Located on the eastern bank of the Nile in southern Egypt. It is built on the ancient ruins of the city of Thebes, the capital of the pharaohs at the height of their power during the 16th to 11th centuries BC. It was the capital of ancient Egypt for more than 1,500 years. It is the city of great temples and famous necropolises. Today's city surrounds two huge ancient and surviving monuments: the elegant Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple. The royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens are located on the west bank of the river.