Quick answerLuxor is a city in Egypt, with 284,952 people inside the city limits in 2023. It is best known for the Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Luxor Temple. Its official language is Arabic, and its currency is the Egyptian pound.
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile about 670 kilometres south of Cairo, with about 285,000 people (2023). It stands on the site of ancient Thebes and is famous for the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings.
Key facts
| Country | Egypt |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 284,952 (2023) |
| Elevation | 89 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Cairo |
| Language | Arabic |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP, £) |
| Coordinates | 25.6967° N, 32.6444° E |
Overview
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile about 670 kilometres south of Cairo. It had 284,952 people in 2023 and sits about 89 metres above sea level. Luxor is the capital of the Luxor Governorate and the centre of Egypt's cultural tourism: the Valley of the Kings alone draws one to two million visitors a year.
Luxor stands on the site of ancient Thebes, the capital of Egypt for much of the New Kingdom. On the east bank are the Karnak Temple complex and Luxor Temple; on the west bank are the Valley of the Kings, with 63 known tombs including Tutankhamun's, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Ancient Thebes and its necropolis have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
What Luxor is known for
- Karnak Temple
- Valley of the Kings
- Luxor Temple
- Temple of Hatshepsut
- Colossi of Memnon
Landmarks
- Karnak Temple Complex
- Luxor Temple
- Valley of the Kings
- Temple of Hatshepsut
- Colossi of Memnon
- Luxor Museum
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Luxor?
Luxor had 284,952 residents in 2023, according to CAPMAS via citypopulation.de. It is a small city by Egyptian standards — Cairo has more than thirty times as many people — but it is one of the country's most visited places, drawing one to two million visitors a year to the Valley of the Kings.
Where is Luxor and what is it known for?
Luxor is in Upper Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile about 670 kilometres south of Cairo. It is known for the temples of Karnak and Luxor on the east bank and, across the river, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Egypt — the country Luxor is in
- Cairo — another city in Egypt
- Alexandria — another city in Egypt
- Giza — another city in Egypt
- Cleopatra — Egyptian politics figure
- All cities in Egypt
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.