Middle-Earth Tours

Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth

Osgiliath
'The Cross-roads, yes,' whispered Gollum, the first words that had been spoken since they left their hiding place. 'We must go that way.' Turning eastward now, he led them up a slope; and then suddenly there it was before them: the Southward Road, winding its way about the outer feet of the mountains, until presently it plunged into a great ring of trees.
     'This is the only way,' whispered Gollum. 'No paths beyond the road. No paths. We must go to the Cross-roads. But make haste! Be silent!
      As furtively as scouts within the campment of their enemies, they crept down onto the road, and stole along its westward edge under the stony bank, grey as stone themselves, and as soft-footed as hunting cats. At length they reached the trees, and found that they stood in a great roofless ring, open in the middle to the sombre sky; and the spaces between their immense boles were like the great dark arches of some ruined hall. In the very centre four ways met. Behind them lay the road to the Morannon; before them it ran out again upon its long journey south; to their right the road from old Osgiliath came climbing up, and crossing, passed out eastward into darkness: the fourht way, the road they were to take. --TTT, "Journey to the Cross-Roads"
The Ruins of Osgiliath,
by Alan Lee

image from theonering.net

 Standing there for a moment filled with dread Frodo became aware that a light was shining; he saw it glowing on Sam's face beside him. Turning towards it, he saw, beyond an arch of boughs, the road to Osgiliath running almost as straight, as a stretched ribbon down, down, into the West. There, far away beyond sad Gondor now overwhelmed in shade, the Sun was sinking, finding at last the hem of the great slow-rolling pall of cloud, and falling in an ominous fire towards the yet unsullied sea. The brief glow fell upon a huge sitting figure, still and solemn as the great stone kings at Argonath. The years had gnawed it, and violent hands had maimed it. Its head was gone, and in its place was set in mockery a round, rough-hewn stone, rudely painted by savage hands in the likeness of a grinning face with one large red eye in the midst of its forehead. Upon its knees and mighty chair, and all about the pedestal, were idle scrawls mixed with the foul symbols that the maggot-folk of Mordor used.
     Suddenly, caught by the level beams, Frodo saw the old king's head: it was lying rolled away by the roadside. 'Look, Sam!' he cried, startled into speech. 'Look! The king has got a crown again!' --TTT, "Journey to the Cross-Roads"

The King Recrowned, by Michael Kaluta
Osgiliath, by Ted Nasmith


image courtesy of theonering.net
In the TTT movie, Faramir takes Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath. Although this is a change from the books, I don't mind because it gives us more of a glimpse of this fascinating city. In fact, I don't mind the changes to Faramir much, either...but this isn't the place to discuss it.
He [Denethor] turned to Faramir. 'What think you of the garrison at Osgiliath?'
     'It is not strong,' said Faramir. 'I have sent the company of Ithilien to strengthen it, as I have said.'
     Not enough, I deem,' said Denethor. 'It is there that the first blow will fall. They will have need of some stout captain there.' --RotK, "The Siege of Gondor"
from a trailer on the official movie site

image from a TTT commercial		 It was night again ere news came. A man rode in haste from the fords, saying that a host had issued from Minas Morgul and was already drawing nigh to Osgiliath; and it had been joined by regiments from the South, Haradrim, cruel and tall. 'And we have learned,' said the messenger, 'that the Black Captain leads them once again, and the fear of him has passed before him over the River.' --RotK, "The Siege of Gondor"
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien.