Minas Morgul

Minas Morgul (the 'Tower of Black Magic') is a fortified city on the edge of Mordor.

Summary

Minas Morgul was built sometime around SA 3320, at which point it was named Minas Ithil (the 'Tower of the Moon'). The city was the home of Isildur, who planted the White Tree within its walls. It also housed a palantír, the Ithil-stone. In SA 3429, the forces of Mordor besieged the city, though it was reclaimed for Gondor after Sauron was overthrown.

In TA 2002, the Ringwraiths again captured the city and its palantír. From this point onwards, it became known as Minas Morgul, and served as the Witch-King's home base.

Architecture

As Minas Morgul was originally built as the sister-city of Minas Anor, it should be extremely similar in its construction. The walls and tower were made of gleaming white stone, built in the Old Númenórean style. It has one gate, on the northern side of the city, that has been modified to look like a gaping mouth with gleaming teeth. There are many windows in the walls and tower, "like countless black holes looking inward into emptiness". The topmost level of the central tower is said to revolve slowly, first one way and then the other, looking like a huge ghostly head.

It is also important to consider the other modifications and repairs that must have been made during the thousand years under Sauron's control. There would be no reason to try to emulate the Gondorian style, so there could perhaps be ugly, evil-looking battlements in places.