Thebes, << theebz, >> was a major religious center and the birthplace of many kings of ancient Egypt. The city was located along the Nile River at the site of what is now the city of Luxor.
Loading the player...Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Thebes was a village of little importance until a Theban prince of Dynasty XI became king of Egypt in 2080 B.C. A dynasty is a series of rulers usually of the same family. Theban kings expanded Egypt’s empire to its greatest extent during Dynasty XVIII, from 1539 to 1292 B.C. The Theban god Amun-Re became the most important god in Egypt. Later, kings of Dynasties XIX and XX, who were not from Thebes, built tombs and temples in and near the city. The Romans destroyed Thebes in 29 B.C.
Theban temples still stand at Luxor and nearby Karnak. The ruins of funeral temples of Egyptian rulers lie across the Nile from Luxor. Many tombs of kings lie nearby in the Valley of the Kings (see Valley of the Kings ).
