians, Luxor, known then as Thebes, was a city of great wealth and spiritual importance. However, when Thebes declined politically it was replaced as the political capital during the Late Period by cities such as Alexandria. Today, Luxor is Egypt’s smallest governorate. From the 2011 uprising, governors have been replaced frequently, which has caused challenges in the development of infrastructure and the economy. Like with much of Egypt’s heritage cities, these issues of political instability and terrorism have had a profound impact on the tourism which Luxor relies so heavily on. Recently, to strengthen international travel, Egypt has hosted events which promote the interesting heritage, such as the Avenue of the Sphinx. Click here to find out more.
Throughout history, Luxor, also known as Thebes, has been highly venerated as a site of great spiritual meaning and bountiful wealth. Even following invasion the city has remained exalted in legendary status due to the pharaonic heritage, which has been highly respected by the following residents of Luxor, such as Romans, Christians, and Muslims. Click here to find out more.
From festivals to marathons, Luxor heritage is brimming with celebration of history, heritage, and spirituality. Click here to find out more.
Luxor is served by Luxor International Airport, and a rail service several times a day for domestic travel between major destinations across the Nile, such as Cairo and Aswan. Transport between the East and West banks of the Nile is an important aspect of infrastructure in Luxor, both for residents and tourists. Political instability in Egypt and inconsistent management has caused economic problems, which have impacted infrastructure developments in the residential areas of Luxor, which suffer from inadequate water, sewage, and electricity facilities. Click here to find out more.
Tourists can take cruises down the Nile from Aswan and Cairo to experience Luxor heritage, and witness the grandeur of the East and West Banks of the Nile. Air balloons have become a staple of the tourist’s experience in Luxor, where visitors have the opportunity to view the sites from above at sunrise and sunset. Click here to find out more. See also: Tourism.
Luxor and the Surrounding Areas
Aswan lies around 245km south of Luxor, and in the periods of the Ancient Egyptians it was perceived as the ‘opening’ of Egypt as the population oriented themselves towards the life-giving Nile waters of the south, and Aswan was the southernmost town. The city houses a busy market, and is a hub of tourist activities. Click here for more.
The International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia was launched in 1960 by UNESCO as there was required a second Aswan Higher Dam to meet resource needs. Due to this construction, many historical monuments were under threat, so UNESCO and partners worked together on 40 archaeological projects, saving 22 monuments. Click here for more.
Luxor and the surrounding areas are home to a number of protected areas, from natural phenomena like El Debabya to the monuments such as the Theban Necropolis. Click here for more.