Middle-earth

Location

Minas Tirith

Also known as The Tower of Guard, Minas Anor, The White City

The seven-tiered white city of Gondor, built into Mount Mindolluin, and the great fortress of the West.

Tolkien’s textsSupported by the narratives published in Tolkien’s lifetime.
Type
City
Region
Gondor
Age
The Third Age
On the map
52%, 67%
Minas Tirith

On the interactive atlas

Coordinates shown here are approximate, marking this place on the shared atlas map for orientation rather than cartography. It sits on the Third Age layer.

View on the interactive atlas →

Geography

Seven concentric walls rise up the hill of Mindolluin to the Citadel, guarded by the Tower of Ecthelion and the White Tree.

History

Built by Anárion as Minas Anor, sister-city to Minas Ithil. After Ithil fell to the Nazgûl it became Minas Tirith, the chief city of Gondor.

People & inhabitants

The people of Gondor, led by the Stewards and later by King Elessar.

Significance

The city under siege is the story’s great image of steadfastness; here Aragorn is crowned and the White Tree flowers again.

Connections

Osgiliath and Ithilien to the east; the Pelennor Fields before its walls; Rohan to the north.

Events here

Figures of this place

Denethor II
Character

Denethor II

The proud Steward of Gondor, worn down by the palantír and despair, who perishes in madness.

Boromir
Character

Boromir

The proud eldest son of Denethor who joins the Fellowship, tries to take the Ring, and redeems himself dying to defend Merry and Pippin.

Faramir
Character

Faramir

Denethor’s younger son, a wise and gentle captain who resists the Ring’s temptation and befriends Frodo.

Gandalf
Character

Gandalf

A Wizard of the Istari, keeper of the Elven-ring Narya, and the chief architect of the resistance to Sauron.

Peregrin Took
Character

Peregrin Took

The youngest hobbit of the Fellowship, who became a knight and guard of Gondor and saved Faramir from Denethor’s pyre.

Aragorn
Character

Aragorn

The heir of Isildur, raised in Rivendell in secret, who becomes King Elessar and reunites the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.

Character

Éowyn

Théoden’s niece, who defied the prohibition on women going to war and slew the Witch-king at the Pelennor.

Meriadoc Brandybuck
Character

Meriadoc Brandybuck

A clever Brandybuck who rode to war with Rohan and helped slay the Witch-king at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Sources

  • The Lord of the Rings · 1954–55

    Three volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King.

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