No Las Vegas Myth Here: Archeologists Discover New Tombs in Luxor
Posted on: May 27, 2025, 04:01h.
Last updated on: May 27, 2025, 04:05h.
- Ancient tombs have been discovered in Luxor
- Luxor is an ancient city in Egypt
- Luxor Las Vegas’ theme is based on the city
Luxor is best known in the United States to many gamblers as a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. However, the Egyptian-themed property run by MGM Resorts is based on a city in the ancient region that was home to Thebes.
Earlier this month, Casino.org’s Corey Levitan dispelled a myth circulating in Southern Nevada that MGM was secretly developing a plan to replace Luxor, the famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask, pyramid and neighboring Excalibur with a 1,000-foot-tall, $9 billion resort reminiscent of something from the Dubai skyline. Levitan, a Vegas insider, kiboshed the gossip and chalked it up to a little more than an April Fools’ prank.
What is a fact is that when Circus Circus Enterprises envisioned and built the 30-story pyramid on the southern part of the Las Vegas Strip, the resort sought to bring Ancient Egypt to Southern Nevada and the Mojave Desert. MGM acquired Circus Circus and Luxor and Excalibur in 2005 when it was known as MGM Mirage.
The Real Luxor
Las Vegas is home to an array of global destination replicas, including Venice (The Venetian Resort and Palazzo), New York City (New York-New York), Paris (Paris Las Vegas), and Hollywood (Planet Hollywood). Luxor is where guests who don’t want to travel around the world to see an Egyptian-like pyramid venture.
The real Luxor, located in Upper Egypt, encompasses the site of the Ancient city of Thebes. A World Heritage Site, Thebes became inhabited around 3200 B.C.
Egyptian archeologists revealed this week the discovery of three new tombs of prominent statemen in the Dra Abu al-Naga necropolis within Luxor. The tombs are thought to date back to 1550-1070 B.C.
The discovery couldn’t come at a more opportune time, as the Grand Egyptian Museum’s highly anticipated opening is set for this summer. Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities says the new tombs will be included in the museum along with more than 100,000 other artifacts once the graves are analyzed and preserved.
US Luxor Lore Involves Tupac Shakur
The Las Vegas Luxor, along with its pyramid and recent negative reviews regarding an aging resort and MGM seemingly not willing to invest a proper amount of money to update the property, is famed for being where Tupac Shakur spent his final days and hours.
Shakur was in Las Vegas in September 1996 to attend the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand just up the Strip across S. Las Vegas Blvd. from the Luxor. After leaving the bout, Shakur and his entourage, including Marion “Suge” Knight, became involved in an altercation with rival gang members.
After exchanging blows, Tupac retreated to his Luxor guestroom. He and Knight later left the casino resort to attend a party at Club 662. At a stoplight, a white, late-model Cadillac pulled up next to Knight’s 1996 BMW 750iL. The backseat window rolled down, and a gunman rapidly fired shots that killed Shakur.
Shakur’s killer was never identified, though it’s suspected that Orlando Anderson, who was involved in the MGM fight earlier with Shakur, was the gunman. Duane “Keffe D” Davis has since been named and charged as an accomplice in the murder. His trial is to start early next year.
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