Once the ancient city of Thebes and powerhouse of upper Egypt, Luxor has grown into a large town, awash with hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops, with most of its economy coming from tourism.

A highlight is the Karnak Temple, covering an immense 100 acres (40.5 hectares). Of the three temple enclosures, the grandest is the Precinct of Amun, the main place of worship. The Great Hypostyle Hall is 6000 sq m (64,584 sq ft) and filled with immense stone pillars. The whole site has colossal statues, reliefs, obelisks and halls and, of course, the Avenue of the Sphinxes. There are nightly son et lumire shows. more...