Here are a couple of street scenes of Minas Tirith.The first is an old woodcut of a street leading from the market place.The one below is a winter view of the same street, can you see your house?
At the top of the page, you will find your tour map of Minas Tirith. Although it does show the main parts of the city, what it does not convey to you is that Minas Tirith is a living city.
Each level is filled with the living breathing folk of Minas Tirith, their houses their shops, their works.Each level can sometimes be a city within itself, going on about its everyday life, little knowing or perhaps caring what goes on in the level below. However like folk everywhere they sometimes look to the level above and make a silent wish. So what makes Minas Tirith, Minas Tirith ? what does it have to offer ? Let us find out.
Minas Tirith has everything a city needs to exist, It has workshops,
it has houses, it has industries and it has homes. It also has people,
and people live out their daily lives here in Minas Tirith. Normally we hear
of the city being under attack or in a state of war,they are only occasional moments in time. Normally the city and its people go about their
normal routines and their normal lives.
Minas Tirith is a very successful city, it is prosperous and its people reflect in
that. But like all cities everywhere social barriers exist,
and the peoples prosperity and hopes and ideals are reflected in their homes and daily lives.
Unfortunately we have not yet designed a map of the
living breathing Minas Tirith ; perhaps that will come later.
In the meantime, let us take you on a walk throughout the city; let us show
you what it has to offer its proud and noble inhabitants.
Our guide is well known to you all, it is Lady Elwing, Princess of Ilithien.
So put a few sandwiches and a cool drink into your pack,
put on your best and comfiest walking shoes and let her begin the tour. I ask
that you pay due respects to certain of the sights you will see,
our hospital is of course a busy place and contains some sick people, please
respect their situations. We will also be passing peoples homes,
treat them with respect and courtesy, we are all friends here.
On behalf of Queen Arwen and King Aragorn...... Welcome to your city.
Lady Elwing, please begin your tour.
ike a pearl it sits nestled upon the knee of the great mountain Mindollin, a city
hewn from the Hill of Guard and engineered to withstand the strongest of
invasions. But fear not, honoured guests and new citizens. For you have
already gained admittance into the Great Gates of the City, and thus we say
'welcome!'. As an expression of good faith we offer you this tour of our
beloved city.
Immediately upon entering, if you look to your right, you will see the Guard Tower. The
squat, stone building that sits beside it, is The Rangers Headquarters. The place
doesn't look like much, but it is the meeting place of our staunchest and
bravest warriors. Directly across from it, is a small white cottage with blue
trim, and a quaint cobble stoned path leading up to the porch. That is the
home of Captain Huan and his lovely wife, Anna Greenleaf. Anna loves roses.
See how pretty they are blooming beneath the front window. Huan and Anna
intend to start a family very soon, so their house will no doubt be expanding
in the near future. The only other edifice worth of note on the First Circle
is the Guesthouse, located a little further down from Ranger Headquarters and
near to the city wall. This is the fabled place where Gandalf the White and
Peregrin Took, Ernil i Pheriannath, stayed during the War of the Ring. This
Circle makes up the industrialized section of Minas Tirith and many areas are
off-limits to everyone except workers wearing the proper safety equipment. So
let us move on to the Second Circle.
The Second Level
s you ascend the winding path, a myriad of sounds come to you; the cry of vendors
calling out their wares, the bantering of voices back and forth across the
bargaining tables, and the clinking of coins changing hands as goods are
bought. This is the Marketplace, and the streets are always bustling with
people and activity. Booths, covered with brightly colored tarps line the
streets. Rows of buildings line narrow alleyways, shops crammed into them,
selling everything from armor and weapons to books and scrolls. Here in an
out-of-the-way little cul-de-sac, graced by a large mallorn tree sitting
directly in the middle of it, is Nienna's Balms and Creams. Nienna is the
Rangers' Master Healer. However, due to the fact that she has to spend much
of her time at the Houses of Healing and also travelling throughout the land
in her horse-drawn cart, Robyn runs the store for her. Robyn lives in a
little flat above the shop and likes birds. See the red cardinal and the
little parakeets feeding from the birdhouses she hangs outside her window.
Watch you step, though! The pigeon droppings are rather thick around here for
some reason. Nienna offers the best prices on all of her goods and
occasionally has some great deals. She sells bouquets of forget-me-nots at
half-off the regular price to Elwing, Princess of Ithilien, and
Mormegil....well, let's just say Mormegil never needs money to purchase
anything in this shop.
The Third Level
he Third Circle is the location of our Great Library. It is a large multi-tiered
building sitting amidst gardens, wide, green lawns and tinkling fountains.
Beautiful murals depicting scenes from Gondor's history decorate the outer
walls. The entrance hall is hung with tapestries of lost Numenor and lined
with statues in the likeness of the Kings of both Numenor and Gondor.
Gondorians have a reputation for being the great lore masters of Middle
Earth, and such an esteemed reputation is mainly due to the great wealth of
information that can be found in the Library. All are welcome to enter.
Jezabelle is Head Librarian. She lives in a spacious house within an enclosed
garden on the western side of the library. Another building that sits on the
Library's property is the Newspaper Editor's office where Minas Tirith's
famed newspaper, the White Tree Registry, is printed and distributed. As the
office is usually in a state of absolute disarray and Elwing, the Registry's
Editior, really doesn't like visitors, we'll bypass that for now. This circle
also includes what has become known as Pub Row. The taverns here serve both
drink and food, and are a great place for studious visitors of the Library to
gather and discuss what they have learned. The traffic in and out of the Pubs
has made it necessary to build a new one every single day. As a result, an
Oliphaunt Forest has been planted to the east of Pub Row where a team of the
great beast are kept on hand to clear away the debris. Treyan Andune and
Anwar, along with their faithful canine companions, Sassafras and Dai, are
the Oliphaunts' Keepers. No visitors are allowed within the Forest Gates, due
to the rather temperamental nature of the Oliphaunts, and their habit of suffering from loose bowels.
The Fourth Level
he Fourth Circle is the residential section of Minas Tirith. It is filled with quaint
little homes, tree-lined streets and public parks. Here is where most of the
citizens of the city live. The main attraction of this Circle is the Tower Theatre
where Arteris the Scribe, writes and hosts live plays twice a week. The King
and Queen, along with their court attendants, are frequent visitors to the theatres.
As a result, the place is often packed with people, not only there to watch
the excellent plays, but also to catch a glimpse of the famous, royal couple.
Mormegil, attendant to the King, actually rents an upstairs room right across
from the Theatre. It boasts a first rate view of the window looking into the
ladies' changing room... Another item of interest here is this stone placed
on the ground, not far from where the path cuts through the rock as it passes
across the line of the Great Gate. The stone marks the place where Peregrin
Took met Meriadoc Brandybuck on that fateful day in our nation's history when
the Lord of the Ringwraiths met his end just outside the city walls.
N
The Fifth Level
t is within the Fifth Circle that the Houses of Healing are. We must tread quietly and
not wander far from the path. Otherwise, Nienna, the Master Healer will be
angry. Her rooms are on the upper floors of the Houses of Healing, not far
from where her patients are kept. Quiet gardens surround the place where one
may stroll beneath the boughs of great trees, bathed in cool green light, or
sit upon a stone bench and listen to the bubbling of a brook splashing
merrily over a small waterfall. Colourful plants adorn the lawns, all of
which carry some sort of medicinal property. Only those requiring healing and
visitors may enter the houses on this level.
The Sixth Level
isitors, we have reached the Sixth Circle, the more affluent neighbourhood of Minas
Tirith. The mansions you see on either side of you house the court attendants
of the King and Queen. Near the tunnel leading up to the Citadel is Princess
Elwing's spacious residence. The house is a small replica of Cair Loriatha,
her beautiful castle in fair Ithilien where she spends most of her time. Do
not fear the great, red-gold dragon you see lying on the wide, green lawn. He
is friendly...well, relatively speaking, of course. Any Orcs in the group
might want to run for cover. Captain Huan and Anna Greenleaf also have a
second home on this Circle. However, they have made several complaints to the
Royal Commission about the ceilings being too low. Well, what did they expect?
The house was originally built for Peregrin Took and his family on their
yearly visits to Minas Tirith. The Scribe Arteris and Robin, who serves as
the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting, reside on this level also, right across the
street from each other, in fact. Due to their recent engagement, however,
Robin has made plans to sell her home to Treyan Andune, who with the adoption
of a rather strange child named Bryien, feels the shack she has been living
in on the outskirts of Oliphaunt Forest is no place to raise a child. Halfway
around the Circle is Fen Hollin, the legendary door that is kept ever shut,
save at times of funeral, and then, only open to the Lord of the City. Beyond
it is a winding road that descends down to the narrow land where stands the
mansion of the dead Kings and their Stewards. Here, at last, the tour ends;
For the lamp-lit path leading straight up through the rock to the Seventh
Circle is off-limits to all except the Tower Guard and those who come at the
summons of the King and Queen. There is the Citadel where the King's House
can be found and the White Tower. The White Tree grows in the courtyard and
Merethrond, Hall of Feasts, occupies the northern end of the Circle. Thus, we
leave you here on the Sixth Circle to enjoy the rest of your day, and we say
again, welcome to the White City. It is a place of enchantment and mystery,
enriched with history and lore, fortified to withstand even the strongest of
attacks, and filled with a small measure of the beauty of lost Numenor. It's
also rather a long walk down the mountain... Welcome and Well-met.
We hope in future to show you around the seventh circle, to let you see the King and
Queens home, after all it has been paid for by the people of Minas Tirith and
their Majesties feel it is only right that you are allowed inside. Occasionally
that is ! Please when the Royal residence is open to the public, will you
keep the little ones under control. King Aragorn is not known for his
patience with children ! Probably due to the Queens strict method of birth
control that includes a thick Oak door, he has not had any opportunity to be
involved with them. His advisor Mormegil, is also known to believe that
children should not exist in Minas Tirith, and that the best use for them is
chimney cleaning in the Royal kitchens. But as we are all aware, Mormegil
says lots of things that he doesn't really mean. Er , we think.
<< Fanatics Plaza
ike a pearl it sits nestled upon the knee of the great mountain Mindollin, a city
hewn from the Hill of Guard and engineered to withstand the strongest of
invasions. But fear not, honoured guests and new citizens. For you have
already gained admittance into the Great Gates of the City, and thus we say
'welcome!'. As an expression of good faith we offer you this tour of our
beloved city.
Immediately upon entering, if you look to your right, you will see the Guard Tower. The
squat, stone building that sits beside it, is The Rangers Headquarters. The place
doesn't look like much, but it is the meeting place of our staunchest and
bravest warriors. Directly across from it, is a small white cottage with blue
trim, and a quaint cobble stoned path leading up to the porch. That is the
home of Captain Huan and his lovely wife, Anna Greenleaf. Anna loves roses.
See how pretty they are blooming beneath the front window. Huan and Anna
intend to start a family very soon, so their house will no doubt be expanding
in the near future. The only other edifice worth of note on the First Circle
is the Guesthouse, located a little further down from Ranger Headquarters and
near to the city wall. This is the fabled place where Gandalf the White and
Peregrin Took, Ernil i Pheriannath, stayed during the War of the Ring. This
Circle makes up the industrialized section of Minas Tirith and many areas are
off-limits to everyone except workers wearing the proper safety equipment. So
let us move on to the Second Circle.
s you ascend the winding path, a myriad of sounds come to you; the cry of vendors
calling out their wares, the bantering of voices back and forth across the
bargaining tables, and the clinking of coins changing hands as goods are
bought. This is the Marketplace, and the streets are always bustling with
people and activity. Booths, covered with brightly colored tarps line the
streets. Rows of buildings line narrow alleyways, shops crammed into them,
selling everything from armor and weapons to books and scrolls. Here in an
out-of-the-way little cul-de-sac, graced by a large mallorn tree sitting
directly in the middle of it, is Nienna's Balms and Creams. Nienna is the
Rangers' Master Healer. However, due to the fact that she has to spend much
of her time at the Houses of Healing and also travelling throughout the land
in her horse-drawn cart, Robyn runs the store for her. Robyn lives in a
little flat above the shop and likes birds. See the red cardinal and the
little parakeets feeding from the birdhouses she hangs outside her window.
Watch you step, though! The pigeon droppings are rather thick around here for
some reason. Nienna offers the best prices on all of her goods and
occasionally has some great deals. She sells bouquets of forget-me-nots at
half-off the regular price to Elwing, Princess of Ithilien, and
Mormegil....well, let's just say Mormegil never needs money to purchase
anything in this shop.
he Third Circle is the location of our Great Library. It is a large multi-tiered
building sitting amidst gardens, wide, green lawns and tinkling fountains.
Beautiful murals depicting scenes from Gondor's history decorate the outer
walls. The entrance hall is hung with tapestries of lost Numenor and lined
with statues in the likeness of the Kings of both Numenor and Gondor.
Gondorians have a reputation for being the great lore masters of Middle
Earth, and such an esteemed reputation is mainly due to the great wealth of
information that can be found in the Library. All are welcome to enter.
Jezabelle is Head Librarian. She lives in a spacious house within an enclosed
garden on the western side of the library. Another building that sits on the
Library's property is the Newspaper Editor's office where Minas Tirith's
famed newspaper, the White Tree Registry, is printed and distributed. As the
office is usually in a state of absolute disarray and Elwing, the Registry's
Editior, really doesn't like visitors, we'll bypass that for now. This circle
also includes what has become known as Pub Row. The taverns here serve both
drink and food, and are a great place for studious visitors of the Library to
gather and discuss what they have learned. The traffic in and out of the Pubs
has made it necessary to build a new one every single day. As a result, an
Oliphaunt Forest has been planted to the east of Pub Row where a team of the
great beast are kept on hand to clear away the debris. Treyan Andune and
Anwar, along with their faithful canine companions, Sassafras and Dai, are
the Oliphaunts' Keepers. No visitors are allowed within the Forest Gates, due
to the rather temperamental nature of the Oliphaunts, and their habit of suffering from loose bowels.
t is within the Fifth Circle that the Houses of Healing are. We must tread quietly and
not wander far from the path. Otherwise, Nienna, the Master Healer will be
angry. Her rooms are on the upper floors of the Houses of Healing, not far
from where her patients are kept. Quiet gardens surround the place where one
may stroll beneath the boughs of great trees, bathed in cool green light, or
sit upon a stone bench and listen to the bubbling of a brook splashing
merrily over a small waterfall. Colourful plants adorn the lawns, all of
which carry some sort of medicinal property. Only those requiring healing and
visitors may enter the houses on this level.
isitors, we have reached the Sixth Circle, the more affluent neighbourhood of Minas
Tirith. The mansions you see on either side of you house the court attendants
of the King and Queen. Near the tunnel leading up to the Citadel is Princess
Elwing's spacious residence. The house is a small replica of Cair Loriatha,
her beautiful castle in fair Ithilien where she spends most of her time. Do
not fear the great, red-gold dragon you see lying on the wide, green lawn. He
is friendly...well, relatively speaking, of course. Any Orcs in the group
might want to run for cover. Captain Huan and Anna Greenleaf also have a
second home on this Circle. However, they have made several complaints to the
Royal Commission about the ceilings being too low. Well, what did they expect?
The house was originally built for Peregrin Took and his family on their
yearly visits to Minas Tirith. The Scribe Arteris and Robin, who serves as
the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting, reside on this level also, right across the
street from each other, in fact. Due to their recent engagement, however,
Robin has made plans to sell her home to Treyan Andune, who with the adoption
of a rather strange child named Bryien, feels the shack she has been living
in on the outskirts of Oliphaunt Forest is no place to raise a child. Halfway
around the Circle is Fen Hollin, the legendary door that is kept ever shut,
save at times of funeral, and then, only open to the Lord of the City. Beyond
it is a winding road that descends down to the narrow land where stands the
mansion of the dead Kings and their Stewards. Here, at last, the tour ends;
