Luxor Governorate (Arabic: محافظة الأقصر) is the youngest governorate in Upper Egypt, split from Qena on 7 December 2009. Its capital is Luxor, built over ancient Thebes about 635 km south of Cairo. CAPMAS estimated the population at 1,400,640 in July 2023 across 2,960 km², most of it desert either side of a narrow farmed valley.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capital | Luxor city |
| Population | 1,400,640 (CAPMAS estimate, July 2023) |
| Area | 2,960 km² |
| Density | About 473 people per km² |
| Municipal divisions | 5 marakiz and 1 kism |
| Created | 7 December 2009, from Qena Governorate |
| Phone area code | 095 |
| Distance from Cairo | About 635 km south |
Towns and Villages in Luxor Governorate
Luxor has five marakiz and one urban kism covering the city. The list below carries 116 named settlements, grouped by the markaz whose boundary they fall inside.
| Markaz | Population (July 2023) | Places listed below |
|---|---|---|
| Luxor | 183,485 | 24 |
| Al-Qarnah | 181,237 | 12 |
| Tiba | 80,921 | 9 |
| Armant | 195,011 | 14 |
| Esna | 475,034 | 57 |
Luxor
The markaz covers the east bank around the city, including Karnak and the farming villages south to Tod. The urban kism of Luxor holds a further 284,952 people, making it the largest single settlement in the governorate.
- Al ‘Idisat
- Al Baghdadi
- Al Bayadiyah
- Al Hubayl
- Al Karnak
- Ash Shaghab
- Jazirat al ‘Awwamiyah
- Khaled Ibn Al Walid
- Luxor
- Munsha’at al ‘Ammari
- Nag Ahmad Osman
- Nag Naqsha
- Nag ad Dukat
- Nag al ‘Arab
- Nag al Fatatih
- Nag al Husaynat
- Nag al Khudrat
- Nag al Khutbah
- Nag al Muhdat
- Nag an Nasara
- Nag at Tawil
- Nag az Zanaqitah
- Nazlat Armant
- Tud
Al-Qarnah
Al-Qarnah is the west bank district. The Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Bahari, the Ramesseum and the Colossi of Memnon all stand inside it, and its villages supply most of the alabaster workshops and tomb guards.
- ‘Izbat Abu Habashi
- ‘Izbat al Hajjah Duwah
- Ad Dab’iyah
- Al Aqalitah
- Al Ba’irat
- Al Maris
- Al Qibli Qamula
- Nag ‘Arab al ‘Ababidah
- Nag Asmant al Kabirah
- Nag Raml al Aqalitah
- Nag ar Rizqah
- Nag az Zanati
Tiba
Tiba, named after Thebes, is the smallest markaz. It runs north-east from the city and takes in Al-Madamud, where a temple of the war god Montu was excavated, and the two Zeiniya villages.
- Al ‘Ashshi
- Al Madamud
- As Sa’ayidah
- Az Zayniyah Bahri
- Az Zayniyah Qibli
- Nag Abu Hammad
- Nag Abu Tarbush
- Nag Hilami
- Nag Jad al Karim
Armant
Armant was Hermonthis, the cult centre of the Buchis bull. The town keeps a sugar factory and sits on the west bank south of Luxor.
- ‘Izbat Mustafa Qulay’i
- Ad Dimuqrat
- Al ‘Udaysat al Qibliyah
- Al Mahamid al Bahri
- Al Mahamid al Qibliyah
- Ar Rayayinah
- Ar Ruzayqat
- Armant
- Ezbet el-Mural
- Jisr al Kharazah
- Nag al Ghird
- Nag al Jabal
- Nag el-Saiyid Ah
- Waburat Armant
Esna
Esna is the southernmost and by far the most populous markaz. Its temple of Khnum, dug out from below the modern town, carries Roman period reliefs, and a barrage and navigation lock cross the Nile beside it.
- ‘Ezbet Hasan Suliman
- ‘Izbat ‘Abd al Jawwad
- Ad Dayr
- Al ‘Ada’imah
- Al Hillah
- Al Kilabiyah
- Al Ma’allah
- Al Misawiyah
- Al Qaraya
- Al Wasta
- An Namasa
- Asfun al Mata’inah
- Ash Shaghab
- At Tir’ah
- Bani Himayd
- Esna
- Jazirat ar Riqiyah
- Kawm Mir
- Kiman al Mata’inah
- Nag Abu Hummusi
- Nag Abu Za’fah
- Nag Ahmad Sa’id
- Nag Aulad Dahmish
- Nag Buwayl
- Nag Humret Dom
- Nag Ibrahim Ghuraiyib
- Nag Kawm Mir
- Nag Khawr al Qada
- Nag Sitayh
- Nag ad Dababiyah
- Nag ad Dayr al Qadim
- Nag al ‘Akarimah
- Nag al Burj
- Nag al Farisiyah
- Nag al Hamziyah
- Nag al Hanadi
- Nag al Hulaylah
- Nag al Kilabiyah
- Nag al Kurum
- Nag al Ma’allat
- Nag al Masa’id
- Nag al Miznab
- Nag an Nafayidah
- Nag ash Shawarib
- Nag at Tunab
- Nag az Zinayqah
- Nag el-Himeidat
- Nag el-Sheikh Ah-had
- Nag el-Sheikh Fadil
- Nugu an Nawasir
- Qaryat Tumas wa ‘Afiyah
- Sakan Rayy Isna
- Tafnis al Mata’inah
- Taftish Mazra’at al Mata’inah
- Tumas wa ‘Afiyah
- Waburat al Mata’inah
- Zarnikh
Geography
Luxor stretches about 80 km along the Nile. The east bank holds the city, Karnak and most of the farmland; the west bank rises quickly into the limestone hills of the Theban necropolis and then desert. Sugarcane fields fill the flood plain from Armant down to Esna. Beyond the cultivated strip the governorate is empty desert on both sides.
Luxor borders Qena Governorate to the north, Aswan Governorate to the south, the Red Sea Governorate to the east and the New Valley Governorate to the west.
Demographics
The area now inside Luxor Governorate held 775,551 people at the 1996 census and 1,250,209 in 2017; CAPMAS estimated 1,400,640 in July 2023. About half the population lives in Luxor city and Esna town, a much higher urban share than neighbouring Qena or Sohag. Villages on the west bank are smaller and older, several of them built directly over the ancient necropolis until residents were rehoused at New Qurna and Tarif from the 1990s.
Economy and Local Life
Tourism is the governorate’s largest earner. Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s temple draw visitors year round, and the city is the main starting point for Nile cruises to Aswan and for dawn balloon flights over the west bank. Outside tourism the economy is agricultural: sugarcane feeds the Armant and Esna mills, and wheat, clover and vegetables fill the winter rotation. Alabaster carving on the west bank and camel and cattle markets at Esna are long standing local trades.
History
Thebes, called Waset by the Egyptians, was the capital of Egypt for much of the Middle and New Kingdoms and the home of the god Amun. Karnak grew over 2,000 years into the largest religious complex ever built. Across the river, pharaohs from Thutmose I onward cut their tombs into the Valley of the Kings; Howard Carter found Tutankhamun’s burial there in November 1922. Esna and Armant kept working temples into the Roman period. Modern Luxor grew as a winter resort in the nineteenth century, and became a governorate in its own right in 2009.
Getting There
Luxor International Airport lies about 7 km east of the city and takes direct flights from Cairo and from Europe. The Cairo to Aswan railway stops at Luxor and Esna, with sleeper and express services from Cairo in roughly nine hours. The Nile valley road runs the length of the governorate, and cruise boats sail to Aswan through the Esna lock in three to four days.
FAQ
What is the capital of Luxor Governorate?
Luxor city, on the east bank of the Nile.
When was Luxor Governorate created?
On 7 December 2009, when it was separated from Qena Governorate.
How many districts does Luxor have?
Five marakiz, Al-Qarnah, Luxor, Tiba, Armant and Esna, plus one urban kism covering Luxor city.
What is the population of Luxor Governorate?
CAPMAS estimated 1,400,640 people in July 2023. The 2017 census counted 1,250,209.
How many villages are in Luxor?
This page lists 116 named settlements across the five marakiz.
How far is Luxor from Cairo?
About 635 km south. Flights take an hour, express trains about nine.