Luxor, situated 440 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, was the capital of Egypt during the New kingdom, holding the seat of power for more than thirteen centuries. In antiquity, Luxor was called Thebes. Renowned Greek historian, Homer, called Thebes"the one hundred-gated city" because of its buildings and large gates. The city grew over the years, and the Arab Muslims, impressed by its beautiful palaces and huge edifices, re-named it Luxor, meaning"the city of palaces".
Today, visitors are still awed by this city, the world's greatest open-air museum filled with awe-inspiring monuments of ancient civilizations. In the east stands the City of the Living, where the life-giving sun rises; and in the west lays the City of the Dead, where the sun, in its never-ending orbit, bids farewell to life. Surrounded by modern shops and luxury hotels, the temples, tombs and palaces still stand in sandstone and granite, as a symbol of the eternity.