The port and docks of the city of Minas Tirith, built on a bend in the River Anduin, and used by river traffic from the southern regions of Gondor. It lay some four miles to the southeast of the city, protected by the defences of the great wall known as the Rammas Echor.2 The docks were so placed that there was a clear view of the southern river for many leagues, allowing defenders to see approaching ships long before they arrived at port.
During the War of the Ring, it was at the Harlond that Aragorn landed with his fleet of captured Corsair vessels, reinforcing the beleaguered defenders of Minas Tirith. After the victory in the Battle of the Pelennor, the Harlond continued to be busy, as more ships from the southern lands carried new troops to Minas Tirith.
Notes
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We have no specific information about the building of the Harlond, but it seems reasonable to date it to approximately the same time as Minas Anor, the city it originally would have served.
In theory, though, the Harlond might have predated Minas Anor by some time. We know that the Númenóreans had established Pelargir on Anduin much earlier, in II 2350 (predating Minas Anor by about a thousand years), and so the Harlond might originally have been another minor port built on the Great River at about the same time. On this line of reasoning, Anárion would have chosen to build his city where he did because of the convenient pre-existing port, rather than building the port to service Minas Anor. On the whole, this seems a less likely possibility, but lacking more detailed information, it would not be impossible.
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2 |
Exactly how the docks related to the wall is not entirely clear. The text of The Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King V 1) tells us that the wall ran along the edge of the river at this point, and that the Harlond was 'beneath' it. In his extended index, Tolkien also states that the Harlond was 'within' the wall. Of course the docks and quays on the river must themselves have been outside the wall, so presumably some kind of gateway led from the landings into the port itself, though the exact arrangement is nowhere described.
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See also...
Aragorn Elessar, Gate of Gondor, Legolas Greenleaf, Minas Anor, Minas Tirith, Mundburg, North-way, River Anduin, River of Gondor, South Road, Stone-city, Tower of Anor, Tower of Guard, Tower of the Setting Sun, Tower of the Sun
Indexes:
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- Updated 16 September 2020
- This entry is complete
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