LOTR: Was Minas Tirith based on Jerusalem?

[Crono]

Question for fans of Tolkien and those familiar with the LOTR books: was the Gondorian city of Minas Tirith based on Jerusalem?
Just a question that's entered by mind from time to time.

 

[foghorn67]

Question for fans of Tolkien and those familiar with the LOTR books: was the Gondorian city of Minas Tirith based on Jerusalem?
Just a question that's entered by mind from time to time.

I would like to help guess, but I got nothing to prove it.

On one hand, I think yes. Like Old Jerusalem or the Kingdom of Jerusalem when it was built for a siege.

Other part of me says no. I think everything was supposed to be inspired by English history, nothing else since Tolkien longed for English mythology.

Then again, England has a huge history in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I believe it's more Camelot.

 

[dawp]

Minas Tirith in matchsticks

http://matchstickmarvels.com/MinasTirith.htm

 

[IronWing]

Yes and no. Jerusalem, Jericho, and Troy as imagined by medieval Europeans. The seven levels follow the pattern of the classical Cretan labyrinth.

http://www.labyrinthos.net/centre.html

 

[mmntech]

I'd say Asgard was an inspiration. Tolkien loved European paganism. Sharp contrast to his friend and contemporary CS Lewis.

 

[spaceman]

he had some disclaimer bout allegory in the book