Thebes: History, Former Names & Timeline
Capital of Egypt in the Middle and New Kingdoms, beside the temples of Karnak and Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.
ThebesExplore Thebes in the interactive map
Former names of Thebes
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 BC | Waset / Thebes | |
| 1800 | Luxor |
Timeline of Thebes
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1550 BC | The New Kingdom begins and Thebes becomes its religious and political centre (about this date) |
| 1323 BC | Tutankhamun is buried in the Valley of the Kings (about this date) |
| 663 BC | The Assyrians sack Thebes |
| 27 BC | An earthquake damages the Colossi of Memnon |
| 1922 | Howard Carter finds the tomb of Tutankhamun |
Who ruled Thebes
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–2 BC | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Diocletianus) |
| 400–699 | Eastern Roman Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–999 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 1000–1299 | Fatimid Caliphate |
| 1300–1599 | Mamluk Sultanate |
| 1600–1814 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1815–today | Egypt |
Famous people of Thebes
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1341 BC – 1323 BC | Tutankhamun | Pharaoh of Egypt |
| c. 1303 BC – 1213 BC | Ramesses II | Pharaoh of Egypt |
Nearby cities
- Cairo · about 502 km
Further reading
Questions about Thebes
What was Thebes called in the past?
Thebes has been known as Waset / Thebes (from 2000 BC); Luxor (from 1800). Its present name dates from 1800.
Which states have ruled Thebes?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Thebes lies within 12 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Roman Empire, Rome (Diocletianus), Eastern Roman Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate, Mamluk Sultanate and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Thebes?
1550 BC: The New Kingdom begins and Thebes becomes its religious and political centre (about this date). 1323 BC: Tutankhamun is buried in the Valley of the Kings (about this date). 663 BC: The Assyrians sack Thebes. 27 BC: An earthquake damages the Colossi of Memnon. 1922: Howard Carter finds the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Which famous people are connected with Thebes?
Tutankhamun (pharaoh of egypt, c. 1341 BC – 1323 BC); Ramesses II (pharaoh of egypt, c. 1303 BC – 1213 BC).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.