Minas Tirith was a great city of
Gondor built in the
Second Age. Originally dubbed
Minas Anor (
Tower of the Setting Sun), it was a sister city to
Minas Ithil (
Tower of the Rising Moon). Both were guard-fortresses of
Osgiliath, the chief city of Gondor - and until the middle of the
Third Age, when Osgiliath was deserted, Minas Anor was but a western satellite.
Still, the city was both beautiful and intimidating. Divided into seven sections, there were seven walls wrapped around the city in
concentric circles. The gates of these walls were misaligned so that one had to walk in a
zigzag fashion to go from the bottom of the city to the top. Furthermore, each section was consecutively
higher than the last, so any attacking army, in addition to having to fight an uphill battle, was always vulnerable to
archers on the next wall.
Minas Tirith was painted white and stood tall. To its west was
Mount Mindolluin, easternmost peak of the
White Mountains - which, in addition to serving as a fantastic backdrop, virtually eliminated any possibility of assault from that direction. To the city's north and east were the
Pelennor Fields, a vast plain that, in peacetime, was used as farmland. Surrounding these fields was an outwall, the
Rammas Echor, which served to stem the tide of attacking armies; or, in the greatest years of Gondor, would actually be heavily garrisoned, holding back the enemy.
Beyond the outwall, further to the north and east, was
Osgiliath (
Peregrin Took, looking out from Minas Tirith, saw the ruins of that city during the
War of the Ring). The
Great River Anduin, flowed through
Osgiliath, and as it came south curved west and almost touched the southern part of the city. Thus the city had a wide river on one side, a mountain on the other, and an open field with which to feed its people.
Late in the
Third Age, the two guard towers, Minas Anor and Minas Ithil, were the chief cities of south Gondor. Minas Anor was the capital, and Minas Ithil, so close to
Mordor, was constantly under pressure. Eventually (in year 2002) Minas Ithil was captured by the
Nine Riders of
Sauron; it became a place of dread and was renamed
Minas Morgul (
Tower of Black Sorcery). Now the power of
Dark Lord was growing every moment, and the men of Gondor were hard pressed to stem the tide of his armies. Thus Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith - the
Tower of Guard - and the populous prepared to fight to the end.
Minas Tirith, however, would survive into the
Fourth Age. The city was besieged in the
War of the Ring, its main gate smashed and its outer circles set afire; but with help from the
Rohirrim and the coming of great, unforeseen powers, Sauron's army was defeated on the
Pelennor Fields and driven back.
The Ring was destroyed, and under King
Elessar, the city would be rebuilt with the help of
Dwarves of the
Lonely Mountain, and
Elves from
Greenwood.
J.R.R. Tolkien Node