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title: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
description: The monumental funerary capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt, containing the Valley of the Kings and Karnak temple complexes.
llms_summary: "Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis. (Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt). TouristAttraction. Annual Visitors 2 million. Buffer Zone 444 ha. Category Type Cultural. Conservation Status Active Monitoring. Epoch Origin New Kingdom Era (16th C. BCE). Latitude 25.72 °. Longitude 32.61 °. Primary Material Sandstone & Limestone. Property Area 7,390 ha. UNESCO ID 87. Year Inscribed 1979. Best for Egyptology scholars, funerary ritual researchers, and ancient column engineers.  The monumental funerary capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt, containing the Valley of the Kings and Karnak temple complexes.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
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indexed_at: "2026-07-16T13:15:13.715Z"
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    name: Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
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---
# Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis

The monumental funerary capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt, containing the Valley of the Kings and Karnak temple complexes.

## Record

- **Title**: [Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/ancient-thebes/index.md)
- **Geo target**: Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
- **Website**: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/87
- **Address**: East and West Banks of the Nile, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, 85951, Egypt
- **Coordinates**: 25.7206, 32.609

### Summary

The monumental funerary capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt, containing the Valley of the Kings and Karnak temple complexes.

### Description

## Ancient Thebes: A Monumental Legacy

Ancient Thebes, spanning both banks of the Nile, served as the religious capital of New Kingdom Egypt, embodying the zenith of pharaonic power and spiritual devotion. On the East Bank, the colossal Karnak Temple Complex, dedicated primarily to Amun-Re, covers over 100 hectares, featuring the Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 massive columns, some reaching 21 meters in height, and numerous pylons, obelisks, and sanctuaries. Adjacent to it, Luxor Temple, connected by an avenue of sphinxes, showcases grand colonnades and courtyards, reflecting the architectural grandeur and religious rituals central to the New Kingdom's imperial cult.

Across the Nile on the West Bank lies the vast Theban Necropolis, a landscape dominated by royal tombs and mortuary temples. This includes the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs like Tutankhamun and Ramesses II were interred in elaborate rock-cut tombs adorned with intricate hieroglyphs and vibrant paintings detailing their journey to the afterlife. Nearby, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, a stunning example of terraced architecture carved into the cliffs, and the colossal statues of Amenhotep III, known as the Colossi of Memnon, stand as enduring testaments to the sophisticated engineering and profound belief systems of ancient Egyptian civilization.

### Attributes

- **Annual Visitors**: 2 million _(quality 80)_
- **Buffer Zone**: 444 ha _(quality 40)_
- **Category Type**: Cultural
- **Conservation Status**: Active Monitoring
- **Epoch Origin**: New Kingdom Era (16th C. BCE)
- **Latitude**: 25.72 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Longitude**: 32.61 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Primary Material**: Sandstone & Limestone
- **Property Area**: 7,390 ha _(quality 85)_
- **UNESCO ID**: 87
- **Year Inscribed**: 1979 _(quality 99)_