Old Ghis
| Old Ghis | |
|---|---|
| City ruins | |
 Fall of Ghis | |
| Destroyed | at least 5,000 years ago[1] |
| Notable places | Great Pyramid |
Old Ghis is a ruined city in Essos. It is located in southwestern Ghiscar, east across the Gulf of Grief from the Valyrian peninsula.[2][3] It was the capital city of the Old Empire of Ghis. The ancient city was one of the oldest known cultures and nations in the world. Its founding and golden age predate that of its successor, Valyria, by thousands of years.[1][4]
Layout
The ancient city of Old Ghis had brick walls and colossal pyramids—such as the Great Pyramid—temples, and homes.[4]
History
Old Empire
Old Ghis was founded by Grazdan the Great.[5] Its emblem was a harpy, which had a woman's torso, the wings of a bat instead of arms, the legs of an eagle, and a scorpion's tail. In its claws rested a thunderbolt.[1]
In the dawn of days Old Ghis opened its gates and poured forth its lockstep legions to control Slaver's Bay and the Gulf of Grief. With their lockstep discipline and absolute obedience the Old Empire of Ghis ground nations beneath their boots, destroying that which they did not enslave.
Fall
Old Ghis was brought to ruin following a series of wars with the Valyrian Freehold.[1][5] Ghiscar fought with Valyria five times, losing each war because of Valyria's dragons. Ghis's lockstep legions were shattered in the final war five thousand years ago. The city's brick walls were pulled down, its streets and buildings were turned to ash and cinder by dragonflame, and its fields were sown with salt, sulfur, and skulls.[1]
Aftermath
The city of New Ghis, located on an island south of Ghaen and the Ghiscari Strait,[6] claims to be Old Ghis come again.[4]
Lomas Longstrider once visited the colossal ruins of the Great Pyramid of Ghis.[7] Dalton Greyjoy sailed to Old Ghis by the age of fourteen.[8]
Quotes
Five times had Old Ghis contended with Valyria when the world was young, and five times had gone down to bleak defeat. For the Freehold had dragons, and the Empire had none.[5]
—thoughts of Daenerys Targaryen
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 23, Daenerys II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Map of Valyria
- ↑ The Lands of Ice and Fire, Central Essos.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 27, Daenerys III.
- ↑ The Lands of Ice and Fire, Central Essos.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken.
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