The modern name for the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes is Luxor. The ancient city occupied both banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, while modern Luxor surrounds many of its surviving temples, tombs, and archaeological sites.
Thebes was known to ancient Egyptians as Waset and became especially important as a religious and political centre. It served as Egypt's capital for long periods during the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom. The city's patron deity was Amun, whose worship grew into the powerful cult of Amun-Ra.
Modern Luxor is best understood as the urban successor and setting of ancient Thebes, not as a completely different ancient city. Karnak and Luxor temples stand on the east bank, where much of the ancient city was located. The west bank contains the Theban Necropolis, including the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and the Colossi of Memnon. Memphis, Cairo, and Aswan were separate Egyptian cities.