Minas Ithil
From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.
Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon, was the sister city of Minas Anor (later known as Minas Tirith) during the early part of the Third Age. It was founded by Isildur as a fortress city to defend Gondor from Sauron in Mordor. Situated in an upland valley at the feet of the Mountains of Shadow, it commanded the only easily accessible pass through the mountains into Mordor. In its heyday it was described as a beautiful sight, as moonlight filled its inner courts with a silver light. It was a walled city of white marble built on a high shelf of rock. Within the walls there were white houses and a tall tower. The walls and the tower had many windows, and the top of the tower revolved slowly back and forth. The Morgul-road ran from Osgiliath on the Anduin through Ithilien to the Morgul Vale and crossed the Mountains of Shadow into Mordor. Near the main gate of Minas Ithil in the city's northern wall, the road spanned a white bridge over the Morgulduin. At the head of the bridge stood hideous carved figures of both human and animal form.
[edit] Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul was originally called Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon. It was built to keep watch on Mordor when Gondor was founded in 3320 of the Second Age. Isildur, son of Elendil, made his home in Minas Ithil, while Isildur's brother Anarion dwelled across the Anduin in Minas Anor. Minas Ithil was a beautiful city and its walls gleamed silver and white with moonlight. In front of his house, Isildur planted a sapling of the White Tree which he had rescued from the Downfall of Numenor, and in the tower was kept one of the palantiri called the Ithil-stone.
It was believed that Sauron had perished in the Downfall of Numenor, but his spirit survived and he returned to Mordor in the same year that Gondor was founded. With the One Ring, he secretly rebuilt his power. In 3429 of the Second Age, Sauron seized Minas Ithil and burned the White Tree, but Isildur escaped with a seedling of the Tree.
After Sauron was defeated in the War of the Last Alliance in 3441 S.A., a watch was kept from Minas Ithil. But in 1636 of the Third Age, the Great Plague came from the east and killed many Gondorians. The guard on Mordor began to relax and people left Minas Ithil.
The Nazgûl returned to Mordor in 1980 to prepare for Sauron's return. The Nazgûl were the servants of Sauron who had taken the Nine Rings of Men from him long ago. Their leader was the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl. In 2000 they laid siege to Minas Ithil and they captured the city in 2002 and took possession of the Ithil-stone. Minas Ithil became the stronghold of the Nazgûl and it was renamed Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. It was a place of fear and dread and its walls held a sickly light.
Not the imprisoned moonlight welling through the marble walls of Minas Ithil long ago, Tower of the Moon, fair and radiant in the hollow of the hills. Paler indeed than the moon ailing in some slow eclipse was the light of it now, wavering and blowing like a noisome exhalation of decay, a corpse-light, a light that illuminated nothing.
-The Two Towers: "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol," p. 312
Across the Anduin, Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Guard, and the Men of Gondor were vigilant against the threat from Minas Morgul.
In 2050, King Earnur of Gondor accepted a challenge to fight the Witch-king of Angmar in single combat. He rode with a small company of knights to Minas Morgul and they were never seen again. Earnur was believed to have died in torment in Minas Morgul. He left no heir, and it was from that time that the Stewards began to rule Gondor in absence of a King.
Sauron returned secretly to Mordor in 2942 and in 2951 he declared himself openly and began to gather power again. Sauron claimed the Ithil-stone and with it he was later able to ensnare the Wizard Saruman and deceive Denethor, Steward of Gondor, who each had one of the other palantiri.
At the time of the War of the Ring, the Witch-king of Angmar and most of the Nazgûl dwelled in Minas Morgul; two or three other Nazgûl occupied Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. Numerous Orcs, including Gorbag, were also stationed in Minas Morgul and the Silent Watchers were ever-vigilant.
On June 20, 3018, the Witch-king rode forth to lead an assault on Osgiliath, and then he rode north with the Nazgul in search of the Hobbit who bore the One Ring.
Frodo Baggins, the Ring-bearer, passed Minas Morgul on the way into Mordor with Sam Gamgee and their guide Gollum on March 10, 3019. Frodo felt compelled by the power of the Ring to approach the city where the Witch-king dwelled, but he was stopped by Sam and Gollum at the head of the bridge. They had begun to climb the path leading to Cirith Ungol when a great red flash was sent up from Barad-dûr as a signal to launch the assault on Gondor.
And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into the sullen clouds. The earth groaned; and out of the city there came a cry. Mingled with harsh high voices as of birds of prey, and the shrill neighing of horses wild with rage and fear, there came a rending screech, shivering, rising swiftly to a piercing pitch beyond the range of hearing.
-The Two Towers: "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol," p. 315
The Witch-king rode out of the gate at the head of a great army. No greater host had come from Minas Morgul since the War of the Last Alliance, and yet it was only a small part of Sauron's entire force. But the host did not return to Minas Morgul. The Witch-king was vanquished at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields on March 15, and on March 25 the Ring was destroyed and Sauron's realm fell.
After his coronation in May of 3019, Aragorn, King Elessar, decreed that Minas Morgul would be utterly destroyed.
