Osgiliath

Osgiliath translated as The fortress of the constellations of Stars, Isildur and his brother Anarion, the sons of High King Elendil established the city during the Age that followed Morgoth’s fall. The two ruled Gondor with Osgiliath as the chief city. The city lost its prominence due to internal power tussles but became useful as different forces and Orcs aimed to use it as a portal to Anduin. In the city's prime, it had a great bridge over its river.

A bridge that has the tower where the Palantir of the city is kept in the prominent Dome of Stars. Similarly, in the city's prime, it is a hall where the throne chamber of the two sons of High king Elendil was set side by side. The fall of Osgiliath began during the reign of the 20th king of Gondor, King Valacar. He married a woman from the people of the North and lived with her far from his kingdom, in the north.

He gave birth to his son and gave him the name Vinitharya (later crowned as Eldacar). Vinitharya was seen as foreign, and the marriage of King Valacar was seen by other Dunedain as a means to diminish the glory of the kingdom of Gondor and therefore, did not accept him. Castamir led a rebellion that led to the death of Eldacar's son and careless destruction of the city, but Eldacar reclaimed the city.

The waning city became worsened when the Great Plague occurred from the East in the Third Age, in 1636. The king and all of his children died as a result of the plague. In the year 2475 of the Third Age, Osgiliath fell to the Uruk-hai of Mordor. Boromir, the great captain son of Denethor I recaptured the city but Osgiliath was finally attacked with Sauron's master plan that caused its bridge to be broken and it fell and became a land of ruins.

In June of the year 3018 of the Third Age, the Nazgul led large armies that charged at the bank Eastward of Osgiliath on the command of Sauron, prepared, they took on the forces with such intensity that they were left with no other choice but to retreat. In the end, Boromir and Faramir retreated with their forces and the bridge in the eastern shore of Osgiliath was in ruin. But that wasn't all, this army led by the Nazgul was only a detachment of Sauron's army.

Osgiliath counts as an easy route through Rauros of river Anduin and the sea as many armies could move through to Anduin requiring not so many boats. Faramir knew that the kind of defeat at the East Bank of Osgiliath must not be repeated, he was cautious in his war plans and led his forces to lay Siege at West bank of Osgiliath looking to repel with all might any attempts to cross the river. But The evil armies of Sauron had other plans, they constructed boats for passage through the east of Osgiliath. Sauron forces made their passage without many casualties, and some were retained at Osgiliath for the Battle of Pelennor Fields forcing the forces with Faramir to fall back to Rammas Echor.

Sauron fell during the Battle of The Rings and the fourth age began. Aragorn II, King Elessar began his reign as king of the reunited kingdom. He ensured that Minas Tirith remained as the capital of Gondor, there is no proper record to support that he restored Osgiliath. Although there is a report that he rebuilt the Annuminas of the north and established it in the Northern Kingdom as the capital.

In Peter Jackson's LOTR: The Two Towers, The Rangers followed Faramir, Frodo, Sam, and Smeagol from the Window of the West to Osgiliath that still had the Sauron's forces reserve present there. Fellbeast bearing Nazguls struck the Osgiliath and bewitched Frodo but Faramir and Sam prevented him from handing the One Ring to the Nazgul. Then Faramir released the three captives. [1]

Boromir addressed the people of Gondor when its western bank was successfully protected in the year 3018 of the Third Age. In a flashback also Boromir addressed the people of Osgiliath after they fougth in battle. In the film scene where Gothmog led Orcs to conquer Osgiliath and Faramir escaped with his forces to safety. The bridge was repaired and Sauron forces crossed upon it.

1. ^The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).