Luxor, town in east central Egypt, in Qinā Governorate, on the Nile River, adjacent to Al Karnak. Many tourists visit Luxor because of the archaeological sites it shares with Al Karnak. Luxor is on the southern half of the site of ancient Thebes and contains ruins of a great temple built in the 14th century bc. Al Karnak occupies the northern half of ancient Thebes. Population (1996) 360,503.