Luxor ( or ; ;
Egyptian Arabic: ;
Sa'idi Arabic: , ) is a city in Upper (southern)
Egypt and the capital of
Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 (2010 estimate), with an area of approximately . As the site of the
Ancient Egyptian city of
Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the
temple complexes at
Karnak and
Luxor stand within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the
River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the West Bank
Necropolis, which includes the
Valley of the Kings and
Valley of the Queens. Thousands of tourists from all around the world arrive annually to visit these monuments, contributing greatly to the economy of the modern city.