Hall of the White Tower

The Hall lay within the White Tower on the highest tier of the city of Minas Tirith. It is represented on this map (in the detail of the Citadel) by a dashed line within the square form of the White Tower itself.

Within the White Tower on the highest tier of Minas Tirith, a stone passageway led to shining metal door. That door opened by some unseen mechanism, and beyond it lay the chamber of the Kings and Stewards of Gondor. This was the Hall of the White Tower, also known as the Hall of the Kings. At the time of the War of the Ring, no King had ruled in Gondor for nearly a thousand years, but still the royal throne was maintained in the royal hall, with the Stewards electing to rule from a lesser stone chair at the base of the throne's dais.

On the approach to the throne, the Hall of the White Tower had a high ceiling upheld by rows of black marble pillars, between which stood statues of the Kings who had once ruled in Gondor. From this hall, the Stewards conducted their affairs of state, and it was here that Gandalf and Pippin found Steward Denethor when they came to Minas Tirith as the War of the Ring descended. As well as the Hall of the Kings, the White Tower also possessed at least one other chamber for the private use of the Steward.¹ This was a lesser hall above the throne room with windows looking out in all directions, from which Gondor's ruler could survey his realm.