The Great Gate of the City, also known as the Gateway,[1] was Minas Tirith's primary entrance point and (prior to its rebuilding), its only weakness.[2]
Description[]
The Great Gate of the City consisted of large rolling doors made of steel and iron, set between towers and bastions of indomitable stone. Behind the Gate was a wide court that ended at the base of the great "ship-keel" of stone that cut through most of the city. Before the Gate was the Gateway, a short avenue which led to the intersection of roads in the Pelennor Fields.
History[]
In the Siege of Minas Tirith in TA 3019, the armies of Mordor attempted to smash the gate with a conventional battering ram, but the city's defenders beat them back. In response, the Witch-king of Angmar ordered Grond, aided by his sorcery, to destroy the gates instead, which succeeded, resulting in the Witch-king's confrontation with Gandalf.[3]
After the One Ring was destroyed and Aragorn was crowned King of Gondor, Gimli rebuilt the gate using mithril, steel, and decorative jewels. As a result, the Great Gate of the City was rendered significantly stronger than before, nearly impregnable.[4]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Danish | Den Store Port (i Minas Tirirth) |
References[]
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Six, Ch. V: "The Steward and the King", pg. 966
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. I: "Minas Tirith"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. IV: "The Siege of Gondor"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"