Minas Tirith. ( Former Minas Anor.)

Minas Tirith. ( Tower of Guard.)

Minas Anor. ( Tower of the Setting Sun.)

Mundburg.

Renamed from Minas Anor to Minas Tirith.

Called Mundburg in the Eotheod / Rohirrim tongue. The name refers to the White Tower but are usually used for the city.. The white city upon the out-thrusted knee of Mount Mindolluin in Gondor. The city with the six walls of white stone and one, the outer of black like the stones of Orthanc. ( " The main wall of the city was of great height and marvellous thickness, built before the power and craft of Númenor waned in exile, and its outward face was like to the tower of Orthanc, hard and dark and smooth,"" ) The Tower of Ecthelion standing high within the topmost wall glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, tall and fair and shapely as were it made of crystals. The city was built on seven terraces each one delved into the hill and each one 100 feet above eachother. In the first wall was the Great Gate made of Iron facing East. The next gate in the second wall was turned 45 degrees South, the third 45 degrees North from the first and so on. After the sixth gate up to the Citadel there was a long lamp-lit slope to the seventh gate carved in the rock of the Mountain and finally reached the High Court with Merethond and the Place of the Fountain, where the White Tree once flowered and from where the great river Anduin could be seen, before the feet of the White Tower which pinnacle with the white banner of the Stewards floated thousend feet above the plains below. In the White Tower was one of the Palantiri. placed in a hidden chamber just below the roof. At the heights of the fifth wall was the shoulder of the hill connecting it to the mountain-mass and Mindolluin. The shoulder hedged with huge ramparts and totally walled held the Hallows and here stood the tombs of the ancient Kings and Stewards in Rath Dìnen, The only entrance was from the guarded gate Fen Hollin at the sixth level leading through a walled pathway down. outside the Great Gate and the first wall was Pelennor-field which again is surrounded by Rammas Echor. From the Great Gate in Minas Tirith ran the Great West Road through Forannon in Rammas Echor and the South Road to Pelargir. At the sixth level were also the Houses of Healing and staples.

Isildur and Anarion build Minas Anor ( The City ) and the Tower Minas Anor after the escape from the Downfall of Númenor in the end of Second age year 3320. basicly as an outpost guarding the Northern and Western approach to Osgiliath.

The sixth King of Gondor, Ostoher, who ruled in Gondor from T.A.411 to 492. repairs and enlarges Minas Anor in the years 420 to 430. and the city becomes the summer-residence of the Gondorian Kings.

The twentieth-sixth King of Gondor, Tarondor who ruled from 1636-1798 removed the Kings House to Minas Anor from Osgiliath which were ruined and burned in the Kin-strife and here he replantet a seedling of the White Tree. It now became the capitol of Gondor.

The twentieth-nine King of Gondor, Calimethar build the White Tower in Minas Anor to house the Palantiri. during his reign T.A.1736-1936. The tale says he builded it but it sounds strange since there already was a tower. Can it be thought he teared the old down and builded it anew with the hidden chamber for the Palantiri ? or is it meant he restructured the existing one. I havent been able to find an answer.

The Last King ( The 31 ) of Gondor, Earnur, renamed Minas Anor to Minas Tirith in T.A.during his reign ( 1943-2050 ) at the time of the fall of Minas Ithil.( 2002 )

The Seventienth Steward of Gondor, Ecthelion I., who ruled from 2685-2698 repaired and rebuilded the White tower in Minas Tirith , which often afterwards was called Ecthelions Tower.

Related Links.: Battles.: Downfall of Númenor. War of the Kin-strife in Gondor.