Sack of Thebes

The Sack of Thebes in 664 BC by the Assyrians under king Ashurbanipal was a major event in the history of the city of Thebes, Egypt and ancient Egypt. Thebes, which had been the capital of Egypt for centuries, never recovered from the brutal sack. The Assyrians carried off huge amounts of spoils, including two massive obelisks, each weighing almost thirty-eight tons. The event is known from the Assyrian annals. It is not mentioned in Egyptian sources.