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Luxor[luk´sOr, look´–] Pronunciation Key, city (1996 pop. 360,503), central Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile. It is 1 mi (1.6 km) SW of Karnak and occupies part of the site of Thebes. The temple of Luxor, the greatest monument of antiquity in the city, was built in the reign of Amenhotep III (1414 B.C.–1397 B.C.) as a temple to Amon. The temple, 780 ft (230 m) long, was much altered by succeeding pharaohs, especially by Ramses II, who had colossal statues of himself erected on the grounds. In early Christian times the temple was made into a church, and later a shrine to a Muslim saint was built in the great hall. The temple was restored, beginning in 1883. Numerous temples and burial grounds, including the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, are nearby on the west side of the Nile.
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