Walls of Qarth
The walls of Qarth are three thick walls that surround Qarth, an ancient port city located on the southern coast of Essos. They are among the wonders of the world according to Lomas Longstrider.[1]
Contents
Layout
The outer wall, red sandstone thirty feet high, is decorated with carved animals, including snakes, kites, fish, wolves, zorses, and elephants.[2] The middle wall, grey granite forty feet high, depicts scenes of war instead of animals.[2] The innermost wall is made of black marble fifty feet high and is carved with scenes of lovemaking.[2]
The city's outer and middle gates are banded with copper and iron, respectively. The innermost gates are studded with golden eyes.[2]
History
While other Qaathi settlements were destroyed by Dothraki during the Century of Blood, the triple wall protected Qarth from attack.[3]
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
All three walls open for Daenerys Targaryen when she arrives at Qarth from the red waste. Men beat gongs from atop the walls to herald her coming.[2]
A Dance with Dragons
As Yezzan zo Qaggaz lies dying during the second siege of Meereen, Penny suggests sailing to Qarth and tells Tyrion Lannister of the city walls. However, Tyrion informs her that he has no intention of going any further east.[1]
Quotes
In the south, other khals led their hordes into the Red Waste, destroying the Qaathi towns and cities that once dotted that desert, until only the great city of Qarth remained, protected by its towering triple wall.[3]
—writings of Yandel
Three thick walls encircled Qarth, elaborately carved. The outer was red sandstone, thirty feet high and decorated with animals: snakes slithering, kites flying, fish swimming, intermingled with wolves of the red waste and striped zorses and monstrous elephants. The middle wall, forty feet high, was grey granite alive with scenes of war: the clash of sword and shield and spear, arrows in flight, heroes at battle and babes being butchered, pyres of the dead. The innermost wall was fifty feet of black marble, with carvings that made Dany blush until she told herself that she was being a fool. She was no maid; if she could look on the grey wall's scenes of slaughter, why should she avert her eyes from the sight of men and women giving pleasure to one another?[2]
—thoughts of Daenerys Targaryen
Penny: We could sail to Qarth. The streets are paved with jade there, my brother always said. The city walls are one of the wonders of the world. When we perform in Qarth, gold and silver will rain down on us, you'll see.
Tyrion: Some of those ships out on the bay are Qartheen. Lomas Longstrider saw the walls of Qarth. His books suffice for me. I have gone as far east as I intend to go.[1]—Penny and Tyrion Lannister
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 57, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 27, Daenerys II.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: The Grasslands.