04-27-2006, 09:55 AM | #1 | ||||
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Minas Morgul
Posts: 2,783
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Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul: twin cities?
TWIN cities Minas Ithil and Minas Anor were built sometime after SA 3320:
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What was added to each fortress and at what time? Could they still be considered twins? Here are my thoughts on the subject. Description of Minas Ithil: Quote:
Quote:
Now let us look at Minas Tirith: Quote:
-7 encircling walls -The road to the gates was not winding, it seems, but further on, beyond the gates it winded its way up, from one level to the next. I suppose, the original fortresses of Minas Ithil and Minas Anor had only the citadel with the Tower and maybe one-two lower levels encircled by walls. I think, as Minas Anor/Tirith grew, additional lower levels were progressively added until at last 7 levels were reached. The winding road leading to the Citadel, became enclosed within the walls, and the Great Gate of the outer wall became level with the surrounding fields. Basically the city now occupied all the hill. It seems that the outer wall, of the same material as the tower of Orthanc, was built long after the days of Anarion. We know from the Tale of Years that the city was rebuilt in TA 420 by King Ostoher, The tower of Anarion was seemingly demolished and built anew in TA 1900 by King Calimehtar, and that tower was rebuilt in TA 2698 by Steward Ecthelion I. Minas Ithil, because of its tumultuous history, never had so large a population as Minas Anor, so probably it always had only 2-3 levels, while the winding road leading to the Citadel was outside the city walls. Actually Minas Morgul remained closer to the original design than Minas Tirith. What do you think on it? Pauline Baynes Artwork by Pauline Baynes, Tolkien's favorite illustrator and map-maker. Here they are, side by side, and the fortresses are not unlike each other. I think, though, that Minas Morgul should be even higher up from the bridge. Minas Tirith is OK, but I think that the green lawns between the walls should be filled by houses. |
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