Dates

Constructed during the early days of Gondor, before the end of the Second Age; renamed as the Tower of Guard (Minas Tirith) in III 2002

Location

Beneath Mount Mindolluin in Anórien, westward of the course of Anduin in Gondor

Origins

Built by the sons of Elendil

Race

Division

Culture

Family

Ruled by Kings of the House of Anárion

Important peaks

Built on the hill later known as the Hill of Guard, Amon Tirith,¹ beneath Mount Mindolluin

Pronunciation

Anor is pronounced 'ah'norr' ('rr' indicates that the final r sound should be distinctly pronounced)

Meaning

Literally 'Tower of the Sun', but often translated 'Tower of the Setting Sun'

Other names

Minas Anor, Tower of the Setting Sun, Tower of the Sun

Note

The Tower of Anor or Tower of the Sun was the original name given to this city, which it held until the capture of the Tower of the Moon by the Nazgûl in III 2002; after that time, the city was renamed as the Tower of Guard, Minas Tirith, the name it retained until the War of the Ring and beyond

Indexes:

About this entry:

Updated 3 February 2024
This entry is complete

Tower of Anor

The city of Minas Tirith

Years of the TreesFirst AgeISecond AgeIIThird AgeIIIFourth AgeIV

Map of the Tower of Anor

A partial translation of Minas Anor, the old name for the famous city known as Minas Tirith at the end of the Third Age. Anor is an Elvish name for the Sun, so the name translates fully as the 'Tower of the Sun' or sometimes (due to its western position) 'Tower of the Setting Sun'. It was first built as the house of Elendil's son Anárion, and over time it came to be the seat of the Kings of Gondor. In the year III 2002, Minas Ithil fell to the Nazgûl, and after that time Minas Anor's name changed to Minas Tirith, the Tower of Guard. However, it seems that after Sauron's ultimate defeat, the old name 'Tower of Anor' started to come back into use.

Map of the Tower of Anor

Notes

1	The name Amon Tirith, 'Hill of Guard', cannot have predated the renaming of the city as the 'Tower of Guard' in III 2002. According to comments by Tolkien reproduced in The Nature of Middle-earth, the hill's original name was Amon Anor, the Hill of the Sun.

Indexes:

About this entry:

Updated 3 February 2024
This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2007, 2023-2024. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.

Explore the benefits of using a personality profile to discover yourself and make the most of your career.